Amira: Hi, Meena. Shall we have a look at the material for our presentation on marriage customs?
Meena: Yeah, sure. I've got a lot of information about India. How about you?
Amira: Yes, yes. I've got material about marriage in the Emirates. Shall we get going? What about meeting? How do people in India meet in the first place?
Meena: Mmm........... in traditional Indian families the parents used to arrange the marriage, and the couple used to meet for the first time when the boy visited the girl's house. But that’s changed now.
Amira: Yeah? We used to have arranged marriages in the Emirates, too. Did the groom have to give anything to the bride’s family? I mean, did they give them a gift or money?
Meena: Well, in India, in the old days, the girl's family used to give the boy's family a gift. like money or jewellery. But, it’s not allowed any more.
Amira: Wow! In my country the groom still has to pay all the expenses! Ummm...... have there been any changes in marriage customs in India in recent years?
Meena: Well, yes. I've found an article about special websites for finding partners. It says that because so many young people from India study abroad these days, their families are using websites to find marriage partners for them.
Amira: Oh, OK. And where does the couple live when they get married?
Meena: That's another thing that’s changing. In the past, the bride used to go to live with the family of the groom. But, these days. more and more young couples are setting up their own homes, independently. What about the Emirates? |
