Akar Nusa
A tiered lacquered basket arrives at a door in Melaka, carried by a go-between. Inside is a gift for a girl's parents, sent on behalf of a young man who is waiting for their answer.
The story
A Baba Nyonya wedding is one of the most colourful in Malaysia. The Baba Nyonya (Peranakan Chinese) built their weddings on Chinese tradition, then added local Malay touches, and over the generations the rites became their own.
A match was usually made by elders. A go-between, hired by the groom's family, carried a proposal to the bride's family along with a gift (called a pinangan) in a two-tiered lacquered basket, a bakul siah. Parents made the final decision, though the young couple was also asked. Families often wanted partners from households of the same standing. In some wealthy families, the husband moved into the wife's family home, an arrangement called a chin choay.
Dates mattered. The important rites were held on lucky days and hours, worked out from the pek ji, the eight Chinese characters that record a person's birth date and time. Taboos (pantang) were carefully observed. Elders, gods and ancestors witnessed the rites, so the wedding was a family and spiritual act as well as a party.
The look was bright. Wedding items came in red, pink, orange, yellow and gold, with special patterns for a good marriage. Many things came in pairs, because good things were believed to come in pairs.
At Melaka weddings, a highlight was Dondang Sayang, a rhyming song in Malay sung and danced by the guests. One person starts a romantic verse, and others answer in turn, with quick wit. Clever lines get laughter and applause.
The traditions of ancestor worship from Chinese custom were kept by most families, though some in the community became Christian or Muslim. This is one reason why Baba Nyonya customs vary between families. The wedding was meant to tie two households together as well as two people, and so the whole family took part.
Where you can still see it today
- Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum and the Straits Chinese Jewellery Museum on the old streets of Melaka.
- Pinang Peranakan Mansion in George Town, Penang.
- Dondang Sayang performances at cultural events.
What DNA can tell, and what it cannot
Wedding customs are not in DNA. They are learned and handed down by families. A Peranakan family may have both Chinese and local ancestry, but each family is different. DNA cannot tell if your family kept these customs.
DNA does not decide race, religion or bumiputera status.
