Understanding the Meaning of Each Item in the Wedding Fruit Tray
Almost everyone is familiar with the image of the fruit tray on wedding days. However, the true significance of each type of fruit in the wedding fruit tray may not be fully understood unless one has directly participated in wedding preparations. So what important meanings do these elaborate wedding trays carry?
Are wedding fruit trays used in weddings or engagement ceremonies?
According to ancient tradition, when the groom comes to propose, if the bride's family agrees to the marriage, they often present a "challenge of marriage," which means the bride's family requests a wedding fruit tray along with items like betel leaves, tea, alcohol, cakes, etc. The wedding fruit tray is a ceremonial item or engagement gift that the groom brings to propose to the bride's family. Wedding fruit trays are used in both engagement ceremonies and weddings.
In terms of ceremonial items, there is no difference between the wedding fruit tray and the engagement fruit tray, but typically, the number of trays in a wedding is higher and demands more details compared to an engagement. Vietnamese culture is extremely diverse, so wedding fruit trays also differ across regions. However, here DWP shares about the basic items of the wedding fruit tray that are present in almost every region:
1. Betel leaves:
Betel leaves are likened to "the beginning of a story" in the tale of marital fidelity, symbolizing enduring love and harmony between the couple. This tray is indispensable in any wedding.
2. Tea and alcohol tray:
In Vietnamese culture, tea or alcohol is commonly served during important meetings. During weddings, the tea and alcohol tray signifies sincerity and seriousness from the groom's family towards the bride's family, and also serves as an offering to the ancestors and as an invitation for ancestral blessings for the couple's happiness.
3. Cake tray (includes cốm cake, phu thê cake, su sê cake):
Each region from North to Central and South Vietnam has its own distinctive wedding cake, but all symbolize harmony, unity, and happiness for the couple. A recent trend influenced by Western culture is the inclusion of cake, symbolizing sweet and happy love.
4. Fruit tray:
This tray includes 5 different types of fruit, each vibrant in color, fresh, and symbolizing long-lasting happiness for the newlyweds.
5. Chicken sticky rice and roast pork tray:
Red sticky rice symbolizes loyal love while chicken and roast pork represent family happiness and wishes for wealth and prosperity. All the best wishes seem to be encapsulated in this wedding fruit tray.
Jewelry and clothing tray:
Jewelry and clothing trays are more common in the Central and Southern regions than in the North. The items in these trays are not overly complicated; they are simply wedding items. This tray represents the groom's commitment to the bride and his promise to take good care of her when she joins his family. The gold money tray is seen as a test of marriage. However, typically, the gold money tray is decided upon by the groom to suit the occasion.
Regardless of which wedding fruit tray it is, all share the common meaning of wishing for a happy, warm, and prosperous marriage for the newlyweds.
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