10 fascinating wedding customs from around the world
Marriage and the many ways to celebrate it.
Marriages are made in heaven, but they’re celebrated on Earth. What makes those days special and memorable are the ceremonies involved. While love may be a universal language, countries and their cultures have their own traditions in making those moments priceless.
From the weird to the wonderful, here are some of the very best wedding customs.
Germany: Sawing a log
Marriage is all about giving each other strength. And this is tested quite literally at the wedding. As per a tradition known as Baumstamm Sägen, the newly-married couple, in their wedding attire, is expected to saw a log into half. Given the fact that it’s a two-person saw, the entire event is meant to symbolise how the couple will work together as they face obstacles in their marriage. Like they say, team work makes the dream work.
Kenya: Father spits on the bride
If you ever happen to make a trip to this African nation and are lucky to witness a wedding taking place, don’t be surprised (or shocked) to see the bride’s father spit on her dress for good luck. Do not worry about why this is happening, for the Maasai people in Kenya, this act is seen as a show of respect and is done in good faith with the intention of not jinxing the marriage.
Romania: A game of hide and seek
In India, we hide the shoes. In Romania, they take things up a notch and hide the bride. This tradition sees friends and family kidnap the girl, take her to a hidden location and then demand a ransom from the groom. There’s no money involved as he can win his better half back through a romantic gesture such as singing her a song, buying everyone a round of drinks, etc.
Mexico: Roping in each other with the lasso
Marriage is considered by many to be a union of the two souls. And the Mexicans take this belief quite literally when it comes to their wedding traditions. What happens at the wedding is a lasso (el lazo), made of rosary beads and flowers draped around the couple’s shoulders in the shape of an eight. Along with it representing the togetherness of the pair, the shape, that also resembles the infinity symbol, signifies a long-lasting marriage. It’s mostly the godparents of the couple who are chosen for this, while it’s considered bad luck if a single woman places the lasso.
Philippines: Dove is in the air
It’s not just a wedding here that’s memorable, but what follows post it. After the couple has been declared one, the bride and groom release a pair of white doves—a male and female—into the air. The birds are meant to represent a harmonious life ahead for the couple.
Fiji: Having a whale of a time with its tooth
Asking the girl’s father for his daughter’s hand takes a whole new meaning in Fiji. In order for her old man to approve, the prospective groom must present his future father-in-law with a whale's tooth.
Norway – Having your cake and eating it too
If you attend a wedding in Norway, you'll love the cake for two reasons. For starters a traditional wedding cake, called a kransekake, is created by placing iced almond cake rings on top of each other to create a cone shape. Even better? In the center of this hollow cake, you'll find gifts, like a bottle of champagne or wine.
Another fun tradition is that the bride and groom pick up the top ring of the cake. It's a legend in Norway that however many layers stick to it underneath are the amount of children they will have.
Japan – Sipping Sake
Marriage isn’t just about two people, but two families getting together. The Japanese sure know how to make this bond between in-laws all the more stronger. All it takes is sake. The drinking ceremony of san san kudo (translating to three three nine times) involves the bride, groom, and the parents take a sip of sake, three times each, from three different-sized cups. The first set of sips represents sealing the bond between the two families, while the second three sips represent hatred, passion and ignorance. The last three sips represent freedom from those former flaws.
Nigeria – It’s raining money
Nigerians sure know how to splash the cash when it comes to weddings. It’s in fact customary for guests to toss bills at the bride and groom in a display of their happiness. Considering how costly it is to get married these days, this is very much a good return on investment.
China: Wipe away those tears
Going by their wedding rituals, it’s safe to say that the Tujia people in China are extremely sentimental and absolutely love crying. “Crying for the groom” is a tradition that begins a month before the ceremony and sees the bride expected to cry for one hour each day. Things don’t just end here as the entire family gets involved with 10 days to go with the mother joining in, and the grandmother hopping on 10 days later. By the end of the month, there’s not a single female who hasn’t shed a tear. And they do strike the right tune as they’re supposed to weep in different tones.