There are some wedding traditions bachelor parties and the bride tossing her bouquet that are widely known and praticed all over the world. And there are some rituals that only the people of particular countries or cultures pratices.
Wedding rituals and traditions vary greatly between cultures, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vows by the couple, presentation of a gift (ring, flowers etc.), and a public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure. Many cultures have adopted the traditional Western custom of the white wedding (associated with the wedding of Queen Victoria),in which a bride wears a white wedding dress and veil.
We found some surprising wedding traditions from different countries. Have a look:
Banging on the first wedding night
This is not the kind of banging you expect on the first night of your wedding. Family and friends gather outside the house of the newly weds and start banging on pots and pans. What’s more?
The couple has to serve them drinks and snacks. This age-old French tradition is known as Charivari.
The fat Farms
In Mauritania, brides actually work towards getting healthier and chubbier. Yes, it is believed to be a good luck charm in their tradition.
So they go to fat farms to gain weight even though it has caused many women to fall ill and have health issues.
Beating the groom with a fish in Korea
Some South Koreans believe that in order to make the groom ready for the first night of the marriage, his feet need to be beaten by dead fish and bamboo sticks.
What exactly are they preparing him for?
The Blackening ritual of Scotland
Bride too pretty? Well, let’s just cover her in goo. This tradition actually involves family & friends showering the couple with all sorts of disgusting things and then tying her to a tree.
This is only done so that the bride & groom can prove that they are ready for anything… and they mean ANYTHING!
Practicing crying for a month before wedding in China
The brides have to cry everyday for an hour for a month before their wedding. Other female relatives join in as well. Crying for the Tujia people in China means the welcoming of a good marriage or event.
Holding your pee together in Borneo
The bride and groom of the Tidong community in Borneo are confined to a house or a room where they are not allowed to take a dump or even pee for 3 days and 3 nights. Imagine the agony and the relief.
Minimum two kids required in Sudan
There are certain tribes in Southern Sudan that believe a marriage can only prosper if the bride can give birth to two children. If she fails to do so, the groom can divorce her.
The mucous of Maasai tradition
The father basically spits on his daughter for good luck before she departs her home with her groom.
The Swedish kissing party
During a wedding ceremony, if a groom leaves the room, all men stand up to kiss the bride and if a bride excuses herself to the bathroom, then all the women line up to kiss the groom.
The mother accompanying you to your honeymoon night
Okay, this one is really weird. Mothers or elders in certain African tribes accompany the newlyweds to ‘educate’ them on how to spend the night.
