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As everyone knows, the United States is
a great "melting pot" that is home to people of all colors,
creeds and nationalities. If you would like to celebrate your heritage
and incorporate some of your ancestral traditions into your wedding,
here is a list of wedding customs from around the world:
Africa/African American
In the times of slavery in this country, African American couples
were not allowed to formally marry. To make a public declaration
of their love and commitment, a man and woman jumped over a broom
into matrimony, to the beat of drums. (The broom has long held significant
meaning for the various Africans, symbolizing the start of homemaking
for the newlywed couple.) Some African-American couples today are
choosing to include this symbolic rite in their wedding ceremony,
directly before the recession.
Smooth cowrie shells, which are believed to encourage fertility,
are worn in bridal necklaces and used to decorate gowns, jackets
and headpieces. Found on the coast of West Africa, the shells are
a symbol of purification, beauty and power.
Armenia
Two white doves may be released to signify love and happiness.
The bride may dress in red silk and may wear cardboard wings with
feathers on her head. Small coins may be thrown at her.
Austria
Brides may crown their veils with myrtle, which is the flower of
life.
Belgium
The bride may embroider her name on her handkerchief, carry it on
the wedding day, and then frame it and keep it until the next family
bride marries.
Bermuda
Islanders top their tiered wedding cakes with a tiny sapling. The
newlyweds plant the tree at their home, where they can watch it
grow as their marriage grows.
Caribbean
A rich black cake baked with dried fruits and rum is especially
popular on the islands of Barbados, Grenada and St. Lucia. The recipe,
handed down from mother to daughter, is embellished by each. It
is considered a "pound" cake with the recipe calling for
a pound each of flour, dark brown sugar, butter, glace cherries,
raisins, prunes and currants, plus a dozen eggs and flavorings.
The dried fruits are soaked in rum and kept in a crock anywhere
from two weeks to six months.
China
Chinese brides receive pocketbooks filled with gold jewelry from
female relatives, which bestows status on the bride.
In China the color of love and joy is red, which is the favorite
color choice for the bride's dress, candles, gift boxes and the
money envelopes that are presented to the bride and groom.
Denmark
The traditional wedding cake is the cornucopia cake or Danish marzipan
ring cake, made of almond cake, pastilage and marzipan and beautifully
decorated with sugarwork. It is filled to the brim with good things
such as candies, almond cakes, fresh fruit and sorbet. The cake
may also be decorated with marzipan medallions bearing portraits
of the bride and groom.
Egypt
Families, rather than grooms, propose to the bride. In Egypt, many
marriages are arranged.
The zaffa, or wedding march, is a musical procession of drums, bagpipes,
horns, belly dancers and men carrying flaming swords; it announces
that the marriage is about to begin.
England
Traditionally, the village bride and her wedding party always walk
together to the church. Leading the procession: a small girl strewing
blossoms along the road, so the bride's path through life will always
be happy and laden with flowers.
Brides sew a good luck charm, such as the silver horseshoe worn
by royal British brides, to the hem of their wedding gown.
The groom presents the bride's father with a tabua a whale's tooth,
which is a symbol of status and wealth.
Finland
Brides wear golden crowns. After the wedding, unmarried women dance
in a circle around the blindfolded bride, waiting for her to place
her crown on someone's head. It is thought that whoever she crowns
will be the next to wed.
The bride and groom have seats of honor at the reception. The bride
holds a sieve covered with a silk shawl; when the guests slip money
into the sieve, their names and the amounts given are announced
to those assembled by a groomsman.
France
During the rein of Louis XVI, the bride gave her bridesmaids her
fans, decorated with mythological paintings, as wedding presents.
Many couples drink the reception toast from an engraved two-handled
cup (the coupe de mariage) as did newlyweds from days past. This
cup will be passed on to future generations.
Germany
To mark their bethrothal, a couple give each other gold bands, worn
on their left hands. Throughout their engagement, the couple are
referred to as bride and bridegroom.
During the ceremony, when the couple kneel, the groom may kneel
on the bride's hem to show that he'll keep her in line. The bride
may step on his foot when she rises, to reassert herself.
Greece
The koumbaros, traditionally the groom's godfather, is an honored
guest who participates in the wedding ceremony. Today, the koumbaros
is very often the best man, who assists in the crowning of the couple
(with white or gold crowns, or with crowns made of everlasting flowers
such as orange blossoms, or of twigs of love and vine wrapped in
silver and gold paper), and in the circling of the altar three times.
Other attendants may read Scripture, hold candles, and pack the
crowns in a special box after the ceremony.
To be sure of a "sweet life", a Greek bride may carry
a lump of sugar in her glove on wedding day.
Holland
Dutch families used to plan a party prior to the wedding. The bride
and groom sat on thrones under a canopy of fragrant evergreens.
One by one, the guests came up to offer their good wishes.
Dutch weddings traditionally include heavy eating, including a sweetmeat
called "bridal sugar" and spiced wine called "bride's
tears."
Hungary
The couple exchange bethrothal rings. The groom also gives the bride
a bag of coins: the bride gives the groom either three or seven
handkerchiefs (believed to be a lucky number).
Guests dance with the bride at the reception, and give her a few
coins in exchange for a kiss.
Iceland
The wedding cake indigeous to Iceland is kransakaka. It consists
of rings of almond pastry of various sizes piled on top of one another
to form a pyramid. Swirls of white icing decorate each ring and
fine chocolates or decorative candies fill the hollow center.
India
The groom's brother sprinkles flower petals ( to ward off evil)
on the bridal couple at the end of the ceremony.
To banish evil spirits, a coconut may be held over the couple's
heads and circled around them three times.
Indonesia
During an engagement period that may last for years, many ceremonies
involve gift exchanges that bring the two families together and
strengthen their ties.
A Javanese bride is secluded after the marriage blessing and is
visited by an angel, which stays with her throughout the six-day
ritual that blends Muslim customs with local folklore.
Iran
When this country was called Persia, the groom bought the wedding
dress, ten yards of sheeting to wrap around his bride.
Happily married women hold a sheer cloth over the head of the wedding
pair during the ceremony. Later, the women scrape crumbs from two
beautifully decorated sugar cones, known as kalehghand, over the
couple's heads for luck.
Ireland
The traditional wedding cake of the Emerald Isle is a rich fruitcake.
In true Irish spirit, the recipe is laced with brandy or bourbon.
A lucky horseshoe is given to the bride and groom to keep in their
home.
Italy
Ribbons signify the tying together of two lives. A ribbon is tied
across the front of the church door to symbolize the wedding bond.
Wedding guests have for centuries tossed confetti (sugared almonds)
at the newlyweds. Sometimes, these decorate each place at reception
tables- pretty little porcelain boxes or tulle bags called bomboniere,
which are personalized with the couple's names and wedding date.
Jamaica
Slices of dark wedding fruitcake laced with rum are mailed to all
friends and relatives unable to attend the reception.
Japan
On her wedding day , the bride and her family visit the groom's
house. Traditionally, she wears a triangular band on her head, known
as the tsunokakushi, or horn cover, to hide the horns of jealousy,
which supposedly all women possess.
Korea
Ducks are included in the wedding procession because ducks mate
for life.
The groom once traveled to the bride's house on a white pony, bearing
fidelity symbols- a gray goose and gander (fowl that mate for life).
Latin America
Padrinos and madrinos are the wedding sponsors, who promise financial
and spiritual aid. There may be several sponsors, a pair for each
part of the wedding (e.g. music, food, church).
Malaysia
The groom's gifts to the bride are delivered to her home by costumed
children in a noisy procession, carrying lavish trays of food and
currency folded into animal or flower shapes.
Each wedding guest is given a beautifully decorated hard-boiled
egg, a symbol of fertility.
Mexico
A "lasso," a very large rosary, is wound around the couple's
shoulders and hands during the ceremony to show the union and protection
of marriage.
Guests at many Mexican weddings gather around the couple in a heart-shaped
ring at the reception, perhaps before the first dance.
Morocco
As in other Muslim countries, five days before the wedding, the
bride has a ceremonial bath, then is painted with henna swirls on
her hands and feet, and adorned with makeup and jewels by other
women.
Before becoming guardian of her hearth, the Moroccan bride circles
her marriage home three times.
Norway
Two small fir trees are set on either side of the door to the couple's
house until they are blessed with a child.
The folk bridal costume is not complete without sterling silver
jewelry and a gold and silver crown edged with small silver spoon-shaped
bangles, whose tinkling sounds were thought to ward off evil spirits.
The bride "dances off" this crown at the wedding feast.
Pakistan
The bride's family strings hundreds of brightly colored lights around
the house in anticipation of the wedding.
The bride leaves her family to join her husband's family with the
Holy Koran held over her head.
Philippines
A white silk cord is draped around the couple's shoulders to indicate
their union.
A bell-shaped cage housing white doves (symbolizing peace) is a
favored wedding decoration. At a well-timed moment, the bride and
groom pull on ribbon streamers to release the birds,a send-off into
their new lives.
Poland
Reception guests customarily buy a dance with the bride by pinning
money to her veil or tucking bills into a special bridal purse to
build a honeymoon fund.
Luck comes to the bride who drinks a glass of wine at the celebration
without spilling a drop.
Puerto Rico
A bridal doll, in a dress that replicates the bridal gown, is placed
on the head table at the reception. It might also be placed on the
cake table if the wedding cake is decorated with flowers and colors
that echo the bride's gown. The doll is used because of little momentos
called "capias" that are attached to the doll. During
the reception, the bride and groom will walk to each person to thank
them for their presence at the nuptuals and for their well wishes.
Each person is pinned with a capia.
Romania
Guests toss sweets and nuts at the new couple to wish them prosperity.
Girls begin making things for their trosseau as young as age six.
The trosseau is carried by a cart drawn by oxen to the annual "maiden
market" on June 29.
Russia
Wedding guests don't only give presents-they get them! The bride
gives friends and relatives favors of sweets. They give her money
after the wedding.
After the couple are crowned in a Russian Orthodox ceremony, they
race to stand on a white rug. It is believed that whoever steps
on it first will be the master of the household.
Samoa
The bride wears fresh flowers, a mother-of-pearl crown, and a dress
of tapa cloth made from mulberry bark.
Scotland
Friends carry on an old good-natured custom: they wash the feet
of both the bride and groom, preparing them to set off on a new
path.
The sword dance, similiar to an Irish jig or a Highland fling, is
usually performed at a Scottish wedding gathering.
Spain
The groom gives thirteen coins (the giving of monedas or arras)
to the bride, symbolizing his ability to support and care for her.
During the ceremony, she carries them in a special purse, or a young
girl carries them on a pillow or handkerchief.
Wedding guests dance the "sequidillas manchegas" at the
reception, during which each guest presents the bride with a gift.
Sweden
The bride may place a silver coin from her father in her left shoe
and a gold coin from her mother in her right shoe, so she'll never
do without. Her shoes are unfastened- symbolizing easy child-birth
in the future.
Swedish wives wear three wedding rings: for betrothal, for marriage,
and for motherhood.
Switzerland
A pine tree, which symbolizes luck and fertility, is planted at
the couple's new home.
After the vows, the bride's floral wreath, which symbolizes her
maidenhood, is removed and set afire by the mistress of ceremonies.
It's considered lucky if it burns quickly.
Thailand
On the morning of the wedding, the couple go to feed the monks (who
have taken the vow of poverty), in order to obtain a blessing.
An old custom, still practiced in rural areas, is to have an older
couple prepare the bridal bed and leave behind lucky talismans-
such as bags of rice, sesame seeds, coins and a tomcat - to wish
both fertility and happiness.
Ukraine
A mock capture of the bride is carried out at wedding receptions
to remind everyone present of the many times their homeland was
invaded.
Instead of cake, Ukrainian couples share korovai, a sacred wedding
bread decorated with symbolic motifs that represent eternity and
the joining together of two families.
Vietnam
The mother of a Vietnamese groom visits the bride's home on the
wedding day to deliver betel ( a plant used to pay respect) and
pink chalk (the color chosen to wish for a rosy future).
There are two wedding celebrations, one party given by the bride's
family and the other by the groom's.
Wales
Here, and throughout the British Isles, the bride gives her attendants
cuttings of myrtle (symbolizing love) for her bouquet. According
to custom, if the plant roots and blossoms, they will marry soon.
Attendants race home from the ceremony with news of the marriage;
first to arrive wins a pint of ale.
West Indies
The traditional rum-flavored wedding cake is covered with a fine
white table cloth. Guests pay for a lucky peek.
Guests are served curried goat and white rice.
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