Traveling around the world is an excellent way to foster an awareness of different cultures. All too often we as individuals tend to think that that are way of living and being is the only way. However, this is not the case. With travel, many people learn that different cultures have their own customs and lifestyles. In everything from food to marriage culture is very evident. Understanding that there are differences allows people to develop an objective, understanding viewpoint of cultural customs such as marriage.

Depending on the culture marriage can be viewed in a variety of ways. In American culture most believe that marriage is a union between a man and women based on love. There are many that would dispute this belief, but nevertheless in American culture love is supposedly the drive behind marriage.

However, in other cultures marriage is not fueled by love. There are many cultures that believe that marriage is a practical union that is most beneficial when stability is created for all parties. Thus, arranged marriages where the parents pick the future spouses are not frowned upon. In such marriages there may be the belief that the individuals can learn to love each other.

While this may seem a bit cold or unromantic to those cultures that embrace the “love is everything” concept for a marriage, marital customs amongst cultures can vary greatly.