Heritage Community Series | The Peranakan Wedding: Cheo Thau Ceremony
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| Bride and Groom during a Baba wedding. Photo courtesy of Alvin Teo. |
Date: 23 September 2015, Wednesday
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Venue: NUS Baba House
With its elaborate rituals and sumptuous feasts, a Baba wedding was a major affair. No expense was spared for this impressive 12-day celebration as it was an essential rite-of-passage for the young Peranakan Chinese in the early half of the 20th century. The rigorous preparations required to make the wedding a reality was a whole-family affair – sewing of bridal garments, decorating the house with resplendent textiles, and making a generous selection of dishes and colourful kueh.
Amongst the rituals throughout the 12-day process, the cheo thau is said to be one of the most significant and most sacred. This highly symbolic ceremony also serves as a reminder to the couple of the duties and responsibilities they need to carry out as they enter married life. Join Baba Alvin Teo as he explores the intricacies of the cheo thau ritual, and illuminates the different aspects that make up the elaborate and spectacular Baba wedding.
About the Speaker
Alvin Teo is a Peranakan and grew up in a traditional household which embraced Taoism and ancestral worship practices. He has been in the main committee of The Gunong Sayang Association of Singapore (GSA) for four years and currently serves as the First Vice President. Alvin is very passionate about wayangs and therefore acts as the Chairman of the Show Committee. Proud of his Baba roots, he is especially interested in the community’s traditional customs that were practiced in the yester years and shares his knowledge through talks at the Peranakan Museum.
Heritage Community Series
Encouraged by the growing community of Singaporeans actively committed to exploring history and raising cultural awareness, the Heritage Community Series is introduced as a platform where independent researchers, heritage enthusiasts and collectors share their encounters, perspectives and experiences.
Amongst the rituals throughout the 12-day process, the cheo thau is said to be one of the most significant and most sacred. This highly symbolic ceremony also serves as a reminder to the couple of the duties and responsibilities they need to carry out as they enter married life. Join Baba Alvin Teo as he explores the intricacies of the cheo thau ritual, and illuminates the different aspects that make up the elaborate and spectacular Baba wedding.
About the Speaker
Alvin Teo is a Peranakan and grew up in a traditional household which embraced Taoism and ancestral worship practices. He has been in the main committee of The Gunong Sayang Association of Singapore (GSA) for four years and currently serves as the First Vice President. Alvin is very passionate about wayangs and therefore acts as the Chairman of the Show Committee. Proud of his Baba roots, he is especially interested in the community’s traditional customs that were practiced in the yester years and shares his knowledge through talks at the Peranakan Museum.
Heritage Community Series
Encouraged by the growing community of Singaporeans actively committed to exploring history and raising cultural awareness, the Heritage Community Series is introduced as a platform where independent researchers, heritage enthusiasts and collectors share their encounters, perspectives and experiences.
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