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.
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
to pay for the wedding, and the ceremony usually take one night and day before the
“The dowry promised me was 600 florins. I went to dine with her that evening… The Saturday after Easter… I gave her the ring and then on Sunday evening, March 30, she came to live in our house simple and without ceremony.”
...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.
Gold was extremely valued by the Ancient Egyptians. It symbolised the halo of the god and this was identified to be very significant because gold was known as the symbol of immortal life. People of social or religious consequence were often hidden in ornament inlaid with or create of solid gold. Gold was also especially popular during the Roman history. When the metropolises and culture started to develop, Rome called out brilliant experts who could make a wide spectrum of jewellery such as rings, necklaces, circlets and earrings. Recent history scholars trust that the convention of wearing a ring to represent a commitment appeared from the Roman generation. Over time the Romans stretched the application of gold beyond jewellery and it started to make ornaments and other everyday objects of the upper class. The existence of many gold in the house was a symbol of power and wealth.
... 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
Engagement rings initially served a double purpose. In the days when brides were purchased, these rings were partial payment for the bride in addition to symbolizing the groom's intentions and woman's agreement. Diamonds were first found in Medieval Italy and due to their hardness symbolized enduring love.
Ancient Roman men offered their women a ring as a symbol of ownership. The circle was the symbol of eternity, with no beginning and no end. The hole in the center of the ring symbolized a gateway leading to events both known and unknown. These rings were called betrothal rings. They were made of iron, to symbolize strength and permanence. The more expensive the material was demonstrated the wealth of the giver, which was why iron was the most common ring material. The Romans were the first to wear the ring on the fourth finger of the left hand, otherwise known as the ring ...
In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen shows examples of how most marriages were not always for love but more as a formal agreement arranged by the two families. Marriage was seen a holy matrimony for two people but living happil...
Body piercings originated in the Middle East around 4000 years ago. The earliest known form of piercing was the nose piercing. Mogul Emperors brought piercings to India in the 16th Century. Ayurveda, which is a traditional medicinal practice native to India, believed that piercing the left nostril of a woman acted as an acupuncture to ease the pain of child birth (Painful Pleasures Inc.). The art of body piercing was also practiced in parts of Africa. The size of the nose ring in African tribes signified the wealth of the family. After a marriage the husband gave the wife a nose ring, which was security in case of a divorce. In ancient times, piercings have also denoted socio-political status. Body piercings mainly represented some kind of social status. Septum and nipple piercings was a mark of the strength and power of a Roman gladiator. Figures like the Pharaoh were the only ones allowed to have belly button piercings, to showcase their God-like status. The Bible mentions body piercings as well. Body jewelry was a symbol of wealth and beauty in the Old Testament. Back then, anyone of a low social status who had a piercing was punished or even executed (WATConsult).
...church, a courthouse, or a wedding venue. Both bride and groom exchange wedding rings and kiss before the witnesses and their families. Flowers are thrown at the newlyweds when they leave the place of ceremony. The banquet party happens in a restaurant where the bride’s and groom’s families, their relatives, and guests are sharing their joy and celebration. Dancing in the party is the loveliest part of the American wedding culture and happens at every American wedding. In addition, at the end of my husband’s coworker wedding party, I saw the guests enjoyed dancing happily around the newlyweds until late in the night to share the joy of happiness to the newlyweds.
A Hindu Wedding In Hinduism marriage is not just the joining of two people, whose souls are brought together mentally and physically, but of two families. There are sixteen sacraments that must be performed whilst a Hindu is alive to make the life of the individual prosperous and noble, one of these is marriage. Many Hindu wedding ceremonies follow the same sequence of events, whether it is an arranged marriage or not. I went to the wedding ceremony of Anika Shah and Arun Patel. Many events happen before the main wedding ceremony.
He usually arrives dressed in his wedding attire on the back of a horse, or sometimes on the back of an elephant. “The wedding altar (mandapa) is built the day of and the groom is welcomed by his future mother in law where his feet are then washed and he is offered milk and honey. His sister in law will attempt to steal his shoes and if she succeeds, the groom must pay her to get them back” (beau-coup.com). At the wedding venue the bride waits for the groom in a room covered in garland, when the groom arrives they exchange garland. After this, the brides family will welcome the grooms family to the wedding. Like Christian weddings, the father of the bride gives the bride away at the wedding, this is called a Kanyadaan. A priest will facilitate the marriage by reciting mantras or holy hymns, but the bride and groom marry each other. The bride and groom are considered married when the groom ties a thread that symbolizes his vow to care for the bride. He ties it in three knots that symbolizes the gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Masheshwara. The ceremony takes place around a fire and the god, Agni is considered the witness to the union. “The bride and the groom then circle the fire seven times, in a clockwise direction, called Saat Phere which signifies seven goals of married life which include religious and moral duties, prosperity, spiritual salvation and liberation, and sensual gratification” (Gullapalli