ASIA’S REMARKABLE ROMANTIC RITUALS
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Love is in the air around Asia: and it’s not restricted to February 14th. Valentine’s Day is certainly popular in the region, with couples packing high-end restaurants and florists and purveyors of cute stuffed animals reporting brisk business. But nations around the region have indigenous traditions that celebrate love in their own unique ways.
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OLD FLAMES REIGNITE IN VIETNAM
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Young people from local ethnic minority groups dance in Khau Vai
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The village of Khau Vai in northern Vietnam’s remote Ha Giang province is no stranger to love. On the 27th day of the 3rd Lunar month, the settlement plays host to scores of amorous ethnic minority individuals, both young and old, who have trekked through forests and over precipitous mountain trails to express their ardor. The difference between this market and others in Vietnam is that the suitors don’t travel in the hope of finding a life partner. Local myth has it that a young couple from different tribes chose this place as a yearly rendezvous after warring factions within their clans drove them apart, and for the past hundred years or so the market has provided an annual stage on which old flames can reunite, chastely, over bowls of sticky rice and pieces of cake.
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A couple strolls the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul
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Korea is a place for lovers. Couples declare their love with matching ‘couple looks’, men and women alike watch romance-heavy K-dramas and holidays such as Valentine’s Day and White Day allow Koreans to celebrate their significant other. Unsurprisingly, given the underlying air of romance, the country has numerous unique romantic traditions. These include a traditional Korean wedding ceremony involving the bride and groom crossing a bridge made of rice cakes, symbolizing a sweet and prosperous future together. Other rituals, meanwhile, include ttokkasumi (breathing the same air), which is a romantic outing where couples walk hand in hand while enjoying fresh air and natural scenery.
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A Visayan-Filipino serenade, c1905, courtesy of the US Library of Congress
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A love of music runs deep in the culture of the Philippines. Therefore, it’s not surprising that one of the nation’s most unique romantic traditions is a melodious one. Harana sees male suitors serenade their love interest outside her window, accompanied by friends playing musical instruments. The suitor sings love songs to express his feelings and hopes that the woman will reciprocate them. Harana has been a part of Filipino culture for generations and is still practiced in rural areas today. It is often seen as a romantic and nostalgic tradition, and the songs sung during harana are considered classic love songs in the Philippines.
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GOING HUNGRY FOR A HAPPY MARRIAGE
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The intricate designs of a mehndi hand tattoo
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Abstaining from delicious Indian cuisine is an act of sacrifice for anyone. Thus, nobody can question the devotion shown towards their husbands by married women in India during Karwa Chauth. During the Hindu festival, they fast from sunrise to moonrise for the longevity and well-being of their spouses.
In the evening, women gather to perform the puja (worship) and break their fast by consuming water and food offered by their husbands. The festival is also marked by women dressing up in traditional attire, applying mehndi (henna) on their hands, and participating in communal prayers and rituals.
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Thai women dressed in traditional garb send off their krathongs
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Loy Krathong (or lantern festival) in Thailand is one of Asia’s most evocative celebrations. And it’s unsurprisingly popular among amorous couples who use the celebration to declare their devotion. During the festival, couples float small lotus-shaped boats, called krathongs in rivers and lakes, making wishes for love and good fortune in their relationship. The festival is steeped in romantic symbolism, with the floating vessels representing the release of negative energy and the hopes and dreams for a brighter future. Couples often decorate their krathongs with flowers, incense, and candles, and make offerings to the water spirits as a symbol of gratitude.
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