But I’m fine, because now I don’t have to work as hard as before. I can concentrate on the outsourcing project. All I have to do at my office is check e-mails and financial statements, and write complaints to the China office. Sweet! Of course, I sometimes have to write the reports about this project, and re-plan the procedures, though, still I’m the boss of the project. So I can do whatever I want to! haha.
My friend asked me about the Shinto style wedding yesterday. So, I read some article about it. Nowadays, it is more popular to have a Christian style wedding than to have a Shinto style wedding. Do you know why???
Because it is cheaper!
This tells us how much Japanese people don’t believe in god… We choose the cheaper ceremony rather than our religious (...kind of) one. Barnard Shaw once said, “I’m an atheist, and I thank God for it,” but WE may have to thank God for it…
Alright, I’ll answer the question my friend asked to me. She asked me the meaning of the sake the couple have at the wedding. Here’s an article about it.
During a Shinto wedding ceremony, a san-san-ku-do (三々九度 さんさんくど) ceremony takes place. In front of the altar, the bride and groom take small sips of sacred sake from three sakazuki of different sizes. The idea that three is a lucky number, and nine even more so, is derived from ancient China. Drinking from the same cups seals the couple’s marriage vows and launches their shared life. The first sakazuki represents Heaven, the second Earth, the third Mankind.
It’s called ‘san-san-ku-do’ because the sake is drunk three times from three sakazuki (3×3 = 9), in this order; 1st groom→bride→groom, 2nd bride→groom→bride, 3rd groom→bride→groom. However, customs gradually change. At many Shinto style weddings today there is a shortened form: 1st groom→bride; 2nd bride→groom; 3rd groom→bride.
-"Are Japanese Cats Left-handed?" by Yoko Toyozaki & Stuart Varnam-Atkin
In the article above, it does not mention other meanings at all. But the idea, Heaven, Earth, Mankind is really important for Japanese culture, I suppose. Because when I learned Japanese flower arrangement, my teacher told me I have to put flowers from three different directions in order to express Heaven, Earth, and Mankind. On the other hand, the motto of my university (oops, from kindergarten to university, actually) is “the salt of the earth, the light of the world.” There’s no Mankind… Interesting, isn't it? When Japanese think harmony, it is not only between Heaven and Earth, we add Mankind to it... I don't know whether my idea is right, though.
Oops, I almost forgot to mention other meanings.
Okay, here are other meanings.
*the gratitude for ancestors
*the vow between the couple
*the prosperity of decendence
*serving for pledge
*serving for tied up (??)
*serving for couple
The whole quote I used in the title today is...
Love is an ideal thing, marriage is a real thing; a confusion of the real with the ideal never goes unpunished.
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
hehe;-)
-Mu
1 comment:
yay! I didn't make so many mistakes this time! I know why...
It's because I cited most part from a book. hehe;-)
In the (??) part, serving for tied up, I wanted to mean the serving for making their relationship closer. Does it make sense???
As Shinto style wedding is not just for the couple but also for the two families, the meaning is wider. (relationship between the couple, and also relationship between the families.)
As one of the engagement gifts, the groom's family give the bride's some kimono belt, meaning the belt will tie up the relationship between two families.
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