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A Mindful Wedding Ceremony
Including traditional rituals of welcoming the bride and offering gifts:
- Bánh phu thê (husband and wife cake) – symbolizing the harmonious and loving union of husband and wife
- One piece of fruit
- Four boxes of tea for offering
Next is the ceremony of bowing in gratitude to the ancestors at the ancestral altar with the Cửu huyền thập tổ ritual, expressing gratitude to birth parents, foster parents, and aunts who have cared for the two children since childhood. Elders from both families take turns offering blessings and advice to the newlyweds, encouraging them to build happiness on the foundation of love, understanding, and patience, to always share joys and sorrows, and to seek the support of venerable sisters and friends when facing difficulties.
The ceremony of offering to the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and ancestral teachers is performed through deep, resonant bell sounds, accompanied by the five vows of the two preceptees, aiming to uphold the ethics of the ancestors, cherish the lineage, rely on each other, and nurture future generations. Finally, the exchange of rings, reading of love letters, and bowing to each other twice to express respect, followed by signing the marriage certificate in the presence of the Three Jewels and the community.