Special Section

Would you clear these customs?

wedding traditions from around the world

•Turns out the Scots like the bride to be nasty and disheveled for her wedding day. After friends and family “catch” her, they smother her in eggs, sauces, and creams, then march her through the streets.

•Handfasting, the act of tying the bride’s and groom’s hands together, is an ancient Celtic custom that coined the phrase “tying the knot.”

•In Germany, lumberjack skills are symbolic of a successful marriage, as the newlyweds must work together to saw a log in half.
 

•In the Philippines, it is bad luck for two sisters to hold weddings in the same year.
 

•During the Victorian era, the white dress was meant to symbolize purity, not virginity. The veil was meant to symbolize virginity.
 

•The origin of giving a toast began in France, when a small piece of toast was literally dropped into the couple’s wine to ensure a healthy life.
 

•After a French reception, those invited to the wedding will gather outside the newlyweds’ window and bang pots and pans.

•The traditional Bedouin wedding dish involves cooked eggs stuffed in a fish, stuffed in a chicken, stuffed in a sheep, stuffed into a whole camel. Take that Turducken.
 

•In Romania, the musicians also function as guides through the wedding rituals and moderate any conflicts that may arise during what can be a long, alcohol-fueled party over a period of nearly 48 hours.
 

•Uninhibited kissing is more than encouraged in the Swedish tradition. If the bride or groom steps out of the room for a moment, guests line up for a turn to kiss the now-unaccompanied newlywed.

•In India, the grooms’ shoes are the hub of mischief. While the groom’s family tries to guard his shoes (which he has removed for the ceremony), the bride’s family tries to steal them.  If the robbery is a success, the bride’s family can name a price before giving them back.
 

•Some families in Germany will “kidnap” the bride and hide her from the groom, leaving it up to him and his groomsmen to find her. The situation is rarely viewed as dire, since the men tend to leisurely plan their rescue over a few drinks at the local bar.