IV.

Marriage

Marriage rites draw on civil and religious authority to sanctify the union of a man and a woman and establish the parentage of any children born of the marriage. The rites often include formal removal of one party (usually the bride) from the family group, feasts and exchanges of gifts between the families, a honeymoon seclusion, and the reentry of the newlyweds into society. In addition to their religious and economic aspects, marriage rites tend to highlight the political significance of the union. See Marriage.