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Wedding ducks () are a pair of duck carvings (traditionally Mandarin ducks) that are used in Korean wedding ceremonies, and often given as marriage gifts. Mandarin ducks are chosen because it is believed that, unlike other types of ducks, they mate for life, and that if one of the pair dies, the other will mourn. For Koreans, Mandarin ducks represent peace, fidelity, and plentiful offspring. == History and carving == Originally, a man who wished to marry would purchase pairs of live ducks or geese to give as a gift to the family of the prospective bride. That tradition gave way to using wooden ducks in place of live animals. A couple would select a man to carve their wedding ducks who was honourable, and a good friend. Additionally, the man should have "five fortunes" to be a suitable carver because it was believed that these fortunes would be imparted to the ducks and transferred to the couple who received them. The five fortunes of the carver are that he should: # Be wealthy. # Be in good health. # Have a good wife. # Not have been divorced, nor should he have relatives who have been divorced. # Have many sons. The fifth fortune about the sons is consistent with the Confucian emphasis on family strength and proliferation. This fortune also indicates that the man must maintain a good relationship with all of his sons. If the man has many children, but have only two are with him when he dies, he can only say he has two children. While carving, the man would pray for happiness, peace, prosperity, and abundant offspring. The carver would do the work for free because it was considered an honor to be asked to carve wedding ducks. He should also not carve more than one set of ducks in his lifetime because with each carving he shares some of his five fortunes. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Wedding ducks」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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