In Cambodia, the choice of a spouse is a complex one for the young male. It may involve not only his parents and his friends,
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those of the young woman, but also a matchmaker. A young man can
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a likely spouse on his own and then ask his parents to
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the marriage negotiations, or the young man"s parents may make the choice of a spouse, giving the child little to say in the selection.
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, a girl may veto the spouse her parents have chosen.
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a spouse has been selected, each family investigates the other to make sure its child is marrying
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a good family.
The traditional wedding is a long and colorful affair. Formerly it lasted three days,
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by the 1980s it more commonly lasted a day and a half. Buddhist priests offer a short sermon and
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prayers of blessing. Parts of the ceremony involve ritual hair cutting,
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cotton threads soaked in holy water around the bride"s and groom"s wrists, and
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a candle around a circle of happily married and respected couples to bless the
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. Newlyweds traditionally move in with the wife"s parents and may
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with them up to a year,
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they can build a new house nearby.
Divorce is legal and easy to
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, but not common. Divorced persons are
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with some disapproval. Each spouse retains
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property he or she
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into the marriage, and jointly-acquired property is
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equally. Divorced persons may remarry, but a gender prejudice
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up: The divorced male doesn"t have a waiting period before he can remarry
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the woman must wait ten months.