Marriage and divorce in Cambodia

In Cambodia, people are very descent and they cannot allow premarital sex. Choosing a spouse is really a hard task in Cambodia. The young male or young female has to involve his relatives or friends in this process. A matchmaker also takes initiative to do the job. Theoretically a girl may reject the spouse chosen by her parents. In rural and urban areas the courtship patterns of Khmer differs a lot. A man generally marries between the ages of nineteen and twenty-five. The usual age for a girl to marry is sixteen to twenty-two. After selecting the spouse the members of each family interrogate with each others. This is done just to make sure that the child is marrying into a good family. In rural areas bride-service is available. This can be explained as the young man may take a promise to serve his probable father-in-law for a short period of time.

The traditional Cambodian wedding is a colorful affair. Previously it was a three days affair. Buddhist priests offer a short lecture and recite prayers of blessing as well. The other parts of the ceremony involve ritual hair cutting. They also tie cotton threads soaked in holy water. This is tied around the bride’s and groom’s wrists. Then they pass a candle around a circle of happily married couples. The purpose of this is to bless the union. After the wedding, a grand banquet is held. Newlyweds move in with the wife’s parents. They live with them up to one year. After that they build a new house in close proximity.

I know divorce does not suit just after marriage. But as every coin has two sides, we should also discuss about Cambodian divorce. In Cambodia divorce is legal. Getting divorce is comparatively easy in this country. But it is not common here. Each spouse holds back whatever assets he or she contributed into the marriage. Jointly-acquired property is equally divided between the two. Remarry is allowed but the woman should wait for ten months.

No comments:

Post a Comment