FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JANUARY 17, 2019 • BRIDAL • THE QUEENS COURIER 35
bridal
WORLDWIDE WEDDING CUSTOMS
The ABCs of traditions around the globe
BY NICOLA BRIDGES
From tossing the bouquet to the single
gals and throwing a garter to the unmarried
fellows, to feeding each other cake
and throwing confetti, traditions for luck,
prosperity and fertility are standard at
most American weddings. But if you want
to make your wedding day even more
memorable, here’s an A-Z of creative customs
to incorporate from diff erent countries
and cultures around the world.
• Australia. Guests are given stones to
hold during the wedding ceremony and
aft erwards place in a decorative bowl
for the couple to display in their home
to remind them of the loving support of
friends and family.
• China. Th e bride hides her face under a
red veil, while her mother or an attendant
holds a red umbrella over her to
promote fertility and family. “Umbrellas
also fl ourish at weddings in China to protect
the couple from bad luck,” explains
Lisl Spangenberg, author of “Timeless
Traditions: How to Blend Wedding
Customs from Around the World into
Your Own Wedding Ceremony.”
• Czech Republic. Before the ceremony,
guests place a baby in the couple-to-be’s
bed, and aft erward guests shower the
couple with peas — both to bless them
and foster fertility.
• Ireland. Irish couples oft en give each
other a horseshoe, and brides hide a tiny
horseshoe in their bouquet or pinned
discretely somewhere on or inside their
dress for good luck — and always with
the “U” pointing up so the luck doesn’t
spill out.
• France. If you’re looking for a great centerpiece,
“French weddings oft en feature
a tower of cream-fi lled puff pastry pieces
called croquembouche for people to pull
and dip in delicious sauces,” suggests
Spangenberg. “But you may want to pass
on the French tradition of ‘la soupe,’
where the bride and groom eat left overs
served in a toilet bowl-like bowl, supposedly
to give them strength for the wedding
night.”
• Holland. Family and friends plant a pine
tree outside the newlyweds’ home, symbolizing
fertility and good fortune.
• Italy. “Th e Italian word confetti refers to
sugar-panned almonds, which used to
be thrown but are typically now given
to guests as favors, representing both
the bitter and sweet of marriage,” says
Spangenberg. When you shower the
couple with tiny bits of paper, you’re
actually throwing coriandoli.
• Kenya. When the happy couple leaves
the village, the father of the bride spits
on his daughter’s head and chest to protect
the couple’s good fortune.
• Mauritius. Whereas brides in America
look to lose weight and slim down for
their big day, girls in Mauritius are
forced to fatten up. Th ere a well-rounded
wife shows that the husband is
wealthy enough to keep her well-fed.
• Norway. Norwegians make the towering
cake even more fun with a hidden
surprise. Made of iced almond cake
rings, the kransekake is made around a
surprise bottle of wine or champagne,
revealed as guests pull off cake pieces
to eat.
• Poland. At the wedding reception, guests
give money to the maid of honor to buy
dances with the bride and help pay for
the honeymoon.
• Th e Philippines. Aft er the I-do’s, Filipino
newlyweds release a pair of doves, symbolizing
a peaceful, long and harmonious
happy life together. Did you know
mourning doves mate for life?
• Scotland. A few days before the wedding,
friends and family cover the couple
with treacle, feathers, ash, and fl our to
ward off evil spirits and bring them luck.
• Spain. Grooms cut up their tie and
brides their garter and auction off the
pieces to friends to pass along good luck.
• Venezuela. Guests play hide-and-goseek
with the bride and groom. If the
happy couple can sneak off without
guests fi nding them, the game is supposed
to bring them good luck.
• Wales. “Th e best man steals the bride
and takes her away to a pub somewhere,
and the groom has to fi nd them,” shares
Spangenberg, laughing. “Perhaps it’s just
another excuse to party.”
• Zimbabwe. Across generations,
Matebele mothers pass down a tradition
of house painting to the bride, whose job
it is to paint her home inside and out. A
colorfully decorated home is said to be
the sign of a good and loving wife.
Courtesy Creators.com
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