There are thousand of wedding traditions worldwide based on cultural and religious meanings. Many weddings combine some traditional or cultural aspects of each side of the family represented by the couple. Some of these traditions are based in superstitious thinking that has been handed down generation to generation.
Some of the traditions that have crept into everyday society’s notion of what is normal or expected for weddings are actually practices that have their beginning in folklore and superstition.
I have included a few mainstream wedding related customs and it is very interesting to realize how these accepted practices actually got their start as part of the wedding culture. It is interesting to note that the majority of wedding traditions have their roots in keeping away evil spirits, helping the groom (and his men) capture a wife all while encouraging fertility and prosperity.
Dowry
A dowry was money, goods or property (sometimes a combination of all of these) that the bride’s father gave to the husband to help provide for a life with his daughter. The husband was expected to provide a life of support and financial care for the daughter. The practice of dowries primarily originated in the era when most marriages were arranged by the bride and grooms parents (family).
Bridal Shower
This is a custom that originated it seems inHollandat a time when it was customary for the father of the bride to give a dowry to the groom. A bride’s father would withhold the customary dowry if the bride’s family (particularly the father) did not approve of the perspective husband. In withholding the dowry this was to act as a deterrent to the couple as the young man would not have the customary wherewithal to start a life with a bride. The friends of the bride would get together and “shower” the bride with gifts to makeup for her not having a dowry and making it possible for the bride to marry someone she cared about regardless of her family’s reaction.
Best Man
The custom to have one of the grooms friend hold this honoured position dates back to the times when a girl was away from the control of her parents or the did not approve of the groom. The best man was the most trusted of the grooms friends and chosen to aid the groom in successfully protecting the bride to be from all comers at the wedding. In some cultures the best man was the friend who had also helped the groom in protecting his bride from exposure to the advances from other suitors.
Bridal Bouquet
The tradition of carrying flowers when a bride got married had a lot to do with warding of bad luck. Often the bouquets were filled with special herbs and plants (sometimes even spices) known to keep away evil spirits. In Roman days flowers became popular for both the bride and the groom as a symbol of fertility and young married life in bloom.
Wedding Ring
As a complete circle the ring denotes continuous love both in life and in the hereafter. Placement of the ring on the fourth finger of the left hand came about as this finger on the left hand had a vein that was believed to lead directly to the heart. Over time the ring has been made out of many materials including hemp, copper and iron. The most popular is gold for its beauty and value
The following are a couple of links with information on more wedding traditions.
http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/locations/african_traditions.html
http://www.gagirl.com/wedding/wedding3.html
Wedding traditions (The Buzz)
