Wedding Traditions from other Countries Worth Borrowing
Weddings all follow a similar pattern in Britain and America. It can feel as though you are mindlessly just going through the motions, because that is what others expect, making your wedding feel a little impersonal. Countries have borrowed wedding traditions from one another since the beginning of time. Othercountriesand cultures have some truly charming traditions, why not borrow a few.
Borrowing wedding traditions from othercultureswill make your wedding a little different. Every couple’s wedding day is special, meaning much to the bridal pair and their families, but doing things a little differently will imbue your wedding with special meaning.
In Britain, the groom’s friends tie old shoes and sometimes an iron horseshoe to the rear of the going away vehicle. However, in Australia, the bride carries acrocheted upside down horseshoeover her arm to hold the marriage’s luck. This would be a great thing for a friend or relative to crochet as a gift to the bride.
White does not suit every bride. Brides might be surprised to learn that white bridal gowns only became traditional because Queen Victoria wore a white wedding dress in 1840. Until then royal brides wore silver or brightly coloured dresses. Aristocratic brides copied the Queen in wearing white bridal gowns, because anything that royalty does becomes a fashion. The fashion lingered and became tradition. Pakistani brides wear bright red to symbolize happiness. At a Pakistani wedding, only the bride wears red and so she stands out from everyone else.
In these days, when many couples already have their home and contents, it can be difficult to know what to give as a wedding present. In many cultures, there are traditions surrounding money gifts. In some countries such as Greece, guests pin banknotes to the bride’s gown during the dancing at the wedding reception.
In Venezuela, the bride’s father presents the couple with 13 ara or coins to symbolize a dowry, or the groom gives the bride 13 ara to show that he is willing to support her. The aras symbolize good luck and prosperity for the marriage.
Money featured in Viking weddings too with the groom’s family paying a bride price and the bride’s family paying a dowry. The two together giving the newlyweds a nest egg. In many Scandinavian communities today, the bride’s mother tucks gold in her right shoe and her father tucks silver in her left shoe to ensure the bride will always have money.Italianbrides have a satin bag, la borsa, into which guests put envelopes containing money, to help with wedding costs.
At aHinduwedding ceremony, the bride and groom’s clothing is tied together and they take seven steps to symbolize their walk through life side by side. Hindu couples make some very interesting wedding vows. The groom asks the bride to commit to him, honour his family and always be his friend. The bride asks that the groom consult her always in financial matters, charity, buying or selling items and religion. She further asks the he protect her, be her friend, and never speak roughly or ridicule her in company. Promising to be one another’s best friend is a very practical thing in a marriage, it can help you over hard times. As can promising that there will be no money secrets or ridiculing one another in company. Hindu wedding guests throw flower petals rather than confetti or rice to wish the couple luck in their new life together. A more aromatic and ecological way to celebrate joy than confetti, which can help you to avoid upsetting local council officials, the church verger or registry office authorities.
Judaic wedding ceremonies also feature a lesson for marriage. Many people know that during a Jewish wedding, the bridal couple stamp on a glass (wrapped in a cloth), but few know why. There are several reasons. On one level, it symbolizes the historic hardships that the Jewish people have experienced. On a more personal level, breaking the glass in the midst of a happy occasion reminds the couple that life is always composed of both joys and sorrows and emphasizes the importance of marital unity.
Brides wanting a lighter alternative to the normal rich wedding cake, which is too rich for many people, might like to embrace a healthy Mexican tradition. The sweet centrepiece of a Mexican wedding reception is a beautiful lightgelatine dessertfilled with nuts and fruit. A fresh tasting delightful change from traditional iced wedding cake.
There are many charming wedding traditions in other cultures. Borrowing some traditions from elsewhere can give your wedding a unique and personal meaning for you both. It can also make it more memorable. People tend to think that the wedding traditions that everyone follows are very old and typical of their nationality. However, some are not so old and many were borrowed from other countries and other cultures.
Your something borrowed could be a tradition rather than an item. Begin a new tradition and make your wedding a memorable, meaningful and extra-ordinarily special occasion.
