How Vibrant Cultures Celebrate Their Wedding Day Differently
Weddings are always a special event irrespective of what country you’re from or the religion you belong to. After you consider the very fact that a lot of traditions are lost to our fast-paced modern lives, it’s all the more remarkable that the majority of wedding rituals still remain intact. Maybe it’s because marriage is all about bringing two people, two families together. or even it’s the sole occasion where whole communities gather to celebrate. regardless of the reason, marriage is seen as an incident where a pair who is on the point of celebrating their love also celebrates their heritage.
Here’s how some cultures from everywhere the globe celebrate their wedding days:
Greek Orthodox Weddings
Greek orthodox wedding rituals begin a pair of days before marriage day. “Krevati” is widely known within the home of the new couple, where guests place money and young children on the couple’s new bed. this can be to bless them with good tidings and fertility.
On the marriage day itself, the groom enters the church first and waits with the priest for his bride to arrive. The bride enters and makes her thanks to the groom, usually in the course of her father. The couple exchange bouquets before the simplest man are available and provide them their wedding rings. Sometimes crowns also are placed on the couple’s head. After the wedding ceremony is conducted by the priest, the couple will drink vino out of the identical cup to suggest the start of a brand new journey together. because the ceremony ends and therefore the new man and wife is leaving, guests shower them with rice and flowers for happiness and fertility.
Jewish Weddings
Jewish weddings are bright affairs, filled with amazing traditions. On the marriage day, the bride and groom are expected to fast from dawn until they’re married. They break the fast together during a tiny low window after the ceremony and before the festivities, called “Yichud.”
Before the ceremony, when the guests are arriving, the bride may be seen sitting on a throne, while the groom entertains guests separately. the marriage ceremony is performed by a Rabbi. Here the groom will circle the bride seven times symbolizing the person making a house for his wife. After this, the groom places a marriage ring on the bride’s forefinger to bring her under his protection. Once these rituals are out of the way, the wedding contract, or “Ketubah,” is signed. The ceremony ends with the “breaking of the glass” ritual where the groom must break a glass by stomping it together with his foot. this is often followed by partying and feasting.
Muslim Weddings
Muslim wedding traditions tend to vary from region to region, except for the foremost part, these are simple affairs where sometimes the bride isn’t even present. the wedding ceremony is named the “Nikah” and is conducted by an Imam. During Nikah, a wedding contract is signed by the groom and also the bride (or her representatives) within the presence of witnesses. The Imam will often follow it up with a brief sermon.
Hindu Weddings
Hindu weddings are colorful affairs that involve celebrations and rituals starting weeks before the marriage itself. Mehndi ceremonies, Haldi programs, and Sangeet gatherings are all pre-wedding rituals that involve plenty of singing and dancing.
On the day itself, the groom makes his thanks to the marriage location with an enormous procession of friends and family. Once there, the groom makes his thanks to a cover called the “mandap.” The bride joins him there and also the ritual of “kanyadan” takes place. Kanyadan signifies the gifting away of the bride by her parents. the fogeys wash the feet of the couple with milk. the daddy of the bride places his hands over the couple’s hands, and therefore the mother pours water over them.
Next up, a thread is wound over the bride and groom’s hands multiple times binding them together, to indicate their unbreakable bond. they’re then seated ahead of a hearth, and a priest, or “pundit,” chants mantras. The couple circles the hearth fourfold, chanting religious verses as they are doing. the marriage is solemnized by both the bride and groom taking seven holy vows.
This is just a snapshot of how one or two of various cultures celebrate their wedding days. From being crowned to breaking glasses, feasting and drinking to chanting mantras; regardless of the differences in ceremonies and traditions, one common bond unites all of them. A number of these may sound strange to outsiders but the underlying message is that the same. It doesn’t matter if someone may be a Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, or Jew.