Kat sak
The Khmer rite of symbolically cutting the couple's hair for a fresh start.
Also: bangkat sak, hair cutting ceremony
In the kat sak, a Khmer rite of the wedding, the couple sit together and a hair-cutter, with the help of an elder, makes a mock cut at their hair with scissors, to the sound of music. The cutting is said to remove bad luck and mark the start of a new life. It is sometimes called the haircutting ceremony in English. In some versions the couple's hair is only touched with a comb, and each region and family decides how closely to follow the old form. Romanisation varies.
Region: Southeast Asia