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A marriage engagement, the mutual promise of two people to marry, testifies to their desire to tie to the knot. Also known as a betrothal, an engagement is an important pre-wedding ceremony. For many, the engagement ring is a long-established symbol of commitment. However, engagement traditions around the world differ widely. All are unique, but do share the same purpose: symbolizing love and fidelity. So, what are the engagement traditions from cultures around the world, and how are they performed?

Click through this gallery and find out how engagement rituals and customs vary across countries.

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While modern Japanese society tends to follow the Western practice of exchanging rings, traditional matchmaking involves yuino, a centuries-old engagement ceremony where the couple's families get together and give certain gifts, things like hand fans, dried fish, and bridal money.

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In South Korea, after the announcement of a couple's engagement, friends of the groom fill a small box, known as a hahm, with trinket jewelry. They take this to the bride's home and sing and dance outside the front door until her family comes out. Family members then begin to 'bribe' the men into handing over the hahm. The exchange is made in a friendly and lighthearted manner.

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China has a long tradition of engagement rituals and customs. Guo da li, for example, is a formal ceremony in which the groom's family presents betrothal gifts to the bride's family as a proposal of marriage. Lai see, on the other hand, is the jovial exchange of red decorative envelopes containing money. These are symbolic of good luck, wealth, and blessings for the couple's future.

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Traditional Brazilian courtship and engagement customs can involve a number of wonderfully romantic gestures. It's not uncommon for a suitor to offer the woman he loves a bouquet of 11 roses. He'll then tell her that she is the missing rose. In serious relationships, the exchange of commitment rings is usual before couples pick out their wedding rings, or alianças.

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Peruvian engagement parties are called la pedidas. These colorful and vibrant get-togethers begin with the pedida de mano, or "the asking," where the groom formally asks the bride's family for her hand in marriage. This is followed by a dinner during which an exchange of gifts takes place between the two families.

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Engagement ceremonies in Mexico are joyous affairs and represent not just the union of two people, but the joining of families. Central to the festivities is the serenata, where the suitor serenades their sweetheart with a mariachi band and red roses by the dozen.

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In Argentina, both the bride and groom wear a silver engagement ring on their right hand until they get married, and then switch that ring for a gold band, symbolically moving it to their left hand.

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Traditional Puerto Rican engagement ceremonies were variously influenced by the Indigenous Taíno people, Spanish colonizers, and African slaves. It's customary for the groom to seek the blessing of the bride's parents before proposing. Affirmation brings with it a party filled with music, food, and plenty of dancing.

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Traditional pre-wedding ceremonies in Thailand take place over several days, and are rooted in Buddhist customs. A couple will typically invite nine monks into their homes for good luck and to receive food offerings. In return, the sacred guests bless the union. The groom then leads a procession to the home of the bride-to-be while carrying khan maak, an engagement tray on which is a symbolic dowry of a ring, betel nuts, incense sticks, and candles—items that represent love, prosperity, fertility, and longevity.

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In Vietnam, a traditional marriage proposal is of significant cultural and familial importance. Proceedings commence with a procession where the groom and his family deliver trays crammed with gifts to the bride's house. After a meeting between the families of the bride and groom where the union is blessed, tea is served and presents exchanged.

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Engagement ceremonies in Cambodia are elaborate affairs that run over three days. These intricate and carefully choreographed rituals are central to Khmer culture. The ceremony that signifies the formal request for marriage is known as hai goan gomlom, or the groom's procession. Led by a monk, the suitor presents trays of fruit to the bride's family as a mark of respect and commitment.

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In most of West Asia, North Africa, and the Indian subcontinent, engagement parties and wedding ceremonies usually feature the use of henna. In traditional Javanese culture, marriages were often arranged by parents based on factors like class and religion. This is no longer the case in modern society, however, it's still customary for the families of the bride and groom to meet formally beforehand. In Sundanese engagement tradition, an official proposal of marriage is often performed by a proxy, the groom's family sending representatives to the bride's family to officially propose the union.

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India is a vast country. Engagement traditions differ with each state. And as you'd expect, ceremonies of Hindus, Muslims, and Christians follow different customs and traditions. In Bengal, for example, the ashirwad ceremony at the bride's home involves elders blessing the happy couple. A boron dala, a brass plate or tray with flowers, sweets, clay lamp, rice and other religious condiments, is presented as a welcome.

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Similarly, the marwari engagement ritual in Rajasthan, known as sagaai, commences with elders' blessings, gift exchanges, and the ring ceremony. During this occasion, a sword is also presented along with fruits, clothes, and sweets to the groom.

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Odisha state in Eastern India is synonymous with the nirbandh, a ceremony that represents mutual respect through gift exchanges between families. The ritual reinforces cultural heritage and familial ties through vibrant and colorful rituals.

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It's no surprise that engagement proposal ceremonies in New Zealand blend contemporary customs with centuries-old Maori cultural observance. Ritual elements often include the traditional Maori powhiri, a welcome ceremony where the couple is greeted and accepted into each other's families. The hongi, where a greeting involves the pressing of noses together, is a delightful practice.

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Nigeria boasts a bewildering assortment of engagement traditions, each according to the more than 371 ethnic groups found within the country, including the Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba Indigenous peoples. Typically, the groom will visit his bride-to-be, bringing with him gifts of kola nuts, salt, yams, and wines. If her family accepts the gifts, it signifies their approval of the marriage.

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Engagement rituals in the United States follow a traditional line: a proposal on bended knee with an engagement ring.

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Marriage proposals in England have traditionally featured the element of surprise. The actual proposal often has a ritual quality, involving the presentation of a ring and the formalized asking of a question such as, "Will you marry me?"

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Scottish engagement rituals sometimes involve the exchange of brooches known as Luckenbooth, decorative jewelry made of silver and engraved with two intertwined hearts, given as tokens of love. The Celtic element is most noticeable in the traditional knotwork engagement ring, worn by both until the big day.

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Traditional engagement ceremonies in Germany originally involved one partner presenting a promise ring bedecked with precious gems such as sapphire or emerald. The modern era has seen customs change. Today it's common place for couples to exchange gold bands, worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. This symbolizes commitment. A public announcement of marriage is known as a bann.

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It is customary in France to present the woman with an engagement ring of a colored gemstone such as a ruby, emerald, or sapphire. Of course, a diamond will be accepted, especially if it's presented on bended knee.

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In Italy, engagement proposals often involve grand romantic gestures, usually in scenic locations or in historic surroundings. Later, the proposal is celebrated in large family gatherings, as a formal announcement.

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In Spain, Catholic engagement ceremonies involve the exchange of currency known as arras coins. The word arras means "earnest money,” and the coins represent the groom's promise to provide for the family. Thirteen coins are handed over, representing wealth and prosperity. The arras ceremony is also an important element of a Catholic wedding ceremony.

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In Sweden, both the man and the woman wear engagement rings, from proposal to wedding. Before the wedding, the groom returns his ring, which is then given back during the ceremony. The bride receives a wedding ring, often a more ornate ring with a larger, brighter gemstone.

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Finnish engagement ceremonies date back to the Middle Ages. Traditionally, the bride receives another ring at the time of the wedding. However, in some cases, the groom is also presented with an additional ring on the day.

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In Eastern European countries such as Poland and Hungary, engagement parties are celebrated with family and friends. In Poland, a wedding proposal is called oswiadczyny; in Hungarian, javaslat.

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In Turkey, many couples opt to follow the traditional and very novel way of proposing where the suitor gathers his family and walks to the bride's home with gifts, flowers or candy. The bride-to-be will then bring a cup of coffee to her partner that she has seasoned with salt instead of sugar. If he can sip the coffee without scowling or spitting, the match is deemed suitable and the engagement can move forward.

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Armenian culture is deeply rooted in the Armenian Apostolic Church. Faith, therefore, plays a central role in engagement and wedding ceremonies. The groom must ask the bride's family for her hand in marriage, a custom known as khosk-armel. Gifts exchanged during this formal request include flowers and chocolates.

Sources: (The Knot) (GemsNY Blog) (Weddingbee)