Every race and religion has specific wedding customs that the bride and groom follow, typically to ensure a blessed marriage. However, some customs may be unfamiliar to Malaysians – like this custom involving money garlands.
A video uploaded by TikTok user @/noerainiamin has gone viral for depicting a rather interesting wedding custom. In the video, the bride and groom are seated while wedding guests surround them to throw cash at them. Guests would also present the couple with neck garlands made out of various Ringgit Malaysia notes and gift the bride a bouquet made of money.
https://www.tiktok.com/@noerainiamin/video/7316109814218657026
According to the comments, this tradition of presenting money garlands and bouquets originated from Javanese culture. While this wedding took place in Malaysia – judging from the currency used by the guests -, it involved people of Indonesian or Javanese descent. It is unknown where the couple are from, but some comments claimed the wedding happened in Sabah.
The money given acts similarly to wedding angpaus in Chinese culture because the couple can use it to cover the wedding expenses. Some say that giving money to the bride and groom is also considered as one blessing the married couple, which is why guests would excitedly partake in it. It is worth mentioning that this is more a cultural custom than a religious one, as many Javanese would partake in it, regardless of their religion.
Many netizens have reacted to the video, with most of them curious about the foreign custom and where it originated from. However, some said the money garlands are great gifts for newlyweds starting a new life together. Some even joked that people might get married multiple times if it meant getting showered in cash at each wedding.
What do you think about this wedding custom? Would you partake in a similar custom?
Source: TikTok
