Undying love: Thai woman 'marries' dead boyfriend in symbolic ceremony
A Thai woman showed her undying love for her dead would-be fiancé by “marrying” him in a symbolic ceremony.
Koreaboo reported that Nan Thippharat’s partner Fiat, died of a sudden heart attack. They had already talked about settling down before the incident.
Thippharat held up her end of the deal by wearing a wedding dress to his funeral, kneeling down beside him, and holding his hand as others paid their respects.
The ceremony, however, isn’t considered legal under local laws.
Nevertheless, Thippharat didn’t mind as she was able to honor Fiat.
“He looked splendid on his wedding day,” she’s quoted as saying. “I know he would have liked it.”
Thippharat said she dreamed of their wedding, and they held hands.
“It was my way of paying tribute to him in this life,” she said, “because I know one day we will be together for eternity in the next one.”
In India, people marrying their deceased partners isn't unheard of as it is deeply rooted in the tradition called pretha kalyanam, or "marriage of the dead." Some communities in Karnataka as well as in parts of Kerala still practice pretha kalayanam.
In 2022, a man from Assam, India married his deceased girlfriend and pledged to remain single for the rest of his life.