Problems Of Intercultural Marriages

How far do you think a marriage with someone totally different from you works? Differences in culture, religion, language etc. Though it seems to be a very romantic love story but the truth is– it can be very challenging and frustrating. So before going for this cross border relationship prepare yourself by going for pre-marriage counseling.

One thing both the partners must realize is—what attracted them towards each other was the excitement of treating the unknown, but once together that “unknown” generates more fear than excitement.

Food habits become a big issue once you are living together. A person who is not used to non vegetarian food or different flavors will not be able to tolerate the presence of such items. On the other hand eating vegetarian food everyday becomes taxing for a non vegetarian. In some parts of Asia people eat food with there hands. This can be very repulsive for a person who is used to cutlery.

The up-bringing of the children is another point which has to be worked on. An understanding has to be reached before wedding, whether you want to bring up the child with one parents religion or you want them to choose for themselves when they grow older. In any case, you yourself must be aware of the other person’s religion and culture. It will prepare you for the future and can even help you in resolving certain issues before hand.

Another problem can be—what language to teach the kids and how to communicate in the house. The partner who is not able to understand the language is left out in the cold and feels disconnected.

Acceptance of you in the partner’s family is another issue which has to be handled delicately. Both must help and support each other in making them adjust to there families.

The key to a successful cross-cultural marriage is—love, understanding and tolerance. But most of all only one thing can help you survive through difficult times and that is UNCONDITIONAL LOVE and accepting each other with all the baggage.