In different countries, their unique traditions.
All cultures, countries and different Nations, each nation has its own traditions and customs. But one thing is common — a wedding! No matter how “uncivilized” and isolated nor was any community, sooner or later you will see in it something more or less like a wedding. However, from country to country wedding traditions are very different, and sometimes among them there are some that may surprise or even shock. We offer to your attention the list of the most bizarre wedding traditions from around the world.
1. Blackening of the bride.
Scots in some parts of the country has long been organizing such a very unpleasant ritual. Friends or relatives steal the betrothed bride-to-be and doused it with a liquid that may include molasses, flour, mud and even animal dung. After the bride is blackened, taking her around the city for everyone to see, or tied to a tree. The Scots believe that this humiliation prepares the bride for the harsh realities of family life.
2. Salty wedding song.
Although the wedding in many cultures around the world is often accompanied by tears, brides and other women of the Tujia people in China picked up this “tradition” to a new level. Starting a month before the wedding, the bride is crying for one hour a day. After 10 days, she is joined by mom, and after 10 days grandma. By the end of the month every female of the family crying along with the bride. Why? Well, it’s kind of like an expression of joy, because the women weep in different tones, so their cry resembles something like a song… a very salty and wet song.
3. Chicken liver from China.
In Inner Mongolia, the Daur live. In order to assign a particular date of the wedding, the bride and groom of this nation need to kill a chicken, holding the knife together. Then it is necessary to gut and inspect the liver. If the liver is good, young is allowed to choose the day of the wedding. If not, they will repeat the process until you find a good the liver.
4. Wedding tree
In some parts of India there is a hurdle to marriage — “Mangal dosha” (an astrological combination when Mars and Saturn conjoin in the 7th house). People born in the days of “Mangal dosha”, called “manglik”, they are damned and can bring their spouse’s premature death. To get rid of the curse, they must first symbolically married to a tree. After that, the tree is felled, it is considered destroyed. Poor tree!
5. To keep it all inside.
Newlyweds in the Indonesian community tidung living in the Northern part of Borneo for three days and three nights after the wedding locked in the house and not even allowed to go to the toilet. The perfect time for the wedding night, right? During these three days for the young couple looking out a few people who give the newlyweds a minimal amount of food and water. Believed to be “honeymoon”, held under house arrest, contributes to a happy marriage, and the conception of healthy children.
6. Bottoms up!
Previously in France, when the wedding ceremony came to an end, the guests gathered leftover food from the holiday table, and stirred them into the potty. Then they broke into the room of the newlyweds to make young to eat the contents of the pot. This was done to ensure that the bride and groom gain strength before the wedding night. Today, fortunately, the scraps from the table is replaced by a chocolate and champagne.
7. Need two.
The tribe Nuer in South Sudan, marriage is considered valid until the woman gives birth to her husband two children. If it fails, the man has the right to demand a divorce.
8. FIE on you!
At the wedding of the representatives of the Masai tribe in Kenya, often seen as the father of the bride before she leaves the village with her new husband, bless daughter by spitting on her head and chest.
9. A make-out party.
In Sweden, whenever the bride or groom leave the festive table to go to the bathroom, his partner/partner… kiss. If the groom goes, every man in the room might kiss the bride and Vice versa.
10. Baba-man.
In Spartan culture, the bride had to shave his head and dress like a man, and the groom, by contrast, to wear a woman’s dress. As you can see, some modern brides and grooms also sometimes followed ancient Spartan traditions.
11. Stick on heels.
According to Korean wedding traditions, before the wedding night, the groom beaten on the feet with a stick or a fish — the only way he will take married men. In addition, this confirms the strength and stability of character of her future husband. Ritual can be somewhat painful, but mostly is for fun, not for cruelty.
12. Fairy kidnappers.
In Ireland, when the couple are dancing the bride’s feet must not leave the ground. The Irish believe that if a young tear off his feet from the floor, she got carried off by an evil fairy. Where is the logic? Evil fairies love beautiful things. The bride is beautiful. But fairies can carry the bride, unless she touches the floor.
13. Meek Chechen bride
In the Chechen Republic believe that a wife should be modest and Mature. Traditionally, during the wedding, the bride stands in the corner, away from the eyes of the guests. Traditions force her to spend all day on their feet, not allowed to speak to her husband’s relatives, until they turn to it themselves. Restraint of the bride even checked. Each of the relatives alternately asks the girl to bring a glass of water, and when she does it, trying to get her to talk. There are several proven ways: you can make fun of the appearance of the bride, to praise, and we can discuss the groom. If the girl does not stand up and answer the taunt, it will testify about her incontinence and stupidity. All she is allowed to say: “Drink on health!”
14. Aim accurately!
In the culture of Uighurs (an ethnic minority living in China) the groom shoots three times at his bride from a bow… Okay, the arrows no tips, but it’s still something to shoot rubber bullets. After the ceremony, the groom collects the arrows and breaks them, thus promising that love will be eternal. Reminiscent of the tale of the frog Princess!
15. Human rug.
On the Islands of French Polynesia Marquesas after the official ceremony the bride’s relatives lie next to each other in the dirt face down and the couple must work through them as on the Mat.
16. Theft of shoes.
In some parts of India the groom, before approaching the wedding altar must remove their shoes. Once it is produced, all the relatives of the bride try to steal it, and the relatives of the groom — to protect. If the relatives of the bride will be able to steal the shoes, they will not give it until I get the ransom.
17. Poltergeist.
In some countries, guests give the bride and groom new dishes. In Germany, guests are doing the same thing… and then break them. It is believed that the roar and the bells will scare away evil spirits from a new family.
18. Our smaller brothers.
Although no country in the world does not recognize marriage between man and animal, such unions are practiced in many countries, such as India, to scare away evil spirits. In particular, it is believed that the ghosts possess girls who are born with a milk tooth erupted through the gum, or those who are born with deformities and defects of the face. Usually the marriage is with the goat or dog. Of course, girls don’t expect sexual relations with an animal, and in the future she can marry a man, but if the ghosts are gone from his victim.
19. A mother’s help.
In some villages in Africa, the older woman must accompany the newlyweds into the bedroom on their wedding night, to “enter in”. Although this is usually a village elder, sometimes it can be the mother of the bride. And you thought your mother-in-law is too annoying…
20. Wedding — a serious matter.
In Congo, the marriage is so serious that the bride and groom are forbidden to smile the whole ceremony.
21. Bride kidnapping.
Practiced in many countries of Africa and Asia. If the groom manages a persuasion or deception to kidnap the girl and leave her in his house for 2-3 days, she officially declared his wife. But in many countries this may lead to the fact that the woman raped and/or forced to marry by force.
See also: Stolen brides of Kyrgyzstan
22. Charivari.
In France, the friends and relatives gather at the house of the newlyweds on the wedding night and start beating the pots and pans, scream and shout. Not only that, it spoils all the romance, the couple still needs to go out there and buy snacks and drinks!
23. Saw, Shura, saw…
In Germany there is a wedding tradition, namely, that the bride and groom at the wedding got to saw a log using a joint effort. This tradition symbolizes that the relationship is working, and efforts should be made to preserve them in the future as they are.
24. Wish I could see
In the Baltic States are still waiting for during the dance the groom will cry out from the pain. It’s an indication that the bride have kept a long tradition. Girl just it comes to her husband on the leg to make sure it is not the devil with hooves.
24. Moorish beauties
In Mauritania there is a wedding tradition for the bride before the wedding is sent to raise to her weight gain. It is believed that curvy brides testify to the prosperity and well-being of her parents.
