8 fun facts about wedding traditions around the world
While it’s a universal tradition around the world, every culture has a different way of celebrating a wedding. We have our “something borrowed, something blue” as well as many others but what do other cultures have?
1. Painted hands at Indian weddings
In India, a wedding isn’t just a single event – it’s surrounded by important rituals and ceremonies. As part of the pre-wedding ceremonies, one of the most important ceremony is the Mehendi ceremony where the bride’s friends and family decorate her hands and feet with a temporary plant dye henna. The designs are intricate and take hours to apply.
2. Good luck charms are a must at Greek ceremonies
Greek brides wear many good luck charms on the big day, including one in the shape of a small eye to ward off evil spirits. Grooms, on the other hand, carry a small piece of iron to do the same. Brides also place a sprinkle of sugar in their gloves to add sweetness to marriage and ivy to their bouquet for eternal love.
3. The money dance is important in communist Cuba
As a communist country, ceremonies cannot be religious and are quite costly in Cuba. Wedding guests conduct a money dance to help newlyweds pay for their honeymoon. Every man who dances with the bride must pin money to her dress.
4. Peruvian cake pull
While Western societies have the bouquet toss, in Peru female guests partake in a sweeter tradition. Before the cake is cut, each woman grabs a ribbon which is tucked between the layers of the cake. The guest who picks the one with a fake wedding ring on it is believed to be next in line for marriage.
5. Russian grooms must grovel to family and friends first
Before the wedding, grooms have to show up at the bride’s home and ask for his bride. In jest, her friends and family refuse him until he pays up in gifts, completes dares like singing and dancing, answers riddles and completes silly test like diapering a baby doll before they bestow him with a “yes”. Only then is he allowed to be with his bride.
6. The Scottish blackening of the bride
A Scottish tradition in parts of the country involves dumping a mixture of flour, tar, spoiled food and whatever else you can find on the bride and groom. The ritual is meant to ward off evil spirits and we guess, if you can handle that, you can handle anything in marriage.
7. A sip of tea is a must at a Chinese wedding
A pre-wedding tea ceremony at the groom’s family home is an integral part of any modern Chinese wedding. The ritual formally introduces the bride to the groom’s family.
8. Sweden’s kissing tradition isn’t just for the newlyweds
In Sweden, whenever the bride or groom leaves the room for any reason (even to use the bathroom!) all the other guest get to kiss the remaining person.