These are all things I have been called in my life.
My mom is a Japanese American, a third generation American with parents who grew up in Hawaii. And my dad is a New York Jew with immigrant grandparents from Russia. They met at a coffee shop in Southern California...and had me.
Since I have a mixed heritage, being from a multiethnic home has played an important part in my path to personal identity, and it's really important for me to blend these multiple traditions into my wedding.
In Japanese culture, paper cranes are a symbol of good fortune and are given to the bride on her wedding day. The crane has served as an ancient symbol of honor and loyalty.
There are different stories behind the significance and origin of this tradition. In ancient Japanese legend, there is promise that anyone who folds one thousand cranes will be granted one wish by a crane. The crane, a mystical creature said to live for a thousand years, is said to be able to grant good fortune, a long life, recovery from illness, or any other happiness.
Some say that the bride and groom who can complete the task of folding one thousand cranes before their wedding day, gain the trust, understanding, and patience to sustain a long and successful marriage. Because folding a thousand cranes takes great patience, dedication, time, and understanding. And, each of these qualities is vital for a healthy and lasting marriage. The end result was a visual testament to the couple's love and dedication to each other.
Traditionally, either the couple made the paper cranes themselves or the bride's father gave her the thousand cranes on her wedding day to wish her and her new husband one thousand years of happiness, love, and prosperity.
Today the cranes are made by the bride's family and presented to the couple upon their wedding, wishing them all the blessings of love, prosperity, and happiness. The more people who participate in making the cranes, the more love and happiness will be transferred to the couple with the gift.
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