A wedding ceremony is a universal celebration that brings people together from different parts of the world. However, Wedding traditions vary widely across different cultures, reflecting the rich diversity of human customs and rituals.
While many weddings incorporate familiar elements such as exchanging vows and rings, some extraordinary traditions around the world captivate our imagination.
Below are 5 unusual wedding traditions as found in different parts of the world.
1) Pre-planned crying in China
In the traditional customs of the Tujia people in China, the bride-to-be alongside other women in the family partake in a ritual that involves crying for one hour each day a month before the wedding. The significance of this is to express the bride’s longing for her parents and the home she will leave behind. According to tradition, the Tujia people measure a bride’s intelligence and virtue by how well she can sing crying songs.
2. Plates Smashing in Greece
Greeks believe that joyous occasions and celebrations such as a wedding ceremony attract evil spirits and negative energy hence plates are smashed by guests and family members to ward off evil. It is also believed that the more plates shattered, the greater the prosperity and happiness that will accompany the newlywed couple throughout their marriage.
3. Tree Marriage in India
In certain regions of India, a woman is expected to marry a tree before her formal wedding ceremony. According to this tradition, it is believed that some women may have been cursed at birth and may bring potential danger to their future husbands. To break the yoke, such women must first be married to a tree which is typically cut down or removed.
4. Fattening the bride in Mauritania
In Mauritania, the cultural ideal of beauty, fertility, and attractiveness is associated with a fuller figure. Girls are often sent to a ‘wife-fattening farm’ where they are force-fed from a very young age to prepare them for marriage. It is believed that a fat wife is a proof to other men that her husband has enough riches to feed her generously.
5. Spitting on the bride in Kenya
Among the Maasai people in Kenya, spitting on the bride is seen as a sign of good luck in marriage. The father of the bride spits on his daughter’s head and breasts before she leaves her family home. This practice is seen as a symbolic act of purification and protection from evil spirits.
There you have it! Which of these wedding traditions do you find most intriguing? Leave your reply in the comments section below.
