The 10th Annual Bridal Extravaganza Sunday, February 27, 2000

Sunday, February 27, 2000

Y Customs
There’s a world of customs out there
By AMY VINCHESI
www.theknot.com

Every culture has lucky traditions and rituals intended to bring good fortune to the bride and groom, some involving family and friends and others an intimate exchange between the to-be-weds. Here are a few protective charms guaranteed to bring a favorable union.

Let it rain

Though some brides may dread inclement weather on their wedding day, others recognize it as a sign of good luck. In India, rain means the sky is bursting with happiness. Conversely, the Irish of the 18th and 19th centuries believed good fortune was bestowed upon the couple if the sun shone on the bride.

Lucky break

In some cultures, a favorite — and decidedly emphatic — method of celebrating newlyweds is to smash some glass. Depending on whom you ask, the breaking of the glass at a Jewish wedding is, among other things, a) a symbol of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem; b) a representation of the fragility of human relationships, or c), a reminder that marriage changes individual’s lives forever. In Greece, the custom of breaking plates during the reception symbolizes good luck, happiness and the permanence of marriage.

Blessings and babies

From blessings to baby-rollings to gifts of flowers and money, friends and families of to-be-weds rejoice in prenuptial rituals. In Africa, guests burn incense to clear the air of bad spirits and send up prayers to the ancestors to bless the couple’s union. A favorite tradition in Greece is to treat the matrimonial bed to a baby-rolling ceremony to bring fertility and prosperity to the couple: Babies of friends and family are gently rolled on the mattress, which is also strewn with rose petals and money. Similarly, two days before Sicilian weddings, relatives go to the couple’s new home to “make the bed,” putting money under the pillowcases and dressing the sheets with confetti and money to bring prosperity and good fortune.

Wedding tokens

While some may find more superstition than substance in the carrying of tokens and charms, worldly customs show believers to be in the majority. The groom in Italian folklore carries a piece of iron in his suit pocket to ward off the evil eye, while the Spanish groom presents his bride with 13 gold coins representing his ability to support and care for her. Similarly, a Swedish bride wears a silver coin from her father in her left shoe and a gold coin from her mother in her right shoe, so she’ll never want for anything. German brides will carry salt and bread in their pocket to ensure bounty, and grooms tote grain for wealth and good fortune. The bride in England carries a decorated horseshoe on her arm for good luck as she walks down the aisle. During a Chinese wedding ceremony the couple drinks wine and honey from goblets tied together with red string — red symbolizing the color of love and joy.

What you eat

Food is an integral part of any wedding celebration (just ask the caterer) and for some cultures specific foods abound in symbolism. Lavish Chinese wedding banquets include 10 to 12 courses of such delicacies as a whole fish (representing abundance), a sweet dessert of lotus seeds (a wish for many children) and shark and bird’s nest soups. The Korean wedding banquet is simpler, requiring only noodle soup. The long noodles symbolize a wish for a long and happy life. At Middle Eastern weddings, fish and chicken, ancient symbols of fertility and plenty, are served, as are candy-covered almonds, considered aphrodisiacs.

Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.