Weddings are full of tradition, but where do these traditions come from? Are they the same everywhere you go? Really, weddings look as different on one side of the world than the other as they do from one time period than another. This is important to keep in mind when you are planning your wedding. Following tradition is great, but there are so many different traditions out there, that if you wanted to pull a bit from each you would end up with a non-traditional traditional wedding!
Let's take a look at some different and somewhat strange wedding traditions across the world and throughout history:
1) In parts of Africa the parents of the bride and groom bring fire from each of their hearths to light the hearth of the newlyweds. What a neat way to show a blessing on a marriage and the continuation of their families! 2) The tradition to have tiered cakes came from a game where a bride and groom tried to kiss over their cake (some tried to make it really challenging!) without knocking it over. This seems like a tradition that needs to be brought back! 3) Speaking of wedding cakes, they started way back when in ancient Rome when Romans would break a loaf of bread over the brides head to ensure fertility! 4) The month of June is a popular month for weddings. Heck there are even movies about it! But do you know why? It all stemmed from the goddess Juno because she is the ruler over marriage, home, and childbirth! 5) In Denmark it was tradition for the bride and groom to cross dress as a way of confusing evil spirits. Quite a different image than the little girl one day dreaming of her wedding dress! 6) Unlike many western brides who work to shed weight to look their "best" on their wedding days, Mauritania brides are actually sent to "fat farms" to ensure that they have stomach rolls, stretch marks, and touching thighs. It is supposed to represent that their new husband is wealthy enough to keep her luxuriously fed. 7) In India, women who are born as Mangliks (something to do with the location of Mars and Saturn) are thought to be cursed. The curse would cause an early death for her husband. So, to break the curse she must first be married to a tree that is then cut down.
Which strange wedding traditions would you try and which do you find the most strange?
