Indian culture is known for its colorful rituals and tradition of marriage. An Indian marriage is a garland of rituals and they start much before the actual wedding. These rituals are also based on the Holy Scriptures, The Vedas. They are performed as the betrothal is made official. Rituals are followed by the concept of turmeric or Haldi, Mehndi, sangeet, tilak, etc. Each of the rituals comes with its own meaning and own value. Turmeric plays an important role in an Indian wedding. Haldi ceremony is important and performs by both of the families, a day previous of the wedding day. Relatives and family members of the bride and groom put turmeric on them. This ritual has a great significance in an Indian wedding. 

Let’s check the actual reason and significance of the Haldi ceremony:

To Enhance Beauty

Haldi or turmeric has its own recognition for its medicinal and antiseptic properties. It makes our skin glowy and clear. From the ancient age, since the age when there no smart beauty salon or beauty treatment, women are using haldi on their faces to glorify their beauty. Every bride or even the groom wants to look stunning on their wedding day so the family members put turmeric on their faces to enhance their beauty. This is how the ritual has started.

Yellow Brings Luck

According to Indian culture yellow color is lucky and it brings prosperity and it is auspicious. It is believed that yellow color brings the tone of a happy future life for the bride and groom and this is one of the key reasons for performing this ritual. The bride and groom of the wedding wear yellow clothes and so the family members and the bride get yellow saree as a gift. 

Protective Shield for the Bride and Groom

Turmeric has a lot of medicinal properties and it is really good for health and skin. Many people believe that yellow is a protective shield for the bride and groom. It is now a common belief in India that putting turmeric on the groom and bride can protect them from evil eyes and the outbreaks of a bad spirit. People believe that applying turmeric on the bride and groom may help the evil spirit to stay far away from them. Maybe, this is one of the reasons that the groom and bride are not even allowed to go out after the haldi ceremony till the marriage.

Cleaning Up Their Body

Turmeric also has excellent effective exfoliating properties. It is also an Indian belief that turmeric keeps the bodies clean of the bride and groom. So, applying turmeric on feet, hands, and face helps them in keeping away the dead cells. Detoxification with turmeric can make their skin shiny and glowing on the wedding day. The effect of turmeric on the skin can stay for a longer period of time.

In this ceremony, the family members of the bride and groom apply turmeric paste on them and this is to worship their lineage. It is believed to cleanse their soul and body and protect them from evil forces. By this yellow color, turmeric gives the bride and groom a divine glow and beauty.

Return Gifts for Haldi Ceremonies

Return gifts for haldi function are a good gesture nowadays. This is a good ritual to show respect and love to the guests. Return gifts or shagun should be given to the guests. People usually give sweet boxes, small handicraft items, chocolate goodies, etc to the guests. Return gift choices for the haldi ceremony solely depend on the budget. The worth of the gift also depends on the closeness the person has in terms of their right relationship with the bride or groom’s families.

There is no better way of appreciating family and friends with unique return gifts. Return gifts are an Indian tradition that has been around for a number of years now to thank the guests who attend a wedding and this gesture ensures that they were satisfied indeed. 

Gifting itself is a tradition in Indian culture and these can be offered during haldi ceremonies too. It expresses deep gratitude and appreciation. This kind of gift is appreciated and also helps people to stay connected. When you need to buy a bulk of gifts, you need to be quite choosy. You can choose the personalized cookies, handmade chocolates, goodies, flowers, etc. for the haldi ceremony; you can use the yellow wrappers to cover your gifts. Yellow floral ornaments, yellow dresses, sweets, etc can be add in this list of gift items too. Even yellow dupatta, bangles are also great gifting items for the haldi ceremony. It makes the guests happy and also helps them to get ready according to the theme of the ceremony. These gifts are now available online and offline and you can choose according to your budget.