JUST MARRIED: Wedding Traditions in Hawai'i and the Pacific

On display at the Special Collections Reading Room 501 until the end of June.

Ever wondered where the different culture's wedding traditions seen at local Hawaii weddings came from? We still cut the cake and throw the bouquet, but why do we shout "banzai!" and feed the bride and groom dollar bills? Why do we have lion dancing and bottles of scotch on every table? For everyone planning a wedding or have ever attended a wedding, we've got the answers. Come to see our "Just Married" display to learn about various traditions that have been adopted into Hawai'i's local wedding culture. Don't miss the photos of library staff on their wedding day. Special Collections is still collecting photos, so please send them to Krissy or Andrea.

Here are two bits of information you can find when you come to view the exhibit:

Question: How would you toast the bride and groom in wishing them happiness, bright future, and health in the following languages? Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, or Portuguese

Answer:

Chinese: Gonbei (may you live 10,000 years) - said 3 times
Filipino: Mabuhay (long life)
Japanese: Banzai (guests to the couple, then from the family to the guests) - said 3 times Kampai (here's to your health) - is the traditional toast in Japan
Korean: Mansei (may you live 10,000 years) - said 3 times
Portuguese: Salud (to your health)

Found at http://www.hawaiibride.com/customs.html

Question: What are two important customs in a Tongan wedding?

Answer:

1. Gift giving of fine mats and tapa made by women and the preparation of food by men for the feast table.
2. Kava ceremony. The wedding day is the only time that a woman is honored at a kava ritual where she is allowed to sit in the place of honor.

The Special Collections hours are at http://www2.hawaii.edu/~speccoll/specialinfo.html.

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