after 2 beautiful children and oh so many years, a huge congratulations to k&m, long-time family friends, for including me in on the day they tied the knot :) literally! to my surprise, the ceremony was performed in traditional laotian fashion; and it was absolutely gorgeous, to say the least! <3
if you've been following me long enough, you'd know i am fascinated with cultures and traditions apart from my own. i may not have understood anything that was said during the ceremony... but because i come from an asian background, i like to think i - at least - have a slight advantage over my non-asian counterparts since i have my own historical discourse to pull from. yes, even when i may not necessarily have a clue to what's being communicated verbally.
the most siginificant element that took place during this traditional affair was also the most familiar to that of hmong weddings that i'm used to... and that was when the guests were given the opportunity to
"khi tes foom koobhmoov."
...to
foom koobhmoov in hmong means "to bless." and its predecessor,
khi tes, literally translates to "tie hand." each string symbolizing a single blessing while [literally]
tying the knot.
white yarn is pre-cut into lengths of about 10-12 inches and eventually distributed among its guests. during the time it takes to tie a single piece onto the wrist of its recipient - in this case, the bride, groom and/or their children - every person is given the opportunity to personally congratulate, thank and/or share any words of wisdom. monetary gifts can also be tied onto the string and then onto the wrists too, as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. such a simple yet beautiful gesture/ritual i do always enjoy taking part in.
following the ceremony, attendees migrated over to the bride's home where a lunch feast was being prepared by a community of extended family members. of course... the usual dinner and reception followed and the night's festivities continued as expected :) definitely lots of dancing and "good" times!
