Most Peranakans are of Hokkien, although a sizable number are of Teochew or Cantonese descent. Originally, the Peranakan were part Chinese, part Malay/Indonesian.
Baba Nyonya are a subgroup within Chinese communities, are the descendants of Sino-indigenous unions in Melaka, Penang, and Indonesia. It was not uncommon for early Chinese traders to take Malay/Indonesian women of Penisular Malay/Sumatera/Javanese as wives or concubines.
Language
The language of the Peranakans, Baba Malay, is a dialect of the Malay language, which contains many Hokkien words.
Religion
Baba Nyonya subscribed to Chinese beliefs: Taoism, Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism, celebrated the Lunar New Year and the Lantern Festival, while adopting the customs of the land they settled in, as well as those of their colonial rulers. There are traces of Portuguese, Dutch, British, Malay and Indonesian influences in Baba culture. A certain number of Baba Nonya families were and still are, Catholic.
Wedding
As you have probably guessed, all the Baba Nyonya Wedding or marriages were arranged marriages.
A group of elderly people will pay the short listed future-daughter-in law’s family a visit. This visit is known as “merisek“, a custom that you could find both in Malay and Chinese community.
Nowadays, the “merisek“ ritual has long been abandoned. The Baba Nyonya wedding ceremony starts with the performance of purification and initiation into adulthood rites. This ceremony or ritual is known as Cheo-thau.
Next is the Chim-pong or the coming together of the bride and bridegroom ritual. This is when the couple pays homage to heaven; earth and man before a special three tiered alter called sam-kai. Elaborated preparations can be seen at the alter table. This ritual is very important as the marriage is dully solemnized during this stage.
The bridegroom will only get his first look at his wife when they meet in the bridal chamber. This is the time when the husband is allowed to lift the veil over his wife’s face with guidance.However, the wife is even then forbidden by tradition to steal a glance at her husband. It would be deem as immodest to do so as relatives and friends milling in and around the chamber. Her chance comes not long after both of them sit down for their first meal together.
Taboos or Pantang Larang for Marriage
1. Pregnant women are prohibited to touch the items or join in the preparations for the marriage ceremony. They are also strongly prohibited from entering the wedding chamber.
2. If you have just given birth and have not celebrated the baby’s full moon, the mother and baby are not allowed to join in the marriage celebration or should I say they are not allowed to step in the front door of the groom and bride to be’s house. Even the family members staying in the same house are not welcomed as they are also deemed as “not cleansed“ yet until the baby’s “Full Moon“ celebration.
3. Family members who are still mourning the passing away of their family member are also not allowed to join the Peranakan Marriage ceremony as it was deemed very inauspicious to the marriage couple.
4. It is a major offences to the peranakan family during the olden days if the guests are wearing a whole black attire or white attire while joining themarriage ceremony as these attire are strictly mend for “sorrow occasion“ or funeral attire.
Baba Nyonya are a subgroup within Chinese communities, are the descendants of Sino-indigenous unions in Melaka, Penang, and Indonesia. It was not uncommon for early Chinese traders to take Malay/Indonesian women of Penisular Malay/Sumatera/Javanese as wives or concubines.
Language
The language of the Peranakans, Baba Malay, is a dialect of the Malay language, which contains many Hokkien words.
Religion
Baba Nyonya subscribed to Chinese beliefs: Taoism, Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism, celebrated the Lunar New Year and the Lantern Festival, while adopting the customs of the land they settled in, as well as those of their colonial rulers. There are traces of Portuguese, Dutch, British, Malay and Indonesian influences in Baba culture. A certain number of Baba Nonya families were and still are, Catholic.
Wedding
As you have probably guessed, all the Baba Nyonya Wedding or marriages were arranged marriages.
A group of elderly people will pay the short listed future-daughter-in law’s family a visit. This visit is known as “merisek“, a custom that you could find both in Malay and Chinese community.
Nowadays, the “merisek“ ritual has long been abandoned. The Baba Nyonya wedding ceremony starts with the performance of purification and initiation into adulthood rites. This ceremony or ritual is known as Cheo-thau.
Next is the Chim-pong or the coming together of the bride and bridegroom ritual. This is when the couple pays homage to heaven; earth and man before a special three tiered alter called sam-kai. Elaborated preparations can be seen at the alter table. This ritual is very important as the marriage is dully solemnized during this stage.
The bridegroom will only get his first look at his wife when they meet in the bridal chamber. This is the time when the husband is allowed to lift the veil over his wife’s face with guidance.However, the wife is even then forbidden by tradition to steal a glance at her husband. It would be deem as immodest to do so as relatives and friends milling in and around the chamber. Her chance comes not long after both of them sit down for their first meal together.
Taboos or Pantang Larang for Marriage
1. Pregnant women are prohibited to touch the items or join in the preparations for the marriage ceremony. They are also strongly prohibited from entering the wedding chamber.
2. If you have just given birth and have not celebrated the baby’s full moon, the mother and baby are not allowed to join in the marriage celebration or should I say they are not allowed to step in the front door of the groom and bride to be’s house. Even the family members staying in the same house are not welcomed as they are also deemed as “not cleansed“ yet until the baby’s “Full Moon“ celebration.
3. Family members who are still mourning the passing away of their family member are also not allowed to join the Peranakan Marriage ceremony as it was deemed very inauspicious to the marriage couple.
4. It is a major offences to the peranakan family during the olden days if the guests are wearing a whole black attire or white attire while joining themarriage ceremony as these attire are strictly mend for “sorrow occasion“ or funeral attire.
