The World
At traditional Armenian weddings, a godmother may collect money for the couple
from guests, and in turn distribute gifts of dried fruit and nuts.
Africa:
Africa has over 1,000 ethnic tribes, with Arab/Muslim and British/Christian colonial
influences. In general, African marriages celebrate the uniting of two families. A
bride's price once included livestock and farm implements but today, fabric, jewelry
or money are presented as gifts. Entrance processions are lively affairs, featuring
drums, music and dancing. Bride and groom wear colorful attire decorated with
beads, feathers and cowrie shells (symbols of purity and beauty). Many tribes seal
a marriage by sharing an alcoholic drink (beer, kola or liquor) and pouring it on the
ground as a libation to ancestors. At the wedding feast, meat (e.g., goat or beef) is
often served since it symbolizes lasting energy.
Australia:
As an Australian bride walks back down the aisle after being married, guests hang
satin horseshoes on ribbons to her wrist for good luck. At the reception, the best
man traditionally reads telegrams from those who could not attend, often
fabricating amusing telegrams from friends and relatives for entertainment value.
Toasts and speeches are abundant and continue all throughout the reception.
Austria:
In the 19th century, fiddlers led wedding processions, and the bride usually
received a morgen-gabe, or morning gift, from her groom; she then gave her
groom a shirt she had made especially for their wedding day. During the reception,
the bride dances off her crown, a ritual in which the married women dance around
her until the circle is broken, at which time the groomsmen playfully rob her of her
crown. A matron's cap is then placed on her head, symbolizing her married status.
Before stepping over the threshold, Austrian newlyweds often tie their hands
together for good luck, then partake in bread and wine, after which the groom
tosses the glass over the roof for good luck.
Bantu:
An African Bantu wedding usually includes the traditional music of the likembe,
along with a unique style of dancing accompanied by poly-rhythmic music and
drums.
Belgium:
In the past, Belgian wedding invitations were printed on two sheets of paper, one
from the parents of the bride, and one from those of the groom. The bride often
carries a special handkerchief embroidered with her name, which is passed down
to each new bride within the family. The bride and groom are enthroned near the
altar in big chairs for the wedding Mass. A collection for the poor is taken by the
bridesmaids and traditionally thrown to beggars outside the church by the
departing wedding party. After the ceremony, the newlyweds celebrate their
wedding breakfast at a hotel.
Belize:
As a bride makes her way to the church for her wedding ceremony in Belize, it is
considered a rite of passage, her last walk as a single woman. Along the way,
friends and townspeople wish her well by throwing gifts in her path and shouting
compliments as to what a beautiful bride she is.
China:
On the wedding day, traditional Chinese couples hold tea ceremonies with their
parents. Today, some Chinese-American couples give out delicate teacups or
fragrant tea bags in a nod to tradition.
Croatia:
The Croatian bride traditionally wears a string of pearls, rather than a wreath,
around her head, and it is usually her father who has the honor of placing it there.
Another old custom is that of the bride's mother receiving the bridal party in her
home, holding a cup of honey and good will. Coins are thrown into the cup, and
after the mother, bride and groom drink its contents, the coins are given to the
groom. When the bride goes to her new home, she throws an apple over her
house, and once she enters, she is led three times around a warm hearth.
Cyprus:
Once a couple becomes engaged, their two mothers visit the homes of family and
friends to personally invite them to the wedding, blessing the couple over wine at
each house. Other traditions include the spreading of the mattress, in which
women take the nuptial bedding to the ceremony and dance around it; a
ceremonial "last shave" by the groom's friends; folk songs and dances; and the
crowning of the bride and groom during the ceremony, usually by a priest. Roasted
pig, wine and sweetmeats are typical reception fare, and the newlyweds are given
two white doves, symbolic of the wish that they will have a peaceful life together.
Elizabethan England:
Guests were often presented with tiny flower corsages held together with knotted
ribbons. These corsage favors were handed out at the church and worn
throughout the celebration.
France:
Each guest is traditionally given a small bag of sugar-coated almonds, called
dragees.
Germany:
German traditions include: the bride saving pfennigs, or pennies, to spend on her
bridal shoes; a stag night for the groom, and a Polterabaend for the bride -- a
gathering at which she and her friends smash cups and dishes against the front
door to frighten away evil spirits. The bride then sweeps up the mess, which brings
luck to the newlyweds. The bride and groom often greet each other with candles
trimmed with flowers and ribbons, symbolizing love and joy, as well as the
illumination they will bring to one another. The honeymoon has its roots in ancient
Germany, when it was customary to drink mead (a liquor of fermented honey and
water) for a moon after a couple were wed, i.e., the "honny moon."
Ghana:
Wedding traditions vary among Ghana's population of mostly Muslims and
Christians, however, many include the classic African "knock on the door," in which
the groom's mother and uncle go to the girl's family to propose marriage for him.
Other traditions of old are the brideprice, the pouring of libations to honor
ancestors, and a kiss to seal the union of the bride and groom. The bride usually
wears a long skirt with an ornamental white blouse, a sash around her waist, and a
head wrap, while the groom wears a toga. Imported schnapps and liquors are
served, and traditional dance and drumming are all part of the lively celebration.
Greece:
A bag containing an odd number of koufetta -- sugar-coated almonds -- is often
distributed to guests. The odd number symbolizes the couple's unity, since
unequal numbers cannot be divided evenly.
Holland:
At traditional Dutch weddings, a silver bowl filled with raisins and brandy may be
passed among the guests..
Italy:
Bomboniere -- little baskets in imaginative shapes filled with confetti (sugar-coated
almonds) -- are often distributed to guests.
Japan:
Guests are highly respected in Japan, where a bride and groom may spend $50 or
more per guest on gifts, called hikidemono. Less pricey are the kohaku manjyu,
round steamed buns with bean paste filling, which are often presented in pairs to
guests, one red bun and one white bun.
Japan -
1,000 Paper Cranes: One wedding custom that has evolved out of Japanese
legend is the construction of 1,000 paper cranes. Cranes were thought to live a
long life and the construction of 1,000 paper cranes symbolized good fortune,
fidelity and longevity. Brides often constructed the paper cranes and displayed
them at the wedding, sometimes giving them away as favors.
Malaysia:
At a traditional Malaysian wedding, guests may be presented with fertility symbols
in the form of decorated hard-boiled eggs.
Russia:
Russian wedding guests generally receive thank you gifts, which may range in
extravagance from candy to bud vases.
Scandinavia:
At traditional Scandinavian weddings, guests often contribute to the reception
feast and are given gifts in return for their generosity.
Switzerland:
In some regions of Switzerland, a godmother will distribute red handkerchiefs to
guests, who donate coins for the couple in return.
