Wedding season is on again, which means it is time to see whose wedding was more elaborate this season. For those who did not understand that irony, it was meant to be a sincere jibe.
Everyone has their own views on marriages. Some like their marriage to be simple and solemn and some prefer an extravagant affair because they feel that marriages happen only once in life and they want it done in a memorable manner, lavishly.
A marriage is a sacred covenant between two people, officially and legally recognizing their union as partners. While marriages are monumental occasions celebrated with friends and family, modern wedding ceremonies and receptions have taken on an ostentatious festive flavour. Not to be left out, Naga weddings have also caught up with the trend, to the extent that most weddings are turning into extravagant showpieces with elaborate settings and superlatively lavish banquets.
In the past, marriage celebrations were much simpler with the charm of quiet yet graceful but today, while the rituals remain the same, the growing trend of huge spending on weddings seems to have taken on a face of an issue of pride and honour in the society or community, more so, on a competitive footing.
Our weddings are turning into occasions of vulgar display of wealth and pomp. In fact, it will not be wrong to say that Naga weddings have become an industry in itself, while other sectors are staggering for survival.
Leaving aside the affluent who can afford flamboyance, the average middle-class have also pulled alongside, celebrating with all they have. There is no reason why one who has the funds should not spend them on a plush wedding as it is an expression of joy. But those who cannot afford such ostentation need not stretch their assets and more, for the sake of pride and honour, and to be “acceptable” in the society.
Some communities have, taking note of this disturbing trend, started to encourage mass marriages where multiple couples come together and their marriages are solemnized jointly. Some are even said to be advocating for smaller, less ostentatious weddings, and supporting couples to serve tea and snacks at their wedding receptions. How far these ideas are being taken or accepted by the people is not known, yet, they do merit appreciation.
Marriage is both a natural institution and a sacred union considered to be rooted in the divine plan of creation, a beginning of a lifetime of partnership between a man and a woman. Exhibitionist display and revelry are not the hallmark of such a sacred occasion. It is not too late to learn how to celebrate our own size, within our own means.
In the words of Calvin Coolidge, a former President of the United States;
‘There is no dignity
quite so impressive,
and no independence
quite so important,
as living within your means.’
Nothing impresses nearly so much as being dignified than living well on what you have. We still have much to learn.
