Bestfriends with Promises II [COMPLETED]

SPECIAL CHAPTER

A/N: So hi guys! Bakit may special chapter, you asked? As the previous chapter was revealed, Mira and Zedric is in the state in which the Japanese called omiai/miai. I can no longer explain through the chapter what miai truly means so I hope you find time on reading this, even though it is a bit long. Credits kay Pareng Wikipedia for the info. 

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HISTORY:

Miai (見合い, "matchmaking", literally "looking at one another") or omiai (お見合い) is a traditional custom in which a woman and a man are introduced to each other to consider the possibility of marriage . "Omiai" is sometimes mistranslated as an "arranged marriage" but it can be described as a meeting opportunity with more serious considerations for the future as a process of courtship. 

Miai was a solemn practice and involved considerations that aren't given as much weight by most modern Japanese people, such as family bloodlines and class. This type of miai is usually seen portrayed in films and television dramas. After the Pacific War, the trend was to abandon the restrictive arranged-meetings system. Modern forms of miai are still practised in Japan today, although they are no longer as prevalent as they were in the pre-Meiji era. 

PARTICIPANTS:

The participants in a miai process include the candidates who are to potentially be married and the families of these candidates. However, miai can take place without any involvement of the prospective couple's families.  

A nakōdo (仲人 matchmaker) serves the role of a go-between for families in the miai process. A nakōdo is not necessary for all miai. The nakōdo can be a family member, friend, or company.  The general purpose of the nakōdo, especially the traditional way of miai, is to provide introductions for people entering a new arrangement and to assist shy candidates. The nakōdo is expected to play a variety of roles throughout the miai process. The first is the bridging role, hashikake (橋架け), in which the nakōdo introduces potential candidates and families to each other. The second role is as a liaison for the families to avoid direct confrontation and differences in opinions between them by serving as an intermediary for working out the details of the marriage. Even though miai marriages are not as common as they once were, they still hold a place in popular media. One example is Wedding Bells, a game show that substitutes for the role of the nakōdo in which contestants are introduced and screened for marriage possibility.

SELECTION PROCESS:

The initiative for the miai introductions often comes from the parents who may feel that their son or daughter is of a marriageable age (tekireiki), usually in the range of 22 to 30, but has shown little or no sign of seeking a partner on their own. Other times, the individual may ask friends or acquaintances to introduce potential mates in a similar way.

Parents often subtly interject the phrase "onegai shimasu" ("I make the request") into casual conversation, which implies that both parents have consented for their daughter to meet eligible men. The daughter may be unaware that her parents have suggested her availability through the use of "onegai shimasu." Moreover, some parents send a candidacy picture to a future husband or go-between without their daughter's knowledge or consent.

Parents may enlist the aid of a nakōdo or ask a third party with a wide range of social contacts to act as a go-between. The word "miai" describes both the entire process as well as the first meeting between the couple and the nakōdo. Miai signifies that the parties were brought together expressly for the purpose of marriage on the initiative of the parents, a friend of the family or a go-between. It also means that the initial criteria of selection were objective ones. The potential mate and their family meet with the nakōdo and examine all eligible persons. The nakōdo often has photographs of candidates and a "rirekisho", a small personal history. The rirekisho frequently includes the name, age, health, education, occupation and marital status of all members of the candidate's family.

The families then sit down with the nakōdo and screen the portfolios to eliminate any obviously inappropriate candidates.The photographs and rirekisho may be brought to the home of the potential mate's family for the son or daughter to scrutinize. The participant and their family examine the photos and short personal histories based on an investigation of social consideration. The education level and occupations of the potential candidate's family are the first aspects taken into consideration at this meeting. The potential mate and their mother create a list of primary choices and ask the nakōdo to investigate the first choice.

In more selective miai, the candidates and their families are judged on a large set of criteria aimed at determining the suitability and the balance of the marriage. This criteria is formally known in Japan as iegara (家柄). It includes level of education, income, occupation, physical attractiveness, religion, social standing, and hobbies. Many modern women are stereotyped as looking for three attributes: height, high salary, and high education. This is commonly known as the "Three Hs." The participant's bloodline (血統 kettō) plays a large role. Many fear that a candidate's blood is contaminated with diseases such as epilepsy, neurosis, or mental illness. The fear is so prevalent that the Eugenic Protection Law of 1948 was passed to legalize sterilization and abortion for people with a history of mental defects and other hereditary diseases. Social status also plays a large role in selecting a candidate. Ideally, paired candidates and their families should be of equal social status. A candidate has a hard time finding a mate if his family is not of a matching social status as the other family — even if the candidate is of equal social status. Family lineage can also affect the quality of a candidate. For example, a candidate with samurai blood is more likely to be picked than one with ancestry from a different Tokugawa-era class.

INTRODUCTION:

Before the miai occurs, the parties scrutinize each other's pictures to prevent future rejection. Although candidates rely on their photographs and resumes (rirekisho) in the modern miai process, an older custom known as "kagemi" (hidden look) was once employed. Kagemi occurred when a potential male candidate attempted to catch a glimpse of the female in secret. The objective of the kagemi was to prevent embarrassing denials based on appearances. The miai itself is a casual meeting between the potential couple, the nakōdo, and the parents of both parties. The nakōdo determines the place and format of the meeting.

The miai is just as much an opportunity for parents to survey the bride/groom as the couple themselves. The meeting begins with an informal introduction between the two families by the nakōdo. The introduction is often followed by small talk between the parents. Occasionally, the conversation shifts to one of the potential candidates. Toward the end of the meeting, the potential couple are advised to go off spend some time alone to get better acquainted.

KOTOWARI (excuse, apology, refusal)  

If the initial miai introduction is successful, the potential couple goes through a series of dates until a decision is reached. The decision is usually expressed at the couple's third meeting. If the potential couple chooses to marry one another, they go through a formal marriage process known as miai kekkon (見合い結婚), in which a betrothal ceremony (結納 yuinō) is arranged by the groom's family. Contrastingly, there are standard provisions to turn down an offer or proposal with relatively little loss of face on the part of the party refused.  

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A/N: So I'll end it here. Nilagay ko lang yung mga importante na malaman niyo. In the next chapter, miai will be further explained on how it was used to Mira and Zedric. As how it was stated some Miais in Japan are no longer like the traditional ones. Kadalasan, kung paano ito gusto ng pamilya ng mga ikakasal, particularly the side of the male. And, I'll stop here. HAHAHA!! Baka kung ano pa masabi ko, ma spoil pa yung next chap.

By the way, ni try kong gumawa ng names kaso ang panget HAHA. Share ko pa rin anyway: #TeamXanRa   &   #TeamZedRa

PS: KEZ!!! PLEASE, KUNG BINABASA MO 'TO, WAG MO NA IPAG-KALAT PLEASE!!! NAKAKA HIYA !! HUHUHU!!!