When two people get married, there is a big celebration with all sorts of customs and traditions. Some have a serious background, others are just pranks.
No wedding without customs and traditions
Customs create special moments on the wedding day. They can be bizarre, particularly romantic or funny. The most well-known traditions include that the groom is not allowed to see the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony, that the bride wears a veil or that the groom waits for the bride at the front (at the altar). Standing in an archway or kidnapping the bride are also part of this. There are some regional wedding customs and also more modern traditions, such as wedding wands. These are lucky sticks with bells at the end and a ribbon. The trend arose because rice or confetti are no longer welcome in many places.
The classic customs – throwing the bouquet and sawing the tree trunk
The bridal bouquet itself is an old tradition. Originally it was a bunch of spices and herbs that were supposed to keep evil spirits away. Throwing the bridal bouquet is a tradition from the USA. The bride stands with her back to the assembled female, unmarried guests and throws her bridal bouquet. The catcher is the next bride, so the tradition goes. This ritual is becoming more and more common in Germany too. Flower shops now offer a small copy of the bridal bouquet that is specifically designed to be thrown. This way the bride can dry her original as a souvenir.
When sawing a tree trunk, it is particularly important that the bride and groom move the sawblade together and evenly so that it does not get caught in the wood. In a more modern form, the bride or groom can also saw the tree trunk using a chainsaw. An inexpensive and not so heavy electric chainsaw is best for this. It is easy to find out which models are particularly suitable by comparing chainsaws .
Sawing the tree trunk symbolizes the cooperation and unity of the bride and groom.
Cutting the wedding cake and other customs
The tradition of the bride and groom cutting the wedding cake together is widespread throughout the world. Both hold the knife together. According to old wisdom, the person whose hand was on top when the cake was cut has the say in the marriage.
A bedsheet heart is also a popular fun activity at a wedding. The organizers of the game draw a heart on a bedsheet with the names of the bride and groom and the wedding date written on it. The bride and groom are each given a very small pair of scissors to cut out the heart. Once they have done that, they must climb through the heart-shaped hole in the sheet together.
Attaching empty, rattling tin cans to the bridal car is also a fun wedding tradition . The noise is supposed to drive away evil spirits when the bride and groom are on their way to the church, registry office or the celebration location. The guests following behind honk loudly to support this procedure.
A very romantic tradition is the use of white doves as messengers of love. It doesn't matter whether the bride and groom release one dove each or whether a whole flock takes off. In any case, it is a romantic moment and a popular wedding tradition. The white doves symbolize prosperity and luck. The supplier delivers the doves in a special basket. Once they have taken off, they fly straight back home.
Custom to support the bride and groom
In Greece, where the whole village community is often invited to the wedding, a relative of the bride collects banknotes from the guests. They are placed on the wedding dress. In the Philippines, there is also the custom of decorating the wedding dress with banknotes. The highlight is when the bride and groom perform the "money dance". During this dance, the relatives attach as much money as they can to the couple's clothing. This has developed into a kind of family competition. In this competition, the groom's family must emerge as the winner so that the future of both families runs smoothly.
Everything that brings luck
When the bride and groom come out of the church or registry office, relatives and friends form a line in front of the door. Usually everyone is holding something in their hand that has to do with the bride and groom and their hobbies. The bride and groom walk under the archway and symbolically embark on the rest of their life, which they will master with all its difficulties.
Broken pieces are known to bring good luck. The noise of breaking porcelain or earthenware also drives away evil spirits. The custom of holding a wedding party on the eve of the wedding is older than the Christian wedding ceremony. Glass and mirrors, on the other hand, symbolize good luck and must not be broken during this ceremony. The couple sweeps up all the broken pieces together, just as they will bear all burdens together in the future.
A little bit of fun is always good
Kidnapping the bride is another fun activity that the bride and groom's friends indulge in. They steal the bride when no one is watching. Some of the younger wedding guests leave the party with the friends and the bride to continue celebrating in a bar. The groom is given a few clues as to where he can find his bride. If he succeeds, he has to complete one more task and pay the bill before he can get his bride back.
For abundant children
Throwing rice has long been a tradition that actually originates from Asia. Since many people find it annoying when the fine-grained rice is thrown, new customs have developed, such as the aforementioned Wedding Wands . Other possibilities are flower petals or soap bubbles .
Wedding almonds are also a long-standing tradition. They are often found as gifts for guests. They taste bittersweet and symbolize the highs and lows. To ensure that life has more sweet moments than bitter ones, the almonds are coated in icing. Usually five almonds are put in a small organza bag. Each almond has a meaning: fertility, health, happiness, long life and prosperity.
There are a number of other wedding customs in addition to these. They guarantee an entertaining wedding celebration.
Figure 1: Pixabay © takmeomeo (CC0 Public Domain)
Figure 2: Pixabay © heydii_de (CC0 Public Domain)
Figure 3: Pixabay © tonic-pics (CC0 Public Domain)
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