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TRADITIONAL KHMER WEDDING

Khmer man can not simply take a wife without going through the proper customary procedures. Traditionally, one has to go through four rituals to claim a wife.

First, Pithy Chae chouv requires the help of a respectable woman, a matchmaker of sort (usually an elderly person) who would go to make the first 'inquiry' (to seek information) from the mother of the girl in question. Provided that she gets an affirmative response, the matchmaker would inquire for the birth details of the girl - usually the time, day, month and year of birth is required. This information, together with the man's birth details, is then handed over to an Achar (a priest) who will see if indeed the couple's birth details are compatible. If so, the man's family would then send a Chhmay (Mediator) to make a formal proposal. This procedure is known as Pithy Sdei Dundoeung. This may sometimes require more than one visit and each time the mediator will call upon the girl's family with some small gifts to establish a good relationship. If all goes well and the girl's family accepts the marriage proposal, then the families would fix a date to perform the Pithy Si Slar Pchoap Peak. The Si Slar Pchoap Peak is a betel chewing ritual performed as testimony to the agreement of marriage. This ceremony has to be well arranged. Friends and relatives of the both parties are invited to witness the occasion and it is customary for the groom's side to bring fruits and other forms of gifts in pairs to the bride's house. Normally by this time, the groom's family would have already established and agreed with the bride's family on the amount of dowry necessary and bring it along to the ceremony at the bride's house. Here the parents from both sides would ceremoniously chew and exchange betel leaves to seal their agreement to the marriage. During the ritual, the parents ask the groom to thank and serve the mediator and all the people who are there assist. The families then would decide on an auspicious date for the wedding ceremony.