Wedding Traditions Across Different Cultures
When it comes to planning a wedding, people have to worry not only about food,
flowers, and what they wear, they also have to honor many traditions, even if they don't
understand their origins or meanings. However, to not follow these traditions,
understood or not, might mean bad luck for the marriage or, at the very least, disgruntled
wedding guests.
Every culture cherishes its own marriage traditions and superstitions. Many are
not understood but are still seriously followed because 'it's always been done that way';
(Kendrick). Even people not normally superstitious wouldn't think of violating these
traditions.
Many traditions originated from old rhymes, folktales or tribal traditions whose
origins are lost in time. For example, one of the original meanings of the word
'wedding'; was to gamble or wager. This comes from the time when a bride price was
required before marriage. This bride price could include land, social status, political
alliances or money. Thus, the 'Anglo-Saxon word 'wedd' meant that the groom would
vow to marry the woman, but it also referred to the bride price (money or barter) to be
paid by the groom to the bride's father'; (Kendrick).
There are equally surprising origins for such traditions as the ring finger, wedding
ring, engagement ring (and its diamond), and wedding cake. For example, the finger
used as the ring finger differs from culture to culture. In Greece during the third century
the index finger was used. In India they used the thumb. The 'modern'; ring finger
started being used in the fourth century when the Greeks originated the belief that the
third finger was connected to the heart by the 'vena amoris,'; or the vein of love.
(Kendrick).
Use of a wedding ring can be traced back to Roman times, and even back then it
was made of gold. Roman rings were often decorated with a carving of two hands to
symbolize two people journeying through life together as one. Early women's rings also
had keys carved in them, symbolizing that women were able to unlock the hearts of their
husbands.
It was 'Pope Nicholas I [in 860 AD, who first] decreed an engagement ring become a
required statement of nuptial intent,'; (Kendrick). He insisted that this ring also be ma...
... middle of paper ...
...untie
these knots (Kendrick).
The honeymoon is considered a time for the new couple to escape all of the pre-
wedding stresses and just enjoy relaxing with each other before the pressures of married
life set in. Karl says the 'moon'; part of the honeymoon was because customarily the
bride and groom would go away for a whole month, or from full moon to full moon
(132). A honey-flavored wine was frequently enjoyed on the getaway. 'Honey was the
ancient symbol of life, health, and fertility,'; (Karl132). The two words eventually were
combined to denote the honeymoon we know today.
Wedding cakes and diamond rings, white gowns and garters, veils and ring
fingers. These and other traditions of the modern wedding all have their origins in beliefs
and superstitions that are centuries old. Planning a modern wedding can be a hectic,
nerve wracking experience, and the chaos can often blind the young couple to the true
meaning of the ceremony they are about to share. Perhaps if a modern couple took the
time to understand some of the ceremony's customs and traditions their wedding day
would have even greater meaning for them.
...roperty of one another and nothing is held individually against one another. The two will share one of everything, and the Bride is also forced to forget other people. The reason being for all of this is because now the Bride and Bridegroom can now have love for their marriage.
Additionally, the finger in question is his pinky finger, not the middle finger as the occult recipe calls for, and the finger is fractured-- not cut. You can find the email and pictures regarding it here.
... three times through forked fingers when they are discussing a positive action, such as a marriage or a birth. This is an old superstitious action to ward off the “meesa meshina,” the evil spirit.)
about 1725. The dulcimer originated as the santir in what is now Iraq from a
Wealth and family status was a determining factor upon marriage. Women were expected to have a dowry from their family that would allow them to be auctioned off to suitors. The marriage market was much like the stock exchange in that it allowed
And of course we should not forget the bride and groom. I would like to say to you both: "May your love be modern enough to survive the times, and old-fashioned enough to last forever."
Tradition is a strong component in the institution of marriage. The ideal American dream usually involves the perfect fairy-tale wedding with the gorgeous white wedding dress for the bride, the matching bridesmaids, the well-arranged bouquet and the numerous rituals that compose this well thought-out event. Usually it requires a great amount of planning, devotion and dollars to make the important day memorable. Family and friends come together to rejoice in the vows that will bond the two lovers into a lifetime journey of love, commitment and fidelity. Each person in the couple is expected to have a role in this institution. According to Judith Wallerstein and Sandra Blakeslee, “in the idealized form of the older model of traditional marriage, the man’s primary job for self-definition is to provide for the economic well-being, protection, and stability of his family ...The woman’s job and self-definition”, on the other hand, continue Wallerstein and Blakeslee, “is to care for her husband and children and to create a comfortable home that nourishes everyone, particularly her husband, who comes home each evening drained by the demands of his job (211).” With a constantly changing society, the concept of marriage has also varied. The “quickie” Vegas drive-through wedding or the underwater vow exchange is not as unusual or shocking as it once was. Even the roles of the persons involved have changed to fit the shape of society’s needs. For example the modern “companionate marriage” which is “founded on the couple’s shared beliefs that men and women are equal partners in all spheres of life and that their roles, including those of marriage, are completely interchangeable (Wallerstein, Blakeslee 155).
This provides information on the customs and traditions throughout the American culture and their marriage and wedding practices.
Rings were common mainly among the richer parts of society, who could afford such a token. Mary Queen of Scots sent a diamond ring to Thomas Duke of Norfolk to indicate her willingness to marry him. However, peasants would give smaller tokens or none at all. It was usually the case that everyone in a village knew who was married, so no symbol was necessary. In the case that a man wishes to break a wedding contract, he must give back double all of the tokens he has received, usually a collection of small items. This made it even less practical for the poorer people in society to give rings.
Every culture has marriage rituals that help differentiate them from each other. Traditions and customs in ancient Roman wedding etiquette was not very different from bridal etiquette today. Their wedding customs have actually set the basis for many modern weddings today. However, there were some customs that were very important to the Romans that do not completely relate to modern customs. An engagement ring, the choice of which date and location, the dressing of the bride, and the legalizing of the marriage itself were all important to the Ancient Roman culture.
The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast between various wedding customs that are prevalent in different continents of the world. The essay sheds light on culturally diverse traditions that originate in different parts of the world. It is the wide variety or cultural conventions that give each nation or tribe a unique identity. Every culture has ...
One of the important differences between the ways weddings are celebrated by Vietnamese and Americans is preparation. According to the culture, Vietnamese wedding first begins by choosing a date and time for the marriage ceremony which is matched to both bride’s and groom’s ages in the oriental zodiac. For example, I am married to a man who was born in the year of the cat, and I was born in the year of the pig. We therefore are two of three matched ages including pig, cat, and goat, so the best time for our wedding is the time of goat. Moreover, before the wedding day, the groom’s family would make a trip to the bride’s home to inform the best date for the wedding ceremony. After wedding date was informed, bride and groom start sending invitations to their guests. Vietnamese wedding uses lunar calendar for the ceremony and invitations for their guests at the wedding parties, even though people in Vietnam use both western and lunar calendars. On the other hand, Americans prepare their weddings by the most favorable day for both bride and groom which mostly happen on the weekend. Many American brides also have bridal showers before their weddings. For example, my next door neighbor in America had a bridal shower about more than one month before her wedding. After that, she and her fiancé started sending in...
Almost every culture around the world have the idea of bringing together households in marriage. In the United States, this a coupling of two people who will start a life on their own. In India, a marriage is more than two people falling and love and getting married. Family, religion and casts play a role for the future bride and groom. The Indian culture’s weddings have different traditions when it comes to proposals, ring traditions and ceremonies not only for the couple but for the families as well.
till death do us part.” The Exchange of rings , this is when the bride
On the morning of the wedding day, a procession of the groom and the relatives will bring the money, gifts, and food from the groom’s house to the bride's. They will play music and sing along though out the procession. Before the groom can get to the bride’s house, he has to cross two gates formed by the relatives of the bride called "Silver Gate" and "Gold Gate". The gates are on the way from the groom’s house to the bride’s. In order to open the gates, the groom mu...