Ghost marriages, legally binding marriages with one or both parties deceased, occur in various countries, including China, Sudan, France, and the US. They serve different purposes, such as societal expectations, cultural history, love, or emotion. Ceremonies and related practices vary by culture, with some marrying to afford celibacy or maintain independence. Widow inheritance, where a widow marries a male relative of her dead husband, is similar and practiced in various parts of Africa, Central Asia, and Indonesia.
Ghost marriages are legally binding marriages in which one or both parties are deceased. They take place in many areas of the world, including China, Sudan, France and the United States, among others. Because they occur in such geographically diverse areas, there are many different purposes and ceremonies associated with them. There are also related practices where widows and widowers are ceremonially married to family members as well.
Areas of practice
Many different countries allow ghost marriages, but China, India, and Sudan are three areas that are particularly known for them. Despite this, the practice is not widespread in any of these areas in modern times, although it still occurs occasionally. Many of these types of weddings have taken place in France, the United States, Korea, and Germany, among other places.
Scope
There are many different purposes for a ghost wedding, but most have to do with societal expectations and family patterns, cultural history, and love or emotion. They are sometimes performed when a partner in an engagement has died; other times, it is done to provide a widow with a caretaker. In these cases, the widow is usually cared for and has children by a replacement – often a brother of her dead husband – but she is still considered to be married to her original husband. Ceremonies may also be performed when a person believes a ghost is requesting a spouse. A family might also have this type of ceremony performed for an older son so that a younger son can get married.
Some women choose to marry as a means to afford to remain celibate with anyone alive. This is more common in areas where remaining celibate is seen as socially unacceptable. In cultures where marriage allows a woman to control her own property or that of her deceased husband, women may also use this practice to maintain independence. Marriages are also sometimes arranged for the dead so that they can have descendants to care for them after they die. In this case the deceased is usually joined to a widow who already has children. Sometimes a childless woman is chosen so that the deceased’s family can have a daughter-in-law to do the household chores.
Many people also enter into a phantom marriage out of love or to show their devotion to a deceased partner. This is quite common in France and is often related to situations where a longtime partner or boyfriend dies suddenly. While the living spouse does not necessarily receive any inheritance from the deceased spouse, her children will also be considered to belong to the deceased spouse. Furthermore, these marriages are sometimes performed for religious reasons, as some religions give preference to spouses in the afterlife.
Ceremonies
Posthumous marriage ceremonies vary widely by culture. In the French or American versions, the widow or widower generally stands next to a picture of the deceased spouse in front of a church, and typical wedding vows are often spoken in the past tense. In China, a formal wedding ceremony may be held in a temple, complete with offerings being burned so that the partners have items to use in the spirit world. Paper doubles are used for the deceased bride or groom, with these doubles being burned at the end of the ceremony along with the rest of the offerings. In cases where both partners have died, their bones may be buried together.
Related practices
Widow inheritance or levirate marriage is somewhat similar to this tradition. In this tradition, a widow marries a male relative of her dead husband, who then takes care of her and all of her children. This is usually done for social reasons and so that the widow’s children are adequately provided for. It is practiced in various parts of Africa, Central Asia, and Indonesia, among other places.
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