Cultural Wedding Traditions: Henna

Henna (Mehndi) has been used to adorn the body in different areas of the world for centuries. Primarily used in Arab, Hindu, and Muslim ceremonies and celebrations, it is said to bring blessings, luck, joy, and beauty to those who are decorated with it.

Brides typically have the most complex patterns of henna with some taking multiple days to apply. In Hindu weddings, a bride hosts a party with her female family members and friends where the henna is applied. During the application, the bride learns secrets from her family about how to be a good wife. The more intricate the henna patterns, the better wife the bride will be because she had more time to learn about love. Traditionally, the bride and groom’s initials are hidden in the henna designs and the groom must find them on the wedding night. This encourages closeness on the wedding night since for some couples, this may be the first time they met or spent time alone together.

Cultural Wedding Traditions: The Colour RedWhile the colour white is traditional for weddings in Western culture, white is the colour associated with funerals in China. Instead, red is used for weddings because it represents luck and joy. Red is used as the main colour for the wedding dress and decorations at Chinese weddings. At a traditional tea ceremony, the bride and groom serve tea to their relatives to thank them and introduce them to each other. Gifts in red envelops are then given to the couple.

In India, the colour red represents a Hindu goddess of power and strength. In Indian culture, the colour is symbolic of the planet Mars and fertile clay. Putting a red sindoor (powder) on the forehead and parting the hair signifies that a woman is married. Finally, the colour red is symbolic of spices and this represents passion in the couple’s marriage. Traditional Indian brides may wear a red lehenga (traditional dress) and jewelry and grooms wear a red scarf to incorporate the special meanings of this colour into their wedding ceremony.

Cultural Wedding Traditions: Jumping the Broom

A number of cultures incorporate jumping the broom into wedding ceremonies. It is traditionally associated with gypsies in Europe but now it is adopted as an African-American custom rooted in the days of slavery when marriage between slaves was illegal. Jumping over a broom let others know of the couple’s commitment to each other even though they could not legally wed.

Cultural Wedding Traditions: Mazel Tov!

In Jewish culture the groom breaks a glass wrapped in fabric by stomping on it. There are differing stories about the origin of this tradition. It could be that those of the Jewish faith believe that joy must always be tempered or it could serve as a reminder of the destruction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Now, breaking the glass is done in the spirit of happiness and celebration. When the glass shatters, guests at the wedding yell “mazel tov!” – meaning “congratulations” or “good luck”.

Cultural Wedding Traditions: Who’s Next?In Canadian and American weddings, the bride stands backwards and throws her bouquet into a crowd of single guests. The single lady who catches the bouquet is said to be the next to get married.

In Peru, single female guests pull ribbons that have been put between the layers of the wedding cake. At the end of one of the ribbons is a fake wedding ring and whomever pulls it out of the cake is next to get married.

Cultural Wedding Traditions: Native Canadian

Native Canadian weddings involve a lot of symbolism and tradition. The couple to be married usually finds 4 elder sponsors from their clans to support and guide them through their marriage. A Pipe Carrier officiates the ceremony when the couple is very serious about their relationship. The couple dresses in traditional beaded and fur regalia and performs their vows in a family member’s lodge by smoking from the Pipe Carrier’s pipe. Other symbols that are traditionally included in the ceremony include special moccasins and feathers. The feathers are tied together in a way that they can never be separated, representing the couple’s marriage union.

Cultural Wedding Customs: RansomsIn Russian cultures, the groom has to work hard for his bride on the day of the wedding. Before the ceremony he goes to the bride’s home and asks for her. The bride’s family and friends refuse until he gives gifts or money. Grooms are sometimes asked to do silly things like dance, answer riddles, and perform tasks to show if he will be a good husband (like putting a diaper on a doll). When the bride’s family and friends are impressed with the bridal ransom, the groom is allowed to see his bride.

In Pakistan, the bride and groom return home after the wedding for a ceremony called “showing of the face.” The bride removes the veil she was wearing during the wedding and the couple can finally gaze into each other’s eyes. While they are busy, the bride’s female relatives take the groom’s shoes and ask for a ransom of money for them to be

returned.