Wedding 2

Scandinavian Wedding
In Denmark, it is traditional for an arch of pine branches be built in front of the bride's home. This arch is known as the Gates of Honor.

In Norway, when a couple is married, their families and neighbors plant two small pine trees on either side of their young couple's front door as a symbol of fertility.

In Sweden mother of the bride traditionally present her daughter with a gold coin to be placed in her right show and her father gives her a silver coin for her left shoe. In this way whey hope to endure that their daughter will never be poor.

When a girl in Sweden is engaged it is customary for her to receive an engagement right. Then during the wedding ceremony the bride's husband slips the wedding rig onto hi new bride's finger ply he slips a ring of motherhood onto her finer as well - meaning that Swedish wife will wear three golden rings.


In Russia, it is a common tradition for the maid of honor and the best man to wear sashes over their clothing.


In Brazil it is common for the groomsmen to carry or be pinned with a small Brazilian flag instead of a flower.

These are cookies call "Casadinhos" and are traditionally made as a wedding favor. They are two cookies put together with Marmalade, honey, jam, boston cream fudge, or anything that is sweet, wrapped in cellophane and then in crepe paper.

African wedding
African weddings are a family affair and involve the combining of two lives, two families, and sometimes even two communities! There are many different wedding traditions in the African continent and no two are exactly alike but in all communities the bride plays a very special role and is treated with respect because she is a link between the unborn and the ancestors.
The jumping of the broom is a common tradition but contrary to the belief that it has to do with slavery......it signifies their entrance into a new life and their creation of a new family by symbolically "sweeping away" their former single lives, problems and concerns and jumping over the groom to enter upon a new adventure as wife and husband.

American wedding lore
The bridal veil has long been a symbol of youth, modest, and virginity.
Tossing the wedding bouquet evolved from England where women used to try to rip pieces of the bride's dress and flowers in order to obtain some of her good luck so to escape form the crowd the bride would toss her bouquet and run away. Today the bouquet is tossed to a single woman with the belief that whoever catches it will be the next to marry.

The giving away the Bride has its roots in the days of arranged marriages. Today it is a symbol of the fathers blessing on the marriage.

The wedding rings have been worn on the third finger of the left hand since Roman times. The Romans believed that the vein in that finger runs directly to the heart. The wedding ring is a never-ending circle, which symbolized everlasting love.


The best man
In ancient times, men sometimes captured women to make them their brides. A man would take along his strongest and most trusted friend to help him fight resistance from the woman's family. This friend, therefore, was considered the best man among his friends and the best man accompanied the groom up the aisle to help defend the bride.

Bride on the Groom's left.......Because grooms in Anglo-Saxon England often had to defend their brides, the bride would stand to the left of her groom so that his sword arm was free.

There were so many different traditions with different meanings but the one I found the most fascinating were the covenant symbols in Christian wedding traditions and customs. They are all Bible based with exact scriptures and can be found here
Here is just one example:
The white runner symbolizes holy ground where two lives are joined as one by God. (Exodus 3:5, Matthew 19:6)

Wedding cont.1

Jewish wedding
The procession of a Jewish wedding has both the bride and groom walk down the aisle accompanied by both sets of parents.

The wedding ceremony takes place under the chupah, which is a canopy on four poles that is sometimes decorated. The chupah symbolized that the bride and groom are creating a home together and that it will always be open to guests. This tradition originates from the Biblical wedding of Abraham and Sarah.

Traditionally the wedding ceremony has two parts. During the first part the bride and groom become betrothed and a blessing is recited over a cup of wine that the bride and groom drink. The second part is the rabbi reading the ketubah (a Jewish wedding contract). Some couples frame their keubah and display it in their home.

Then comes the part most of us think of when we think of a Jewish wedding....the breaking of the glass. The meaning of this tradition has different meanings....one that the marriage will last as long as the glass is broken, the other is a call to remember those who are suffering even in their greatest moment of joy. After the glass is broken all the guests yell, "Mazel Tov!" which means...good luck.

Greek wedding

Before the wedding, an engagement ceremony is held. During this time the bride and groom exchange rings and they are blessed and placed on their left hands. Before the wedding, the bride and groom invite their friends to their new house. It is a common tradition that the bride's single friends decorate the couples bed, with candied almonds spread on it. The relatives and guest present money and gifts for the bride and groom to bring luck and fortune.

During the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom are adorned with crowns. While doing so, the crowns are exchanged three times as part of the Greek tradition. The wedding crowns represent glory and honor. These crowns are joined with a silver ribbon and symbolized the union of the couple. The couple wear these crowns till the end of the marriage ceremony. The rings that they were wearing on the left hands are now blessed again and worn on their right hands.

Next comes the ceremonial walk in which the bride and groom walk around the church alter three times..this symbolized the first steps of life as a married couple.

Some traditional beliefs are still followed, like the bride carrying a lump of sugar, so that her married life will remain sweet. The bride may also wear a yellow or red veil that signifies fire, so as to protect her from evil spirits.

Immediately after the ceremony the candied almonds are distributed in odd numbers among the guests. The odd number signifies that the couple are united henceforth as one and cannot be separated.

The wedding dance and reception follow and are a lively event.

Algonquin (Indian) wedding

The bridal couple has four sponsors. Sponsors are older, well respected persons chosen by the bride and groom. The sponsors are to give spiritual and marital guidance to the couple throughout their lifetime. At the ceremony, the sponsors make a commitment to help the couple.

Ceremonies are preferably outside or in a ceremonial lodge or under an arbor. Their commitment is to the Creator, to God. There is no breaking that commitment and no divorce. The Pipe Carrier, the official, makes sure they are well aware of this commitment. If the couple separates and goes their separate way, in the eyes of the Creator, they are still husband and wife.

The bride will wash herself in a body of water (lake, river, ocean, pond) the morning of her union in order to be blessed the the spirit of the Earth.

The wedding is a time of celebration. Everyone is invited by word of mouth. There is no formal invitation. There is feasting , visiting and a giveaway.

Food items for the feast include fry bread, venison, squash, beans, corn, corn soup, potato soup and many desserts. There may also be a wedding cake. The food is placed on a blanket, served buffet style. The food is blessed and the Elders and the official will beat first, then the bride , groom sponsors and other guests. None of the food is wasted. All of the food is either eaten or given away to the Elders.

Algonquin Giveaway....In preparation for the Giveaway, the future bride and groom make (or buy) hundreds of gifts. A gift will be given to each person attending the celebration.

(to be continued)

Weddings

Here in the USA, June is well known for a perfect wedding. An outdoor one would be divine with maybe an arch to stand under while taking your vows. No matter your age, in your heart there is that special fairy tale wedding


but not all the dreams are the same.............................
This is Korean wedding picture. Bright colors are important in Korean wedding attire to inspire the brightness of spirit that is required at such a special event. A strange tradition is that after the wedding, friends of the groom take off his socks, tie a rope around the ankles and start beating soles of his feet with dried yellow corvina. Yellow corvina is a kind of fish! It is done so to make the groom stronger before the first wedding night and they do not throw rice at the newlyweds....they throw dried red dates to symbolize diligence.

A Japanese bride-to-be is painted pure white from head to toe, visibly declaring her maiden status to the gods. While the bride and groom exchange their wedding vows, their families face each other, instead of the couple getting married. A traditional Japaneses marriage ceremony will include the drinking from nine cups of sake. The sake drank during the ceremony is not always delicious. It is the same with life. All kind of troubles will appear. But the bride and groom will have to overcome them with spirit of unity present in the ceremony.

The color of red means good luck in

Chinese culture so everything from the dress to the lanterns is red. Traditionally, the parents of the groom will provide the happy couple with a new bed complete with all the necessary components. Comforters, pillow cases, sheets and anything else that goes with making the bed warm and comfortable are part of this gift. On the day of the wedding the couple will serve tea to both of their parents and other esteemed wedding guests, in order of seniority. In return, the guests will present the couple with gold jewelry and money in red envelopes.


Their wedding cake is in many layers and the Bride and Groom will feed each other the first piece cut, with their arms entwined.

(to be continued)