Korean Wedding Ducks – Beltsville Seafood & Crab, Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, Maryland

While I was photographing the sign advertising their business, the Korean couple who owned it invited me in to look at the carved mandarin ducks that graced one of the counters.

Wedding ducks have special role in every Korean wedding. They mate for life. In ancient time, a man expressed his wish to get married by bringing a pair of ducks or geese to the family of his bride-to-be. The wedding duck symbolizes three things: peace; many children; no separations.

These days, carved wooden ducks have replaced live birds. Selecting the person who is going to carve a wedding duck is not an easy choice. The person must be honourable and a good friend. Most of all, he has to exemplify the "five fortunes" which hopefully will bless the couple as well. The five fortunes of the carver are: wealth; perfect health; marital happiness; a "good wife"; and many sons. While working with his knife, the carver prays for happiness, peace, prosperity and many children (just as the duck has many eggs) for the bride (Shinbu) and groom (Shinlang). The carver person may not except money for his work. Carving is the matter of honour.

Just before the wedding, the ducks are wrapped with cloths of different colours. Only the neck is left unwrapped. Then they are carried to the ceremony. As soon as the bride arrives she puts the wedding ducks on the table. After the ceremony, the bride and groom bow to the groom’s mother and father two and a half times. Then the groom’s mother throws the ducks to the outspread bride’s apron. If the bride manages to catch them it is believed that she will first give birth to a baby boy. If she does not catch the duck she will have a baby girl.

Traditionally, wedding ducks are kept somewhere in the couple’s house. (In this case, they are housed on a display case in their store.) Their position tells about the status in the relationship. Nose to nose means that the relationship is good, and tail to tail means that husband and wife are quarreling.