(Image source from: 2)
In a one of it's kind of mass wedding held in South Korea, not one, not two, but 2,500 couples took to the stage to say 'We Do'.
Some of these couple, who had met just days ago, married amidst a huge congregation of other brides and grooms in the 25,000-seat CheongShim Peace World Center, a vast sports and cultural stadium on the outskirts of the South Korean capital Seoul.
Identically dressed in glimmering white gown and shawls and their grooms in sharp black suits, the large congregation of 2,500 couples were part of the second 'cosmic blessing', solemnized by South Korea's famous Unitarian Church since the death of its messiah Sun Myung Moon, in September 2012.
After swearing about their virginity under oath, the couples sprinkled holy water, recited vows pledging themselves to be faithful to each other and exchanged rings and prayers.
But here is a catch. Unlike Christian weddings, the newlyweds must abstain from sex for at least 40 days after marriage.
The period of abstinence echoes Jesus's 40 days and nights wandering in the desert. According to the Bible, 'Jesus wandered in the wilderness as the devil appeared to him and offered him a string of temptations, all of which he ignored'.
A highly controversial figure of his time, Reverend Moon established his church in 1954 and began holding the mass 'blessings' soon afterwards.
The first ceremony was held in 1961 and attracted just 33 couples. However, with time, the numbers grew. In one such mass blessing in 1997, 30,000 couples tied the knot in Washington D.C. Two years later, 21,000 couples got betrothed at the Olympic Stadium in Seoul.
Rev Moon passed away in September 2012 at the age of 92. The latest ceremony was blessed by his 71-year-old widow Hak Ja Hang.
Some of the couples who attended the ceremony were already married and were reaffirming their vows, while others had been engaged for some time. Again some of them met their partners for the first time at a camp held last week in a 'matching ceremony'.
Someone has truly said that strange are the ways of marriages.
Image Source: Daily Mail
AW: Suchorita Choudhury
