Sorry for the lack of updates but I assure you, KASA is alive and well!!
So I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but the NY Times has had a number of articles related to Korean culture recently--from Korean adoptees, race in South Korea, and now an article that questions a tradition seen in Korean weddings.
If you've ever been to a Korean wedding, you know that the idea of a wedding gift registry is pretty much out of the question. So what do you bring the bride and groom?
CASH.
[Wedding guests handing over their envelopes of cash to a cashier, where the amount and giver are documented]
The Times goes into some background of politicians and the fact that these monetary gifts (given most often at weddings and funerals) have been used as bribes, and that Korean heads of state have recently been refusing these cash gifts at their childrens' weddings. In a culture where social standing is often measured in the number of guests at a wedding, do you see this tradition fading any time soon? What about amongst the second generation Korean Americans, where for the most part, our parents still adhere to cultural norms of Korea, and we were raised with both the cashier's table and wedding gift table?
To read the full article : NY Times ; photo courtesy of nytimes.com
No comments:
Post a Comment