Weddings and a Celebration of Cultural Tradition

Karen Nesbitt

As you consider what type of wedding will best represent you and your fiancé's unique union, you may find the answer to be a ceremony that combines and celebrates the traditions of both of your cultural backgrounds. Consider celebrating the traditions of any culture that appeal to you through the romantic and interesting ways in which they honor the grand institution of marriage.

We present to you a collection of cultural customs that we feel exemplify the rich diversity of a wedding that acknowledges and celebrates tradition and legacy.

 
Out of Ireland

• A member of the bridal party reads an Irish wedding blessing.
• The bride carries a lucky horseshoe, real or porcelain, down the aisle, face up so the luck won't run out! Also worn is a fabric horseshoe on the wrist.
• The bride carries a special, "magic hanky" that can easily be converted to a christening bonnet for the couple's first born, then converted back to a hanky for their child to carry on their own wedding day.
• The Irish believe that the chime of bells can keep evil spirits away, restore harmony to a relationship, and remind a couple of their wedding vows.  They may hand out bells to their wedding guests to be rung during the processional and at the reception.

 
From Jewish foundations

• The groom stomps on the glass from which a couple has just shared wine so that no one else will drink from it. This symbolizes the couple's fidelity, the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, represents the fragility of human relationships, and is a reminder that betrothal changes the couple's future existence. This tradition can also represent the last time the groom will be permitted to put his foot down!

 
Honoring the age-old tradition of a man giving his beloved flowers, a Belgian groom presents the bride with her bouquet at her home. More unique to Belgium is the custom of the bride carrying a handkerchief embroidered with her name. After the ceremony, it is framed and hung in a place of honor. When the next female in the bride's family is to be married, the handkerchief is removed from the frame and embroidered with her name as well. The handkerchief is handed down through the generations as a precious family heirloom.

 
Before leaving her home for her ceremony, a Mexican bride and her parents offer a prayer. After the ceremony, she might offer her bouquet to the Virgin Mary in a show of gratitude, a wish for a good life, and for Mary's blessing. The couple's flower girl and ring bearer will likely be dressed as miniature clones of the bride and groom!

 
In China

• It is believed that a wedding date should fall on numbers of the month and days of the week that symbolize luck, and that the moon and stars have to be properly aligned.
• The color red is thought to be lucky and simply surrounds the wedding, from invitations, to decorations, to thank-you notes, to the bridal dress itself. The Chinese symbol for "Double Happiness" plays a significant role as well.
• Time is allotted on the wedding day for a tea ceremony. In order of seniority, the couple serves tea to their parents and other guests who they hold in high esteem. Then, these guests bestow upon the couple gold jewelry and red envelopes filled with money.

The Spaniards believe that the beautiful and fragrant orange blossom represents a lifetime of happiness and fulfillment, so they use it in their bouquets, wreaths and tiaras. The groom will give his bride thirteen coins, symbolizing Jesus and his disciples and illustrating the groom's dedication to his bride. Her acceptance of this gift means that she takes his commitment unconditionally and with complete dedication in return. The coins are then kept as part of the family's heritage.

In Taiwan, the groom can be put to the test. While the couple is not allowed to see each other on the eve of their wedding, their friends create multi-phase games or tests that the groom must pass before he can meet his bride at the altar. If he fails, he must give everyone money in order to proceed to the next phase. Through this tradition, the friends are said to be teaching the groom that it is not so easy for a man to become betrothed to a beautiful woman!

Turkish custom has a bride's girlfriends pen their names inside her bridal shoes. Whoever's name has been rubbed off while they are worn on the wedding day is the next to be married.

The Scots say ...

• A sixpence coin in the bride's shoe or a sprig of Heather in her bouquet can lead her to luck.
• The bride and groom will give each other a lucky Celtic Knot - silver hearts entwined - which is a token of love and betrothal and can be pinned to their first born's blanket for good fortune.
• Luck with money is said to result from "the wedding scramble." As the bride takes her seat in the getaway car, her father scatters a handful of coins for children to gather.

That's Italian!

• A customary ribbon and bow may adorn the top of the church doorway, announcing to all that a wedding is about to occur.
• If the groom is married with a bit of iron ore in his pocket, it is said to stave off evil from the ceremony.
• All of the wedding guests partake in the Tarantella wedding circle dance.
• The getaway car is beautified with fresh flowers that represent happiness in the couple's life together. Nuts, grains, and sugared almonds ("confetti") are handed out at the reception to signify the sweet and bitter parts of life, representing the adage, "for better or worse."

At a Polish reception, you may see the newlywed's parents receiving them with bread, salt, and wine in hand. The bread symbolizes their hope that their children will never suffer hunger or be in need. The salt reminds the couple that their life together may encounter difficulties, but they must learn to endure. The fruit of the vine represents the parents' hope that the couple will never be thirsty and will enjoy a lifetime of good health, good cheer, and the company of good friends. With these gifts, the parents give the newlyweds a kiss as a symbol of welcome, unity and love.

In the Greek tradition

• Wedding guests accompany the groom as he awaits his bride outside the church. Often, he greets her with her bouquet and they lead their guests into the church. Inside, the attendees are seated with no division between the bride's and groom's family and friends.
• As a symbol of the honor and glory God has bestowed upon them, the couple wears "stefana" (floral crowns), which are united by a white ribbon and have received the priest's blessing.

Russian wedding customs dictate that a loaf of bread begets good health, a long life, and financial well-being. During the ceremony, the couple bites into a loaf and whoever comes away with the biggest mouthful is said to wear the pants in the family! After the ceremony, the wedding party travels around the couple's city in decorated cars, laying flowers at historical sites such as memorials of those who have died during military service. At the reception, each toast is followed by shouts of "Gor'ko," ("bitter"), so the newlyweds are to sweeten it by kissing.

In French culture

• The church is abundant with flowers and the aroma of incense, and the couple is sheltered by a carre', or canopy of silk, which shields the newlyweds from malice, and provides the fabric for the baptism of their newborn child(ren).
• Dragées are a delicacy of chocolate-, sugar-, or nougat-covered almonds that stand for happiness and festivity. As the bridal couple leaves the chapel, they walk through a flower arch or over laurel leaves scattered in their path.

A German bride and groom's car is adorned with an abundance of flowers, and the bridal bouquet is laced with white ribbons that she hands to guests as they depart the church. They tie them to their vehicle's radio antenna, and the auto procession honks its horns as it drives through town. Seeing the ribbons, other drivers honk in reply to wish the newlyweds a happy marriage. As a symbol of hope, luck and fertility, fresh greenery in the form of Fichtenzweige (Fir tree boughs) is laid down for the newlyweds' first steps as husband and wife.

References and Resources

http://www.topics-mag.com/internatl/weddings/wedding-customs.htm

http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-5-2001-5067.asp

http://scottishwedding.visitscotland.com/scottishweddingtraditions

http://www.weddingdetails.com/lore/mexican.cfm#traditions

http://weddings.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Chinese_Wedding_Traditions

http://ourmarriage.com/html/belgium.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5583/the_traditions_of_a_spanish_wedding.html

http://www.polishamericancenter.org/Wedding.htm

http://www.favorideas.com/wedding-themes/multicultural-themes/guide-to-the-greek-orthodox-wedding-ceremony/

http://www.kissmegoodnight.com/wedding-tips/russian_wedding_traditions.shtml

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8284.asp