When Rice Is Sprinkled

Fr. Louie Ybañez describes how the Parkari Kohli community in interior Sindh, Pakistan, incorporates local cultural symbols into Christian marriage ceremonies. During the wedding season from November to February, these celebrations use elements from the land to represent communal connections and fertility.

In these weddings, mothers use rice to offer blessings of nurturance and continuity to the couple. The priest also sprinkles rice during the ceremony to affirm both faith and local tradition. Other symbolic items used in the rituals include husked coconut, cloves, cardamom, dried dates, and Gurr, or hardened sugar.