Love Is In The Air: 3 Blessing Anniversaries
Congratulations to the 1800 Couples celebrating their 47th, 360 million Couples celebrating their 23rd, and the February 2020 Couples celebrating their 2nd Marriage Blessing anniversaries!
On Feb. 8, 1975 and Feb. 7, 1999, True Parents officiated the 1,800 Couples Holy Blessing and 360 Million Couples Holy Blessing in Seoul, respectively. On Feb. 7, 2020 True Mother held the Hyojeong Cosmic Blessing in Korea just weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic halted international travel and restricted many activities.
The 1,800 couples Blessing in 1975 was the largest wedding in human history at the time. The couples represented more than 21 nations, with about 800 couples from Japan, 109 from America or Europe, and the rest from Korea and China. Among the Western couples alone, more than half of the marriages were across national or racial lines. True Parents said this international wedding underscored the teaching of the Unification movement that God transcends all national and racial barriers, and that the Kingdom of Heaven on earth can be built based on God-centered families. True Father pronounced the newlyweds “couples forever” in Seoul's Changchung Gymnasium, the largest indoor hall in Korea.
In 1999, True Parents conducted the largest Marriage Blessing to date for 360 million couples. The main venue was Seoul Olympic Stadium which was packed with 100,000 participants, many of whom had been brought by 3,000 buses. Known as “Blessing 99,” the ceremony penetrated Korean society more powerfully than previous ceremonies, in part due to Korean President Kim Dae-jung’s presence at the Segye Times’ 10th anniversary event six days before the Blessing. President Kim shared the podium with True Parents and participated in an anniversary cake cutting.
In 2020, the last in-person international Marriage Blessing ceremony was held in Korea at the Cheongshim Peace World Center before the global pandemic closed many borders a short time later. Some 30,000 people attended from 64 countries, including 6,000 unmarried couples, 9,000 previously married couples, and 3,500 members who were registered in CheonBo Won. The event was broadcast live online in 194 countries and joined by another 600,000 couples.
To the millions of couples celebrating, happy anniversary!
