Western marriage customs culture, Western marriage customs
5 min readIn modern society, many people choose to get married in the Western way and etiquette. What’s a wedding like in Western countries? There are also many complicated wedding customs. Let’s have a look at the marriage book to introduce the wedding customs in Western countries.Western wedding culture knowledge.Western Valentine’s Day originated in ancient Rome, one of the most popular legends is: in the third century AD, the war in ancient Rome, the tyrant Claudius ordered men to go to the battlefield, forbidding them to marry, engagement, already engaged must also cancel the engagement, the people complained.
Friar Valentine lived in a temple not far from the tyrant’s palace. He was angry at the tyrant’s abuse. When a couple came to the temple to ask for his help, Valentine quietly married them in front of the sacred altar. Word spread from one to another, and many couples formed with Valentine’s help.
The tyrant knew this and threw Valentine into the dungeon. Valentine suffered and died. The date was February 14, AD 270. Later generations in memory of this kind friar, will be on February 14 as Valentine’s Day.
Many customs of Western marriage are familiar to everyone. The wedding scene is lively, lively, beautiful and romantic. For example, wearing a wedding dress, wearing a diamond ring and so on has become an indispensable part of the urban wedding. But its origins and symbolism are not so clear to everyone. Here is a brief introduction to the origin and meaning of some western wedding supplies and terms.
Welsh Love Spoon:
Welsh men used to spend most of their time at sea, carving a love spoon by hand from a fine piece of wood. This “love spoon” symbolizes love, wealth, loyalty and devotion. It is a thing of affection. “Love spoon” pattern and carved patterns are rich and colorful, different images, each has its own originality. It depends on the heart of the young man who carved it, the dexterity of his hands, the depth of his love. When the young man returns from the sea, he will present the “love spoon” to the girl he has long admired. Today, it is still a symbol of love, but it is not just a token of affection. It can be given on birthdays, wedding anniversaries or other special occasions.
White wedding Dress:
White wedding dresses were most popular in the Victorian era. Queen Victoria wore a beautiful white wedding dress when she married her sweetheart. Since then, the white wedding dress has become popular all over the world, and it is still the most popular wedding dress for girls, because it symbolizes purity and loyalty. Before Queen Victoria, brides didn’t care about color, even black, as long as it was pretty.
Wear old and new, gold and blue:
In addition to her beautiful new wedding dress, the bride is married with an old garter from a married lady, a borrowed gold coin symbolizing the sun, and a blue object symbolizing the moon (because Diana, the goddess of the moon, is considered the patron saint of women). It is said that only in this way can good luck come to you.
Garter belt:
The garter isn’t just for good luck, it’s also for the bride to get out of the house. In the past, when the bride and groom entered the bridal chamber, all the guests would follow them to see them off. The custom has changed so much that only a few very close guests are allowed to enter the bridal chamber and make fun of the bride. To ward off rowdy guests, the groom would remove the bride’s garter and throw it at them, closing the bedroom door amid laughter and confusion.
Wedding veil: This is used to cover the bride’s face in case her old flame sees it and becomes jealous and ruins the wedding.
Horseshoes:
In Britain and other Western countries, brides often tie the horseshoe to their wrists with silk. Legend has it that the Holy mage Dunstan once cast magic on the horseshoe and put it on the feet of the devil. The devil begged for mercy and promised never to enter a house with the horseshoe in it again, so the horseshoe was used to ward off evil. Today, the horseshoe has become a symbol of good luck and fertility.
Over the threshold:
In a wedding, the bride must be carried across the threshold by the groom when she enters. It is said that this is due to the honey that their families put on.
On the threshold of the new house, the purpose is to hope that their marriage sweet as honey. The groom picked up the bride to avoid sticking to her skirt.
Honey. It is also said that their families put good oil and herbs on the threshold, and the groom would pick up the bride and step over to prevent her from slipping.
Wedding banquet:
Bridesmaids and groomsmen are also dressed up as elaborately as the bride and groom, supposedly to trick former lovers of the bride and groom into not being able to identify them and make the reception go smoothly. Another is to deceive the evil spirit and prevent it from doing harm to the new.
To throw candy:
Sugared almonds are often sprinkled during weddings, indicating both bitter and sweet marriages. The candy must be thrown in an odd number, which is believed to bring good luck to the couple.
Bouquet toss: The bride turns her back to the group and throws her bouquet backwards. Whoever catches it will be the next to get married. This is a very exciting moment!
Wedding cake:
In the past, the top layer of the wedding cake was reserved and hidden under the bed in the bridal chamber to pray for the bride to have strong children. A year later, the bride and groom take out the cake and eat it together. This will bless them with good health and good fortune. Needless to say, this custom is no longer popular, but some newlyweds still store cakes in the fridge until their first wedding anniversary. The international standard is 5 layers.
Mead:
On the wedding night, the bride and groom drink mead together. It’s a custom passed down from the Middle Ages. It is said that if you drink mead, you will have more children and more happiness. If the bride had a baby within 10 months of marriage, it would be a great honor for the mead maker. The winemaker will become famous, his business will grow, and his name will be used as the name of a new baby.
Champagne Tower:
To the sign of blood blend, respect, sweet. The international standard is 5 layers.
Weddings in western countries are relatively romantic, based on aesthetic romance, so it will attract many other countries to adopt their way of marriage.