If there is one thing that is truly Universal, then it would have to be love. “Love makes the world go around” has been said a couple of times throughout people’s lives. What better way to celebrate that love by marriage? Marriage is the ultimate display of love and every culture has its own unique way of having wedding ceremonies. From bizarre to the nobly, wedding traditions are to be admired, no matter what culture they are from. Below is a list of some of the unique wedding traditions.
Africa
The most unique aspect of an African wedding is the payment of dowry. In some parts of Africa, the groom has to bring a specific number of cattle, goats, camels, etc. to the bride’s father. This is done beforehand. The dowry is asking permission to the father to marry his daughter. However, in some parts of Africa, the marriage of the daughters is arranged before the daughter is born.
This is not the best marriage practices but it is still unique.
Asia
There are many unique wedding traditions within this vast Continent. However, the one that sticks out the most is the Chinese wedding tradition. The bride wears a screaming red gown and the groom has to offer a whole roasted hog to the bride’s father.
This tradition is very bizarre indeed, but it might be fun to give it a try!
European Countries
Countries like Latvia and Lithuania has a custom that requires all wedding announcements to be placed in the church bulletin for 6 months prior to the wedding. During that time the bride must spend one week with the future mother-in-law. This is so the bride can be evaluated to make sure she is a fit wife for the mother’s son.
In Germany, it is custom to have friends, family, and guests go to the couple’s house with old dishes. The friends, family and guests break the dishes and leave the broken pieces on the front lawn of the couple’s house. It is believed that doing this will forever bring luck to the union and to the couple.
One European custom is done here in the United States. That is the tradition of carrying the bride over the threshold. In Europe, it is believed that the bride should not step over the threshold of the couple’s home the first entering after she is married. It is said that this will bring bad luck to the marriage. Thus, the groom has to carry his new bride over the threshold when entering the first time as man and wife.
The Americas
In Mexico, the bride and groom has to be draped together in a ribbon, known as a lasso during the ceremony. This is to signify the couple’s unity as a single matrimonial unit. The groom has to give 13 gold coins to the bride’s father because it shows the father that the groom is able to take care of his bride.
In Peru, between the layers of wedding cake is a ribbon with a wedding charm attached to the ribbon. Single women are called on to remove a ribbon. The woman who pulls the ribbon with the charm attached is destined to be married within the next year. This is kind of like throwing the wedding bouquet here, in the United States.
In Puerto Rico, the priest blesses a plateful of coins and then gives the coins to the groom. After the priest gives the groom the coins, the groom blesses the coins and then gives them to his bride. This is showing her that she will not lack for anything and it brings the wife good luck.
There are so many more unique wedding customs. This is just a few. Draw inspiration from one of these traditions and bring luck into your own marriage. Personally, I like the blessing of the coins or the ribbon pulling but hey… Whatever the wedding tradition or wherever the wedding is held is the ultimate showing of true love.
