Wedding ducks () are a pair of duck

carvings Carving is the act of using tools to shape something from a material by scraping away portions of that material. The technique can be applied to any material that is solid enough to hold a form even when pieces have been removed from it, and ...

(traditionally Mandarin ducks) that are used in

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

n wedding ceremonies, and often given as marriage gifts. Mandarin ducks are chosen because it is believed that, unlike other types of ducks, they mate for life, and that if one of the pair dies, the other will mourn. For Koreans, Mandarin ducks represent peace, fidelity, and plentiful offspring.

History and carving

Originally, a man who wished to marry would purchase pairs of live ducks or

geese A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the she ...

to give as a gift to the family of the prospective

bride A bride is a woman who is about to be married or who is newlywed. When marrying, the bride's future spouse, (if male) is usually referred to as the '' bridegroom'' or just ''groom''. In Western culture, a bride may be attended by a maid, bri ...

. That tradition gave way to using wooden ducks in place of live animals. A couple would select a man to carve their wedding ducks who was honourable, and a good friend. Additionally, the man should have "five fortunes" to be a suitable carver because it was believed that these fortunes would be imparted to the ducks and transferred to the couple who received them. The five fortunes of the carver are that he should: # Be wealthy. # Be in good health. # Have a good wife. # Not have been divorced, nor should he have relatives who have been divorced. # Have many sons. The fifth fortune about the sons is consistent with the

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

emphasis on family strength and proliferation. This fortune also indicates that the man must maintain a good relationship with all of his sons. If the man has many children, but only two of these are with him when he dies, he can only say he has two children. While carving, the man would pray for happiness, peace, prosperity, and abundant offspring. The carver would do the work for free because it was considered an honor to be asked to carve wedding ducks. He should also not carve more than one set of ducks in his lifetime because with each carving he shares some of his five fortunes.

Modern day

Wedding Ducks in a Souvenir Store in Seoul

Modern wedding ducks are most often

mass-produced Mass production, also known as flow production or continuous production, is the production of substantial amounts of standardized products in a constant flow, including and especially on assembly lines. Together with job production and ba ...

. Female ducks are usually red, the males blue. The female duck may have a ribbon tied around her beak as a sign that the wife should be quiet and support her husband. It is also common to see a ribbon around both ducks' beaks signifying that silence is a virtue. Wedding ducks are often purchased as

souvenir A souvenir (), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a m ...

s by tourists and can be found for sale at most tourist attractions in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

Wedding ceremony

Wedding ducks are not commonplace at weddings today, although they may be included in more traditional ceremonies. If they are included, before the ceremony begins, the ducks are wrapped in cloth leaving only the necks and heads exposed. When the bride arrives, the wrapped ducks are placed on a table where the ceremony will take place. After the wedding, the ducks are displayed prominently somewhere in the couple's home. If there is harmony between the husband and wife, then the ducks are oriented facing each other, bill to bill. If the couple is arguing, they may turn one or both ducks so that they are facing away from each other. The ducks are commonly handed down as gifts from mother to daughter.

References

{{reflist Wedding objects Wedding traditions Korean culture

History and carving

Modern day

Wedding ceremony

See also

References