In this week's version of who knew? are ghost brides.
So, what exactly is a ghost bride as featured in the Netflix tv show?
It sounds like brides who've died before they've made it to the altar or just after, who are left to wander around for eternity in their wedding dresses.
The truth, my friends is far stranger.
Ghost brides are a real thing and the ghost part doesn't usually refer to the brides. No, it usually refers to their husbands.
It's a Chinese tradition, but a similar thing happens in other countries such as France and even Sudan. Its a marriage in which one or both of the people involved are deceased.
Apparently in China it's usually set up by the family of the deceased for certain reasons. The main one is to marry an engaged couple usually after the prospective groom has passed on so that the unmarried daughter can join the family and keep its lineage going. This would tend to happen if the deceased groom-to-be was the eldest son.
If a "bride" agreed to be a ghost bride she would go to live with her "husband's" family, have to participate in mourning rituals and take a vow of celibacy.
Note - The Ghost Bride Netflix show is based on the novel The Ghost Bride written by Malaysian writer Yangsze Choo.
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