Should the ‘first night’ tradition be scrapped?

[Shivendra]

It's a bit controversial, but as a woman I find the whole first night thing so cringe and just plain lame. Romance should be personal and private between two people, not some stupid 'muhurtham' event. And don't even get me started on the weird family involvement – decorated rooms, hints from relatives, everyone giggling like school kids. The worst part is everyone around you knows exactly what's supposed to happen that night; the whole family silently knowing you're about to do the deed is beyond embarrassing... I just can't wrap my head around it, lol. Maybe I'm just being too weird, but I'd fight my family to stop these rituals.

[Adarsh]

They hide behind rituals and riwaz (customs) and claim anything goes. Some cultures even inspect the first‑night bedsheets to 'prove' a woman's virginity.

[Anil]

I'm getting married soon and this whole thing makes me anxious, especially with the AM rituals.

[Yash]

The first‑night ritual feels awkward for many because it turns a private moment into a public family event. There's nothing wrong wanting your relationship milestones to feel natural and personal rather than socially choreographed.

[Sameer]

I'm not sure which culture, but they had a specific auspicious time given by the priest for the couple to consummate the marriage.

[Shashi]

My boyfriend and I decided to just sleep on the first night. In my family they make us play little games before closing the doors, and the whole family – anyone who's married – is there. After all that, it's better just to sleep. We don't even have a separate house; it's just one room and the relatives will be sleeping in the hall too, so they'll see us and laugh. I'm just going to sleep.

[Raj]

It basically turns a hookup into something socially acceptable.

[Ansh]

We don't have these practices in our culture or religion, so it's never been an issue for newlyweds in our family.

You should start freeing yourself and your spouse from such expectations and awkwardness. Someone has to start the change, otherwise this cycle keeps troubling couples who feel differently.

[Farhan]

Everyone jokes about sex unless it's the 'first night', when the only goal seems to be making kids. The rest of the time it's like, 'OH MY GOD, SANSKAAR HAI HUMARE – HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT THIS!' Ew.

[Shekar]

That's so true. In arranged marriages, you often barely know the person, yet you're expected to have sex that night. Some men exploit this, leading to marital rape.

[Rakesh]

Lol, what the heck?! I thought the norm was that couples just sleep off the exhaustion after dozens of rituals.