Marriage

From now on, I’d like to talk about an interesting procedure of korean marriage which is handed down from a long time ago. That is ‘HA-AM(korean word)’. That is a box in which there are some jewels and silk fabrics and so forth for a bride. A bridegroom should send ‘HA-AM’ to his bride.

This procedure is a time-honored tradition of korean society. For the purpose of delivery of ‘HA-AM’, a bridegroom gathers his close friends because they are planning to pass on ‘HA-AM’.

In the course of delivery, they do naughty things. They shout loudly in order to let bride’s family know the fact that they come. They buy a dried squid and let one of them wear it like a mask. This scene is very interesting procedure to beholders (even though that is a little hard time to bride’s family).

The delivery of’HA-AM’

The procedure is as follows. Bridegroom’s friends meet together at night just before the day of marriage. They decide who will be a horse and a groom. A horse is the person who carries ‘HA-AM’ on the back and a groom does the role of a guide and bargains over the price of ‘HA-AM’. After they decide those roles, they go and make lines nearby bride’s house.

They slowly move into bride’s house in accordance with the money that one (in most case, bride’s elder brother take this role) of bride’s family members puts on the ground. A groom checks that money out. If a groom isn’t satisfied with that amount of money. A groom orders a horse not to move at all. If so, bride’s family persuade them to go forth with serving food and putting some more money, but bridegroom should stay at bride’s house. In the end, they(bridegroom’s friends) enter into bride’s house and bow politely toward bride’s parents with expressing a deep gratitude.