MUZIUM SEJARAH / HISTORY MUSEUM
GETTING THE COUPLE ACQUAINTED
The marriage is not a love match between the couple, but rather a match made by their parents. The customs practised then did not allow a young couple to become acquainted before marriage. The Malay Islamic society did not allow free mingling between men and women. As such, many events are held so that the newly married couple may get to know each other better and begin to lay the foundations to a happy life together.
The planned events will become merrier as the relatives watch the bashful reactions of the couple. Both are encouraged to win the games, which have been planned, with the loser having to obey the instructions of the winner. All kinds of tactics and plays are used to win the games.
This illustration depicts one such game organized to bring the couple together. This game is usually played in the evening. Here, a jar is filled with water. The opening of the jar is only large enough for two hands to go in. A ring is thrown into the jar and the couple has to retrieve it. Their efforts amuse the spectators. The idea here is for either one to stop the other from getting the ring, and by doing so, it brings the two closer.
WELCOMING CEREMONY AFTER THE FRIDAY PRAYERS
When the groom and all the relatives also the bride’s father returned from the mosque after fulfil the religious obligations, he would be stopped at the main entrance of the home. The waiting bride would then pour a pail of scented water mixed with flower petals over his feet after he has removed his shoes. Once this cleansing is over, he would enter the house. The bride would have in the folds of her ‘baju kurung’ (a Malay long dress) a mixture of sweets, groundnuts and coins to scatter in front of the house. There would already be a group of people, men and women, young and old, waiting to scoop up as much of these goodies as possible. This is all done in the spirit of fun.
This practice has existed for a long time and is accepted as a custom in Melaka Its purpose and meaning is unclear. Perhaps it has a symbolic meaning that the couple would have health, wealth and a good life together.
THE MINOR HENNA STAINING CEREMONY
This is the early preparation for the bride. The ceremony is called as the ‘berinai curi’.
Henna leaves are collected and pounded in a special grinding stone until they become a sticky mixture. The bride-to-be is then seated in her room and the older lady would place the henna on her fingers. Her sisters and other female relatives would follow, applying the henna to her fingers, feet and palms.
After this, the bride-to-be would have to sit still for about two hours, later her hands and feet will look beautifully decorated. Her siblings and friends would also apply the henna on themselves, but theirs would not be as elaborate as the bride’s. The henna stains would remain for about 10-15 days.
THE WEDDING GIFTS
The Melaka Malays attached sentimental significance to the wedding gifts sent by both the groom and bride’s families. Sometimes, it was considered just as important as the actual dowry. All, especially the ladies, not for their monetary value, but for their artistic presentations, eagerly anticipated these gifts. The gifts would be prominently displayed and the womenfolk would not miss the opportunity to look at them.
During past time, the gifts were including the sand and jewelleries. The gifts were always being sent together with the dowry without too much care about the status of certain people. In the 1940s and 1950s, the fish and vegetables also were including as the gifts together with other personal gifts. Nowadays, there is no more such gifts. People used to give various types of chocolate in the decorative manner.
PRAYER CEREMONY FOR THE NEWLY MARRIED COUPLE
Friday is considered as the special day by the Muslim. It is normally chosen to hold a special ceremony for the happiness and well being of the newly married couple in their new life.
The host will invite the village elders and the mosque officials to this ceremony for which a small feast will be held. After the Friday prayer at the mosque visitors are invited to gather at the bride’s house. The prayers are recited not just for the successful conclusion of the wedding ceremonies, but to ask Allah’s bless the newly married couple in their new life.
Food will be served after the prayers are done. After the feast, the groom will pay his respects to the guests before they left the feast. With this, the wedding celebrations of the Melaka Malay come to an end.
THE FRIDAY PRAYERS
It is obligatory for every Muslim man to perform the Friday prayer at their respective village mosques. Likewise, the groom is required to pray together with the girl’s villagers. This is one way through which he can be introduced to them and vice versa.
He would be brought to the first row of the congregation to pray. After the prayer is over, he would greet the Imam, other mosque officials and the rest of the congregation.
THE BERZANJI CEREMONY
The customs practiced during the Melaka Malay wedding have existed since immemorial time. The ceremonies include the ‘berzanji’ and ‘maulud’ (reading Quranic verses in praise of Allah, done in a songlike manner). Even though the berzanji is not a custom, yet it is strictly observed as a part of the wedding festivities.
After the time of marriage has been set, the host will invite the older folks in his village who are expert in the berzanji and maulud. The ceremony is usually performed long before the arrival of the groom for the marriage vows. It usually lasts at least an hour, and sometimes its continued after the marriage vows.
THE WEDDING FEAST
In the 1960s and earlier, guests who were invited to a wedding feast in Melaka will see two long separate tables – one laden with desserts and the other with delicious dishes. This is unique to Melaka and not seen in the other states. Except for livestock, all preparations for these dishes will have been started from the time of engagement.
As the wedding feast draws near, relatives will begin to arrive at the bride’s house bearing sweets, rice, padi, eggs, vegetables and other items. The concept of ‘gotong-royong’ is called ‘menanam’ by the Melaka Malays. The sweets will be placed in one corner together with those prepared by the bride’s family, all are ready to be served to the guests.
When the guests arrive, they will first be taken to the dessert table. It is customary for them to taste these sweets first before proceeding to the dining table. Here, they will be served specialties like the ‘nasi minyak’ or ‘nasi beriani’, with the accompanying curries. As they enjoy the meal, they are given a token gift of thanks - a boiled egg which has been dyed red and tied to a vein of the coconut front or a piece of bamboo.
The wedding feast will be held throughout the day and has been practised for generations. It is the desire of the bride’s family to feed their guests well. The satisfaction of the guests, it is hoped, will also mean the happiness of the newly married couple.
THE DANCE
The Melaka Malay wedding would always have some form of entertainment, not just for relaxation but also to express gratitude as well as to say goodbye to all those who have gathered for the week-long celebration.
In the old days, every village would have its band of musicians skilled in traditional music. In the event when there was none, a band from outside the village would be invited. A private dance would be held only for the relatives and friends who have helped the host in preparing the wedding celebrations. Outsiders were not allowed to participate but could only watch from over the fence.
The dance will start after Isyak prayers, beginning with the traditional dance of the Melaka Malays, the ronggeng, dondang sayang etc. At first, only instrumental music will be played to tease the audience to the stage, which has been specially erected for the occasion. For now, the youths will not dance yet. It is the elders who will begin the dance, which will be held till late at night or early the next morning. The musicians or dancers may also sing. The elders will also coax the newly married couple to dance too and they will have to suffer the teasing of their friends and relatives all night. After an hour or two, the elders will give up and watch the antics of the young.
The dance is not a custom, but rather a common practice, which has been observed for a long time. It is only held for the relatives and is closely chaperoned by the elders against any untoward incidents. It is a happy occasion not just for all the relatives but also for the observers who have been watching the dancers.
ERECTING THE SHED AND DINING AREAS
As the wedding day approaches, preparations are underway in the houses of both parties to ensure everything goes on well. The preparations and ceremonies are more elaborate at the bride’s home than at the groom’s. Some of the work would have actually started much earlier, such as searching for the make-up and dress expert, choosing the livestock for the meals, selecting the jewellery, preparing the cooking materials (like processing the cooking oil), and inviting relatives and friends in the traditional manner.
The week-long preparations for the wedding begin with erecting the sheds which will be used for various purposes such as making drinks, storing the crockery and so on. A week before the actual wedding, the village youths will go into the nearby jungle at dawn. They will collect bamboo and wood to take to the bride’s house to be made into sheds, dining tables, water storage areas, kitchen and tents. Erecting these sheds would be a noisy but happy affair for the villagers, and food would be provided for all those involved.
SPRINKLING FLOUR CEREMONY
The ‘tepung tawar’ (sprinkling flour) is a traditional ceremony that has been practiced for centuries and is performed before any wedding preparations are started. Before the decorations are put up in the bride’s house, it was first ‘cleansed’ of evil spirits and bad intentions of others so that the ceremonies may run smoothly.
A respected old man is usually invited to perform the ceremony in the afternoon. Sometimes, the imam (head of congregation in a mosque) of a local village would be asked to do this. The items needed for the ceremony would be white rice, saffron rice, fried padi, rice flour water and leaves of the ‘sepuleh’ plant. The imam would recite certain Quranic verses, sprinkle the rice flour water on the leaves and scatter the mixture of the rice and padi around the house, beginning with the centre pole (tiang seri). The ceremony would end with nailing the leaf to the tiang seri.
After this, preparations would be made to decorate the house and beautify the bride.
INQUIRY
When a family has an adult son, his parents will decide to look for a suitable girl to become his wife and the daughter-in-law of the family. This message would be conveyed to relatives and close friends. Upon finding a suitable girl either in their village or a neighbouring one, the older women in the family would inquire about her behaviour. If they liked what they found out, the information would be passed on to the boy’s immediate family to decide on further action.
SPRAYING AND SPLASHING WATER
The second day after the wedding feast is usually the day to clean up, wash, dismantle the tents, and keep the chairs and tables aside. The work begins soon after everyone wakes up in the morning. The wedding celebrations may be over, but there is still lot more works to be done. The mess has to be cleared up and whatever that has been borrowed must be returned. Though still tired, everybody treats the cleaning as a game.
The village youths would gather together to clear up, wash and dismantle the structures set up for the wedding. Those responsible for cleaning the pots and pans will start to spray water on themselves as well as others washing the crockery and anyone else nearby. This spraying will soon spread to those around the house and even within its compounds. The young and older pertain will take part, rubbing charcoal, oil, curry and everything else on others.
Any passerby whether they are among the villagers or not, will also be sprayed with water. There was also a lot of chasing around. All will accept the spraying in good spirits, and the merriment will continue till Zohor (after noon) prayers, and may even be continued later if guests come to the house after that.
THE WEDDING FEAST
A wedding in any community would have its special wedding feast. The Malays too are really great in preparing the delicious dishes. The feast that was prepared by the Melaka Malays is known throughout the Peninsula not just for its taste, but also for the wide variety of dishes served.
The preparations for the feast actually begin as soon as the girl becomes a maiden, when a young cow or bull is acquired for slaughtered for her wedding. Similarly, right from the time the wedding date has been fixed; chickens are collected for the feast. Rice is prepared from paddy that the villagers have processed by themselves: – drying, pounding, cleaning and storing it in gunnysacks. The spirit of cooperation is most clearly seen during the wedding preparations. Some people will promise to give bags of rice, others sugar, desserts and other items.
On the wedding day itself, the cow or bull will be slaughtered and cleaned. Similarly, the chicken or if so desired, goats, will be slaughtered and cut into small pieces. All of the items to be included in the dishes such as onions, pineapples, and vegetables, will also be prepared. Right up till midnight or even throughout the night, the tent or shed specially erected, as a site for cooking would be filled with all the preparations for the feast.
Preparing the dish for wedding feast is a time-consuming and tiring task. However, at times like this that relatives and friends from near and far gather to help the host so that the wedding celebrations may go on smoothly. They may even lend basic items like crockery, pots and pans, decorative items and even gold jewellery. The gathering is not just a wedding feast but also a social gathering. The atmosphere is filled with laughter and merriment.
WELCOMING ‘THE KING OF THE DAY’
Dressed in traditional Melaka Malay dress, complete with headgear, the groom and his best man would arrive at the bride’s house at the appointed time. They were accompanied by the ‘kompang’ (hand-held and hand-beaten drums) and ‘gendang’ (conventional drums) and ‘manggar’ (flowers on a pole) holders. His close relatives would follow him too. After a while, the bride, accompanied by the ‘mak andam’ (lady-in-waiting), dressed in matching traditional wedding dress, would join him outside the house. An old lady would then invite the wedding party into the house. As the new-married couple moves towards the house, silat performers would precede them. This is an age-old performance done to honour the groom as the ‘King for the day’, but also to welcome the guests. This all takes about 20 minutes’ to 30 minutes.
TAKING THE WEDDING VOWS
The ‘akad nikah’ or taking the wedding vows is the climax of the wedding ceremonies connected with the Malay wedding. The relatives and close friends of both families will prepare the wedding gifts and decorations to be exchanged.
Just before the ‘berzanji’, the Imam (religious leader), together with other mosque officials and the bride’s father would meet the bride in her room to confirm her willingness to marry the groom. They will also decide whether the Imam or the bride’s father will perform the ‘akad nikah’.
At the affixed time and day, the groom’s party would arrive at the bride’s house and will be invited inside once the berzanji or maulud is over. The groom will shake the hands of all the elders gathered there before sitting on a wedding mat. The wedding gifts then will be brought into the house. During the 40s, these gifts would include raw foods such as fish, vegetables, and local fruits. The gifts given back to them by the bride’s family would normally not be numerically less than those of the groom.
The Tok Sidang (head of customary law) representing the bride’s family would start the proceedings by welcoming the groom’s party and inquiring into the purpose of the visit, all done in a pantun (poem) manner. Then, the Tok Sidang from the groom’s side would reply, also in pantun, giving the reason for their presence there and referring to the agreement made through the engagement. The pantun plays an important role and is enjoyed by all those present.
Once the gifts are accepted, the akad nikah begins. The Imam will remind the groom of his responsibilities after first testing his religious knowledge. Usually, the Imam will be asked to conduct the akad. The bride’s father would give his daughter in marriage after that.
The Imam will teach the groom the marriage vows and he has to say clearly. The climax of the wedding will be when the guests will focus their attention on the groom who will be required to utter them clearly in one breath. The witnesses present will decide if he has to repeat them.
The groom is also required to mention the ‘mas kahwin’ (dowry) in the vows, whether it is in cash, credit, a keris or a copy of the Quran. After that, the Imam will recite the ‘doa selamat’ (invoke for blessings). With this, the vow-taking ceremony is over and the groom will go to meet his bride to touch her (a symbolic gesture announcing they are legally wedded).
DECORATING THE HOUSE
The house will be decorated after the sprinkling-of-flour ceremony. New windows and door curtains will be hung, floor mats changed, new bed sheets taken out and the walls will be duly decorated. The women of the house will do all these work.
The wedding dais will also be set up for the ‘bersanding’ (seating of the wedded couple) ceremony and it will be decorated as if it were a throne. Similarly, the bridal chamber will be decorated. All these preparation works are referred to as the ‘upacara gantung-gantung’. Everyone involved in it would be served food and drinks.
THE BERSANDING CEREMONY
The ‘bersanding’ (sitting on the wedding dais) is one of the high points of the Malay wedding. The Melaka Malays too have been observing this practice for a long time. It is actually the highlight of the Malay wedding. The wedding couple will actually sit twice on the specially erected dais. The first time is soon after the oath-taking ceremony. This is called the major henna staining ceremony. The second time would be on the day of the feast.
Soon after the groom (king of the day) is welcomed, the bride is taken into the house and seated on the dais. In the meantime, the groom will be ‘stopped’ several times before he is allowed to go to the dais. He will also be ‘taxed’. Sometimes, he may even been asked to sing and if he failed to do so, he will be ‘fined’. All these ‘taxes’ and ‘fines’ are just part of the merriment.
Once the couple has been seated, the ‘doa rahmat tuhan’ (special prayers asking for God’s blessings) will be recited. Previously, according to the traditional of the Malays, the dais will be built on a raised platform on which the couple will sit in a traditional manner. The dais also would be decorated in colourful theme and would have special small containers of fried paddy, flour and coloured rice, as well as another with boiled eggs where have been coloured red and attached to a bamboo stick.
The elders and relatives of the couple would be invited to bestow their blessings by throwing the fried paddy, white and saffron-coloured rice on them. The liquid rice flour would also be sprinkled on the couple with a ‘sepulih’ leaf. They would then wish them well, while some would also pray for their ever-lasting togetherness. All these guests would be given a boiled egg as a symbol of appreciation for their attendance.
This ‘bersanding’ ceremony would last about an hour, after which the couple would be taken to enjoy a special meal together with the groom’s entourage. Both the diorama showed the ‘bersanding’ ceremony during two different decades, the 50s and the 90s.
MEETING OF THE BRIDE AND GROOM
Soon after the vow-taking ceremony, the groom and his best man would enter the bridal chamber where his bride, dressed in traditional Melaka Malay dress, would be waiting. She was accompanied by the make-up expert or an elderly lady or close friend. The groom would then place the wedding ring on her finger.
This ceremony is called the ‘membatal air sembahyang’ (nullify the prayer cleanliness) as the touching of the bride by the groom for the first time confirms the holy alliance of the new-married couple. (Every Muslim obligatory cleanses himself thoroughly before every prayer. If one touches a member of the opposite sex during this time, even if unintentionally, this ‘cleanliness’ is considered nullification). There are many ways that were done to initiate the first touch between the new couple, other than touching the bride’s finger with the ring. After this, the wedded couple will pay their respects to all those gathered in the house for the wedding ceremony.
Later, the major henna staining ceremony will be done, depending on the time of the ‘akad nikah’. If it was conducted at the night or in the morning, then the major henna staining ceremony will take place soon after. If it’s was done in the evening, then the major henna staining ceremony would take place at night to continue the merriment in the bride’s house and in the village.
BETROTHAL CEREMONY
The betrothal ceremony of a girl and a man normally takes place soon after the agreement. It was meant to bind and confirm the earlier agreement between the two families, and at the same time, make public the holy alliance between the two individuals.
The man’s family would send a representative comprising close relatives to the girl’s house. Led by the ‘Tok Sidang’ the head of customary law, the delegation would leave their village for the girl’s on the agreed day and time. The girl’s family would also have their own Tok Sidang who would be the one to begin the discussions by asking the boy’s party the reason for their visit. Both sides would normally exchange a series of ‘pantun’ (poems) on the reason for the gathering.
Once the amount of presents has been agreed upon, the discussion would centre on the date and the month of the wedding (sometimes the date would be decided later). According to custom, half of the agreed dowry would be handed over to the girl’s family to further cement the marriage agreement. If the man or his family backs off from the marriage, he would lose the part of the dowry he had already given. On the other hand, if it were the girl’s family that backs off, then they would have to pay twice the amount of the dowry to the boy’s family.
After the negotiations came to an end, it would now be the time to exchange gifts. The mother or elder sister of the groom would place the engagement ring on the girl’s finger, and the girl would then pay her respects to all the ladies present. The engagement ceremony would end with a prayer and a feast.
THE AGREEMENT CEREMONY
After the family was satisfied with the girl and all of the inquiries, they would contact the girl’s family to fix a date to discuss the betrothal, dowry, and gifts.
One or two close relatives of the boy’s family would be sent to the girl’s home. Sometimes, her parents, older sister or brother would be part of the entourage. The discussion would be on such matters as the dowry, including the accompanying gifts, and the date for the betrothal ceremony. If both parties agreed, the boy’s family would present a ring to the girl or by themselves place it on her finger. In those days, the ring would be made of gold, precious stones, silver, copper or rattan, or even one made of the vein of a coconut leaf. This agreement would not be a grand affair but was symbolic of a holy alliance that announced to the community that the girl was now betrothed.
CEREMONY OF SHAVING BABY’S FIRST HAIR (OR ADAT CUKUR JAMBUL) OF THE CHETTY SOCIETY
Like Malay society, the Chetty society also practices the interesting ‘cukur jambul’ or the hair shaving ceremony. According to them, the custom is extremely important. Usually the ceremony of baby’s first hair (the first 4 to 5 months) is held in a temple or at home.
The family will choose a date and a time that is good before holding the cukur jambul ceremony. The temple priest first says prayers. After that, the hair-cutter begins shaving off the baby’s hair. The hair that is shaved off is not thrown away, but is put into a cut-open young coconut. Usually, after the hair is shaved off, some special powder (called cendana or sadanam powder) is put onto the baby’s head. The baby is then brought into the temple for the ceremony, to obtain blessings.
The split coconut, full of the baby’s first hair is then covered with the other half of the coconut and placed under a plant which has never before been passed by anyone. The purpose is to prevent anyone from stepping onto it or taking off the hair with bad intentions. Among the instruments used for this are: a tray for fruits, betel nut, a young coconut and a banana leaf which is placed with or into a copper vessel. This is put onto some uncooked rice grains, together with something sweet like rock sugar or dates. Usually, this sweet stuff is given to relatives who come for the ceremony.
THE WEDDING OF THE PORTUGUESE DESCENDANTS
This section displays the wedding of the Portuguese community as practised in the 1950s and earlier. Then, the wedding festivities would be held from Monday right up till Sunday. The wedding day would have been fixed two months earlier and all preparations would start then. A special dais would also be readied.
The wedding customs of the Portuguese in the 1940s were different from those practised today. In general, their customs are based on a combination of the Malay and Portuguese practices. This mixture has been accepted since the 16th century when the first Portuguese encouraged inter-marriage with the local girls. This mixture is seen in their wedding celebrations.
Here, the wedding couple is seen seated on the dais. They are usually seated on the balcony so that all can see them from the windows. The couple will wear white, which is a symbol of her purity. The bride will wear a baju kurung and her hair will be tied in a bun. A ‘kerongsang’ (brooch) will be pinned to her dress as a symbol of her virginity. A mirror will be placed behind her so that the relatives may get to see the decorations on her bun. A paper tiara will also be hung from the door, also a symbol of her virginity.
The dais is used three times: – the day before the wedding, during the ‘Marra Strado’ when the couple is teased on it. Then, after the wedding vows are taken in church, the couple ascends the dais to accept the congratulations from their relatives and friends. And finally, just before the wedding feast begins.
(Note: in the 1940s, pieces of bark are pasted on the outer walls of the house and painted with lime).
THE BRIDAL CHAMBERS OF THE BABA’S
An important aspect of the Baba wedding is the preparations for the bridal chamber, which are in two parts – the actual decorations, as well as the blessing of the bridal bed itself. All the items that connected to the chambers are changed for new ones. The bed sheets, mattress, curtains, carpet, embroidered tapestry, and bed hangings will be painstakingly prepared. Sweet-smelling flowers, ‘setanggi’ (local incense) and finely sliced ‘pandan’ leaves will be placed all around the bridal chambers.
The bridal bed on display is called the ‘Ranjang Tok San’, and will be a part of the bridal chambers. The bed itself is not a single piece but is made of two separate beds, placed close together. The front is a bench-like bed, with a double bed attached to it. Both beds will be elaborately decorated with silk curtains and embroidered hangings, a luxurious mattress and pillows in silver and gold-plated covers. Two red chairs covered with embroidered velvet cloth will be placed in front of the bed. The chairs and bench are for the couple to have a conversation, sometimes taking days before touching each other.
Cleaning the bridal bed is a symbolic ritual to ask for wealth, longevity and fertility. A comb of banana, some lemongrass leaves and yam are placed in an earthen pot under the bed together with a container of lighted ‘setanggi’ joss sticks on a bed of sand. Then, the incense will be lighted in the bridal chambers, which will now be guarded everyday.
The ‘cleansing’ and blessing of the chambers will take place on a chosen day and time, and is performed by a boy who will roll on the bed back and forth three times. After this, the chambers are closely guarded to prevent anyone or anything considered unclean from entering it until the wedding couple enters it.
THE BRIDAL CHAMBERS
The bridal chambers would become the focal point of attention in any marriages ceremony of the Malays. After the flour-sprinkling ceremony, the bridal chambers would be made beautiful with colourful decorations. All these would either be new-bought or specially ordered. The dowry would have been spent on the bed, mattress, bed sheets, cupboard and dressing table. All these would belong to the new-married couple. Certain customary rites would be conducted in this room to make sure that the couple starts their life on the correct footing. The bridal chambers would also be used for the minor finger staining ceremony, to change into the traditional costumes, the first meeting of the newly wedded couple and the consummation of the marriage.
The lady-in-waiting would also conduct a ‘cleansing’ of the bride in this room. The head of the household would have prepared certain things for this purpose. This ‘cleansing’ was meant to protect the bride from any kind of evil and to psychologically prepare her for her new life.
These items include:
a) Two candles: to be lit and held at the back of the bride’s head
b) Mirror: to be held in front of her face that should be reflected in it. The candles are then extinguished, the soot gathered and applied to her eyebrows.
c) A coconut with a string tied around it. The coconut is held and circled three times around the bride’s head.
d) A piece of white cloth: to be flicked on the bride from head to toe three times.
e) Palm sugar: a symbol to sweeten the bride’s speech.
f) Betel leaf box: to increase the bride’s charming looks.
After the ceremony, all these items would be presented to the lady-in-waiting.
TRADITIONAL WEAR
One of the unique things of the Melaka Malay wedding is the bride’s clothes. For two days, on her wedding day and on the day of the feast, the bride will wear many costumes that her lady-in-waiting possessed. On the wedding day, she adorns traditional clothes, including those of other communities. Right from morning, she will be dressed in the costumes of the Perak, Minang, Javanese, Arabic, Pahang, Johorean princesses, and many others that the mak andam has. She will usually wear between seven to thirteen types of dresses, and each time, she will be paraded around the house, an act that will enliven the atmosphere as the guests and relatives tease her.
This parade of dresses is not a Malay custom but is a common practice in Melaka. This could be due to the accepting nature in the state arising out of the mixture with other races that visited and settled in Melaka, resulting in the acceptance of other costumes.
It is after she has worn all the other traditional dresses that the bride wears the traditional wedding costume of Melaka, which takes between thirty minutes to an hour to put on. It is in these clothes that she sits on the dais with her groom.
THE CHITTY WEDDING
The Chitty is a unique community found only in Melaka. They have existed since the time of the Melaka Sultanate, born from the marriage of Indian traders and local girls. The community combines the Malay and Indian cultures. Their customs, speeches and dressings are all based on both the Malay and Indian communities. The assimilation of Malay and Indian cultures is obvious in their everyday life. Similarly, the wedding of the Chitty is a marriage of the two cultures.
The Chitty wedding is a colourful and unique event. It is not just the Malay and Indian cultures that are practised, but there is also a unique rite, which is that the expenses of the wedding are borne by the groom. The wedding lasts for three days and three nights. The marriage could be performed either in the house or the temple, and the feast may also be conducted in the house, in a community hall or within the compounds of the temple.
This diorama depicts a part of the Chitty wedding. This is where the marriage is performed not on a dais, which is normally located close by. During the wedding, all attention would be on the preparations for this scene which the couple and their fathers would play a role.
After the couple are married and have received the blessing from their elders, symbolically through the sprinkling of rose water and saffron rice, they will walk around the wedding dais for three times. Then, the groom would place a ring on his wife’s toe, which must be placed on a grinding stone. This rite symbolizes a happy and prosperous future for the couple.
Then, they will take nine types of beans, which have earlier been kept in an earthenware jar and plant them. This rite is the symbolic of the happiness and prosperity that the couple will enjoy. The next day, water from two rows of stacked earthenware jar will be used to bathe the couple. A ring will be thrown into a large urn filled with water, and the couple will rush to retrieve the ring. This game is meant to bring the couple closer together.
The congkak board and five earthenware jars arranged in a row and fill with milky rice are parts of the congkak game. As a punishment, the loser has to finish up the milky rice from the pots. This game is played by the two fathers of the couple and also another unique ritual of the Chitty community.
THE TRADITIONAL MELAKA MALAYS WEDDING CEREMONY
The traditional Melaka Malays wedding was a tiring, extended affair but one which was colourful and exciting, involving the participation of all the relatives and close friends, making it as a grand event.
The Temenggong patriarchal system is widely adopted by all in the Peninsula states except for Negeri Sembilan practiced the matriarchal system (Perpatih). In Melaka however, both customs are practised in different areas. The wedding ceremonies of people in these areas followed the customs of these systems, but the practices leading up to the wedding ceremonies are basically the same.
The prospective bride or groom did not have a choice in which they would marry, but even so, it cannot be said as a forced marriage decided by their parents alone. The local custom emphasized the consent of the bride-to-be, although both the parents of the boy and girl have already agreed on it. The bride-to-be or her representatives cannot approach the boy’s parents for his hand in marriage. It is always the boy’s family who must take the initiative to approach the girl’s family through the third party before any discussions on the marriage proposal can be made.
Before the date of the marriage is determined, efforts are made to ensure that all relatives can be present to participate in the wedding ceremonies. The ceremony itself is a weeklong affair, which starts with gathering material to erect tents and sheds for the feast and ends with the shower ceremony. Many events are held to allow the newly married couple to get to know each other better. The festivities culminate with the groom performing the Friday prayers at the mosque and later reciting the ‘doa selamat’ (prayers for well-being) at the bride’s home.
This display depicts the wedding practices of the Melaka Malays in the 1940s and 1950s.
