Wedding Customs and Superstitions

The decision to get married is one of the most important decisions in life. There are so many customs and superstitions associated with weddings. A lot of traditions go back to folklore and pre-Christian times and used to protect marrying couples against bad luck and evil spirits.
In the past young people could not just fall in love and decide to get married. First, they needed to obtain their parents’ consent. In fact, quite often it was the parents who decided who their children should marry and not the children themselves. Now things are not nearly as complicated. However, it is still considered romantic and proper to ask your beloved if he or she would like to marry you and exchange engagement rings.
Now the most popular day is a Saturday as most people work during the week. In the past choosing when to marry was a serious affair. Saturdays were considered unlucky, and so were Fridays, especially Friday the 13th.
The bride chooses her sister or a close friend to be her chief bridesmaid. Originally, bridesmaids were young women dressed the same way as the bride to confuse evil spirits and protect the bride. The groom also has a helper. The Best Man, who is normally the groom’s best friend, plays an important part in any wedding.

Traditionally, guests are offered a wedding cake. Originally, cakes were flat and round and contained fruit and nuts that symbolised fertility. The couple make the first cut together to symbolise their shared future.

Wedding traditions all over the world
Each country has its own wedding traditions that are quite original.
– In Malaysia, each guest who comes to the wedding ceremony has to give boiled egg to the newly married couple. In Malaysia, it is a symbol of prosperity and wealth.
– Bedouins have a rather interesting wedding ceremony. Wedding table is decorated with very rich dish. Take any fish, place several eggs in it, place the fish into a bird, the bird into a roasted ram and finally place the ram into a camel. And it is the usual ritual.
– Geese and ducks are a symbol of fidelity and infinite love in Korea. So they are the most long-awaited visitors at the Korean wedding ceremony.
– In Pakistan, every girl who leaves her home and is planning to get married, have to go out of it with the Koran on her head.

– In Fiji, the groom is required to give his future father-in-law a half of the tooth of a whale. This means high status and the future prosperity of the family.
– In Croatia, all the guests at weddings throw the apples into the well. This ritual helps the couple to become financially secure and influential.
– In Kenya, people can get married only after a confirmed pregnancy of the bride.
– On the island of Bali the newlyweds should lose their teeth without the use of pain medication.
– In France, many years ago, the bride had to pretend that she was against the marriage. Until the ceremony a woman was screaming, crying and trying to run away. Such behavior showed that men had exceptionally virtuous woman.
– The most bizarre traditions are traditions of the Papuans of New Guinea. Firstly, instead of the veil bride wears a pig stomach on the head. The groom is obliged to present the bride with shells, skins of birds and a couple of the dozen pigs.

Wedding Customs and Superstitions

– On the island of Trombrian (not far from New Guinea) if a girl and a young man is eating from the same plate in front of the whole tribe they are married.
– On Nicobar Islands before getting married the groom has to become a servant in the house of the bride until she decides to marry him or not.
– In India brides cover their hands and feet with henna patterns. It is believed that it will bring happiness.