I thought it might be nice to share some Hong Kong traditions on this blog, a wedding tradition specifically.
One Hong Kong wedding tradition is for the bride's sisters (bridesmaids) to organize a series of challenges for the groom. The groom and his brothers (groomsmen) have to complete all challenges before the groom can win the honor of the bride's hand in marriage. As the challenges roll out, the bride waits in a separate room for her husband-to-be to prove himself.
These challenges are a riot! They could be used for any social event, but I thought I would share them as a little template for anyone who was planning some Hong Kong Wedding Games.
1. The Ice Bucket Challenge
Materials:
-Bucket of Ice
-Jelly Cups
Preparation:
-Fill the ice bucket with cold water
-Pour in some shampoo or bubble bath to make the water slippery and foamy
-Drop a few jelly cups into the mixture
-Set the bucket on the floor with a chair for the groom (or his brothers) to sit on
-Remove the groom's shoe and have him stick his foot into the ice water
Object of the Challenge:
-The groom or one of his brothers have a minute to get all of the jelly cups out of the bucket using just his bare foot
-Once the jelly cups are out, the groomsmen have to eat the jelly snacks in a minute
2. The Makeup Challenge
Materials:
-Red lipstick (or anything that stands out)
-Blue eyeshadow (or anything that stands out)
-Fuchsia blush (or anything that stands out)
Preparation:
-Have the makeup accessible
-Pair the groom and groomsmen up
Object of the Challenge:
-The groom and his groomsmen must apply eye shadow, lipstick, and blush to each other in a minute
3. The Blow Suck Challenge
Materials:
-Plastic cards (or Poker Cards)
Preparation:
-Have the cards in a pile
-The groomsmen should stand in a line
Object of the Challenge:
-The groom and his brothers have a minute to transfer all the cards from one end of their line to the other
-They can only use their mouths, sucking the cards to pick them up (one-by-one) and blowing the cards to send them off to the next brother
**I remember doing this in high school!**
4. The Posing Challenge
Materials:
-Pictures of yoga poses
-Pictures of funny faces
Preparation:
-Print out individual poses/facial expresses onto pieces of paper
-Have the groom and his brothers pick out which pose they would like to attempt
Object of the Challenge:
-The groom and his brothers have a minute to configure their bodies into the various yoga poses
-If they select faces, they all have a minute to contort their faces to match the pictures
5. The Declaration Challenge
Materials:
-Pen
-A written "document" that lists things that the bride wants her groom to promise to her
**For example-->My friend is a lover of coffee. She requested that her husband-to-be prepare coffee for her every morning.**
Preparation:
-Print out the document
-Have the groom read it out as his brothers and the bride's sisters witness this declaration
Object of the Challenge:
-After the groom reads the declaration, he should sign it and present it to his wife-to-be
The challenges aren't hardcore challenges to win over the bride, but they are fun. They also made for great clips in the reception's "Wedding Day" video!
I feel so lucky to have been able to take part in this tradition! I learned a lot…and, hopefully, taught someone out there something new too!
