These are the most unusual ways couples honor their nation's long-standing customs on their special day.
The main goal of a modern marriage ceremony is to include wedding customs that are meaningful to you. The couple often does not meet before the wedding ceremony, guests are given favors, and couples cut the cake together at many British and American weddings.
Yet, traditions are broken (or adjusted, at least) (or altered, at least). The "first look" concept is quite popular these days, the bride frequently gives a speech, and it is increasingly customary for the bride to walk herself down the aisle, ala Meghan Markle. Imagine it as a pick-and-mix wedding. It involves modifying customs to better reflect your union and your shared love.
Many other nations and cultures have their traditions and customs that they follow when it comes to getting married, even if British and American culture may be known for conventions like a first dance and a three-course dinner.
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Here are some of the most unusual wedding customs from around the world, including a bridal crown that wards off evil spirits in Norway, a pre-wedding dance procession in Lebanon, and a twig of myrtle in bouquets for Welsh women.
Something ancient, new, borrowed, and blue from England
Lancashire in the Victorian era is when the custom of a bride having something new, something borrowed, and something blue originated. The proverb was originally recorded in an 1871 issue of St. James Magazine. However, etiquette also said that the bride should wear a sixpence in her shoe; however, the Royal Mint stopped issuing them in 1970. To secure healthy pregnancies (the only thing a bride is good for, huh? ), these goods are thought to deceive the "evil eye" into believing the bride is pregnant.
As Queen Victoria did when she wed her beloved, Prince Albert, in 1840, the custom of donning a white wedding dress may also be traced back to this time.
The cake-pull in Peru
Even though many couples no longer toss a wedding bouquet to choose who will be married next, it is still a custom in Peru, albeit one with a twist. The wedding cake in Peru is decorated with ribbons that single ladies remove after the wedding event. The next person to walk down the aisle is supposed to be whoever pulls the ribbon with the ring on it.
Germany: Breaking plates of porcelain
Germans take extremely seriously the old proverb "Scherben bringen Glück," which translates to "shards bring luck," and it is often used in conjunction with weddings. along comes Polterabend. The event when porcelain is broken into shards, which the engaged couple then picks up and dispose of, is known as the centuries-old German wedding ritual. Polterabend used to be held the night before the wedding, but nowadays it's more frequently done in the weeks before the big day.
Brazil: The entry of the groom
One of the most thrilling moments of the day is when the bride enters the wedding. The guests will be seeing her for the first time, and unless they've opted to do a first look beforehand, her future husband or wife will be seeing her for the first time as well. But in Brazil, the groom also has a chance to shine because custom dictates that he enter the church before the bride, sometimes accompanied by a close female relative or his mother.
The Mehndi party in India
Many Indian and South Asian marriages include a mehndi celebration as a crucial component. A bridal mehndi, or henna design, is often done to the guests' hands and feet at a pre-wedding reception when the bride invites her closest female friends and relatives. The application of a bridal mehndi is one of the sixteen ornaments known as the "Solah Shringar" in Hindu tradition, which is used to "beautify" a bride before the wedding.
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Norway: A wedding crown to ward off bad spirits
According to Norwegian legend, women in Norway used to wear bridal crowns, or "brudekrone," to fend off bad spirits. To fend off the spirits, the brides' elaborate and ornate crowns frequently featured spoons that jingled against one another while they danced. In Norway, bridal crowns are still popular but with simpler patterns.
Ireland: During the first dance, one foot must remain on the ground.
Irish mythology states that the terrible fairies will come and whisk the bride away if she doesn't keep at least one foot on the ground during her first dance, which wouldn't be ideal for anybody involved.
Due to its connection to the lengthy Celtic ritual of handfasting, the phrase "tying the knot" is also assumed to have originated in Ireland. According to tradition, the priest would wrap a ribbon around a newlywed couple's joined hands. Then, as a trial engagement, the couple would live together for a year and a day with their hands free before a ceremony when they would mutually decide if they wanted to stay married or split. Imagine it as the historical equivalent of Love is Blind.
Ghana: Going door-to-door
The Ghanaian tradition of knocking on the door is called "kookoo ko." It is an important part of the wedding and, in many parts of Ghana, a wedding would not be complete without it. The knocking ceremony is usually held on a date other than the wedding day. The groom's family goes to the bride's family home to knock on the door, announce his intentions, and bring gifts for his future in-laws.
The money dance in Cuba
From the location to the flowers, photographer, and catering, weddings are a costly display of love, but Cubans have come up with a way to get back part of that spent wealth. As a symbol of goodwill to the newlyweds, the Cuban money dance custom mandates that each male who dances with the bride should either pin money to her dress, place it in her handbag, or place it in an apron worn over the dress.
White bell breaking in Guatemala
According to Guatemalan customs, once the newlyweds enter the party during the wedding celebration, the mother of the groom is supposed to ring a white bell. Usually, rice, flour, and other grains are put within the bell because they are thought to bring luck and wealth.
The cord and veil rite in the Philippines
In a typical Filipino wedding ritual, the bride and groom's respective godparents will place a lace veil over their shoulders. It is thought to represent the newlyweds becoming one as a couple. To symbolize the couple's enduring commitment to one another, a string known as a "yugal" is also wrapped around them in the shape of an eight.
Another custom in the Philippines is for the husband to gift his new bride 13 coins, or the "Arrhae," as a sign of wealth. Spain, which ruled the Philippines for 333 years, established the custom.
Lasso ceremony in Mexico
Hispanic in origin, the traditional lasso ritual is frequently carried out in nations like Mexico, Spain, and the Philippines. A lasso, huge rosary, or rope is typically placed over the couple's shoulders by the officiant during the wedding ceremony, following the exchange of vows, to symbolize the couple's lifetime connection.
Poland: A blessing of bread and salt
It is traditional for the newlyweds' parents to give them bread, salt, wine, and a silver coin at the wedding celebration in Poland. According to Polish folklore, giving someone bread and salt ensures that their home will always be filled with food, wine ensures that they will experience the "sweetness of life," and a silver coin should provide good health and freedom from financial worries. All of the aforementioned, please.
Lebanon: The Zaffe
Even before the ceremony is finished, the celebration begins at a wedding in Lebanon. A Lebanese Zaffe is a traditional Arabic pre-wedding dance procession in which the couple is escorted from their home to the ceremony by a large group of Dabke dancers and musicians playing bendir drums.
Wales: Myrtle appears in bridal bouquets.
Myrtle is a traditional part of Welsh bridal bouquets because it represents fertility and love. Even the British Royal Family has embraced the custom; at their weddings, Queen Elizabeth II, the Princess of Wales, and the Duchess of Sussex all carried bouquets containing sprigs of myrtle.
China: On the wedding day, brides don three outfits.
While having a ceremony dress and a reception dress is becoming a widespread practice in western weddings, several wedding clothes have long been accepted in China. The "quipao," a traditional brightly colored, form-fitting wedding dress frequently made of silk, is now worn by many Chinese brides to start the day. It is followed by a contemporary white dress and a cocktail dress to send off their guests after the evening.
Niger: At the celebration, a camel will dance.
One of the Tuareg wedding customs of Niger, where the Sahara Desert makes up about 80% of the nation's territory, stipulates that marriages must take place on the day of a full moon. A trained camel that will dance to the beat of a drum will also be present at the event.
Goat and rum cakes are served in Jamaica.
Like any good wedding, a Jamaican celebration day revolves around cuisine. Since in the past couples would choose a goat they wanted to be slow-cooked, curried goat is frequently offered as a main dish nowadays. The wedding cake would customarily be a Jamaican Black Rum Cake which is rich and moist in flavor.
South Korea's Falaka ceremony (beating the groom's feet)
In South Korea, during a Falaka ceremony, the groom is stripped of his shoes, his ankles are bound, and his feet are beaten with a stick but occasionally with a dried fish. The technique is claimed to make the groom "stronger" for his wedding night and is meant to be a lighthearted gesture as the groom is quizzed to test his memory in between the "beatings," even though it sounds unpleasant and, quite plainly, stinky.
La Serenata, Italian
La Serenata sometimes referred to as the "Neapolitan serenade," is no longer very prevalent but is always a sight when it appears. The custom is for the guy to appear outside the woman's home the evening before the wedding, frequently accompanied by friends or musicians, and then start serenading her from the street. To signify her approval of the marriage, the bride would traditionally hand the husband a basket filled with culinary offerings meat, bread, and cheese.
White thread ritual in Thailand
A piece of white thread is wrapped around the newlyweds' heads during a traditional Thai ritual, and strings of white thread are wrapped around the couple's wrists by their friends and relatives. The thread, known as "Sai Sin," is blessed beforehand by a Buddhist monk and is thought to protect the pair and provide them with good health.
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