With the arrival of fresh and warm spring, everyone is full of energy, awakening from the sleepy winter and ready for all the unknowns. In this season abound with flowers and love, many young people choose to live together, decide to become each other's other half, and commit to holding a grand and sweet wedding. However, although people share the same sky, they have different wedding traditions. Now, let's take a look at the wedding customs that still exist worldwide in modern society.
China: Joyful while Stylish
Unlike the West, traditional Chinese weddings are famous for their red color. In ancient China, newlyweds wore red clothes to symbolize joy and good fortune on their wedding day. However, in modern China, with the globalization of culture and the rise of local Chinese costumes, more and more young couples will choose two sets of wedding clothes, one for the white wedding dress and suit, and one for the red Chinese costume. Furthermore, Chinese people also talk about the three gold, that is, gold necklace, gold earrings, and gold ring. Local Chinese called it ‘sanjin’. The groom bought ‘three gold’ to the bride before they have engaged. It is a gift and you can regard it as a promise. Hence, it can be called one of the most significant wedding traditions.
Fetching the bride is another fun tradition in China. That means the bride will stay at her parents’ house. And the groom needs to pick up his bride from there. When the groom arrived, the bridesmaids will block the door to keep the groom out, which is called “chuangmen”. in order to get the bridesmaids to open the door, the groom and best man would stuff red envelopes into the door to bribe the bridesmaids to open the door. The game “chuangmen” means that the bride’s families feel reluctant to marry their daughter. Until the groom can prove his ability by breaking open the door.
Greek: Lucky in Earnest
Generally, Greeks of the Orthodox faith hold their weddings in the Orthodox Church. At the same time, the couple’s best man and bridesmaids are called koumbaro and koumbara. On the wedding day, the groom is responsible for buying a pair of brilliant shoes for the bride. And the koumbaro is required to give it to the bride. After putting on the shoes, the bride will insist that the shoes are too big for her feet. That is to say; the koumbaro will prepare coins and stuff them inside the bride’s shoes for good luck.
The other known tradition of Greek weddings is “crowning.” From the ancient story, celebrate the union of a newlywed couple and the birth of a new family. God would crown the bride and groom and make them the heads of the family. Then, under the priest’s direction, the koumbaro and koumbara gather the crowns on top of the couple’s heads. And then exchange them three times to complete the ceremony.
Britain: Worldwide and Historic
The modern wedding tradition in the West came from the UK. Soon quickly expanded around the world. It not only has a reasonably long history but is also very popular. The origin of the white wedding dress comes from the 19th century. Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in an ivory-white gown. And soon after, white became a popular wedding dress color, which symbolizes purity and innocence.
Another English wedding tradition comes from an anonymous poem widespread in England. “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe.” She will receive a blessing on her wedding day if she has all four elements.
