The fact that wedding traditions and customs may be carried out so differently in each culture is one of the most astonishing aspects of our planet. These variations include wedding traditions and customs.
Take marriage as an example; it is performed globally, yet the way a wedding is celebrated differs significantly among cultures.
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You may encounter some distinctions if you marry someone from another country or attend a destination wedding. But, of course, not all marriages in every culture are identical, and not everyone adheres to these customs to the letter. In any event, it is very remarkable how we individually take something like a wedding and make it our own.
Here are some of the numerous ways in which wedding traditions throughout the world vary.
India – The Mendhi
In India, rather than donning hand jewelry, it is customary for the bride to spend hours having henna-based mehndi meticulously painted on her. Although it needs a great deal of patience, the results are gorgeous pieces of art that last around two weeks. Definitely an interesting aspect of our list of wedding traditions and customs.
Interestingly, mehndi is applied to the bride because of its therapeutic benefits. It is intended to assist the bridge cope with the stress of the wedding day.
Norway – A Special Cake
You will like the cake for two reasons if you attend a Norwegian wedding. First, traditionally, a traditional wedding cake, known as a kransekake, is formed by stacking frosted almond cake rings to form a cone shape. Even better? This hollow cake is filled with gifts, such as a bottle of champagne or wine.
Another enjoyable custom is for the bride and groom to take the top cake ring. According to Norwegian folklore, the number of layers that adhere to a person’s underbelly indicates the number of children they will have
Cuba – A Special Dance
Although it is normal throughout cultures for the bride to dance with many of her guests, the bride must pay for the privilege in Cuba. Any man who dances is often expected to affix money to her clothing. This tradition is observed to assist the couple with paying for their wedding and honeymoon.
Germany – A Strength Test
In the Baumstamm Sagen custom, German newlyweds often saw wood in half in front of their guests while still wearing their wedding gown. Presented with a two-person saw, the ritual is believed to signify how the pair will overcome problems in their marriage by working together.
Philippines – Doves
Filipino newlyweds usually release two doves, one male, and one female, following the wedding ceremony. The birds are supposed to symbolize the couple’s future happiness. The newlyweds have a serene display of love ahead of them. Such sweet wedding traditions and customs!
Kenya – Good Luck from the Massai Father
If you attend a wedding in Kenya, you may witness the groom’s father spitting on the bride for good luck. The saliva is offered in good faith not to curse the marriage. The Maasai people of Kenya see spitting on someone as a sign of respect.
Nigeria – Cash
Nigerian wedding guests are not scared to make it rain. It is usual for visitors to “shower” or throw money upon the newlyweds. This is a gesture to express the pair’s delight and encourage them to continue dancing. Such special wedding traditions and customs.
China – Tea Ceremony
Chinese weddings contain a custom intended to unite families. According to The Knot, traditionally, the bride would serve tea to her family before the wedding, and the pair would conduct the tea ceremony for the groom’s family.
Today, though, tea rituals often commemorate both families. They might be done discreetly immediately after the wedding, the day following, or with all guests present between the ceremony and celebration.
During the ritual, each family member, including grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles, is offered a cup of tea from which they sip. After tasting, each relative presents the newlyweds with a lai see, or red envelope, containing money, jewelry, or another token, and places the envelopes on the tea tray.
The ceremony is an opportunity for the bride and groom to express gratitude to their family for raising and caring for them and for their families to experience a particular time of blessing. It is also the first time the bride and groom will use their new titles to address their in-laws.
Peru – A Special Cake, Too
The sides of a typical Peruvian wedding cake are decorated with ribbons. Each ribbon is adorned with a pendant, but one has an addition: a phony wedding band. If you are an unmarried woman who receives a slice of wedding-ring-studded cake, it is believed that you will soon tie the knot.
Fiji – Whale Tooth
Future grooms frequently seek the bride’s father for permission to marry the bride. But in Fiji, this is frequently accompanied by a little bit more.
According to The New York Times, the groom and his family give the bride’s father a tabua or sperm whale tooth when he requests permission. Though more prevalent in rural regions, this practice is widespread across Fiji
France – More Cake!
Instead of a wedding cake, a Croquembouche, which consists of little pastry balls stacked on top of one another, will be served at most French weddings.
Romania – Lover Flees
In Romania, the bride’s absence does not always indicate that she had second thoughts and fled. It is customary for friends and relatives to “kidnap” the bride before the wedding. To retrieve the bride, the groom must pay her ransom by purchasing a round of drinks or demonstrating love gestures, for example.
Norway – Crowns
According to one Norwegian tradition, the bride would wear an elaborate silver and gold crown with hanging trinkets. In addition, the tinkling sound she makes while she moves is said to ward off evil spirits.
Mexico – El Lazo
A lasso made of rosary beads and flowers is placed around the shoulders of a Mexican couple as they exchange their vows during the ceremony. Not only does “el Lazo” symbolize the couple’s union, but its form also mimics the infinity symbol, indicating how long they hope the marriage will endure.
Armenia – Flatbread
Want to ward off evil spirits from your marriage? Carry the flatbread lavash on your shoulders. That is what newlywed Armenian couples customarily do. When the bride and groom approach their wedding reception, traditionally held in the groom’s home, they shatter a dish for good luck and are subsequently served lavash and honey by the groom’s mother. After balancing the bread on their shoulders to fend off evil and consuming spoonfuls of honey to represent happiness, the celebration officially begins
Congo – No Smiling
While most engaged couples are filled with excitement and expectation, Congolese couples must contain their joy. Neither party is permitted to grin throughout their wedding day, from the ceremony to the celebration. If they do, it would indicate they are not committed to marriage.
China – Bow, and Arrow
Hopefully, the groom will remember to remove the arrowheads. In China, a prospective husband shoots his wife many times with a bow and (headless) arrow, gathers the arrows, and breaks them during the ceremony to ensure their love survives forever.
