Traditional Roman law required ten witnesses to make a wedding legal. Another ancient Roman tradition involves the bridesmaids and guests dressing the same as the bride and groom to confuse any malevolent forces who may show up unexpected.
Summertime is the most popular time of year to get married in Sweden, with around 20 hours of sunlight you can’t get a better time to marry. Traditionally Swedes will live with each other for a couple of years before getting married. On the day of the wedding the bride will have a gold coin in her right shoe and a silver coin in her left one, to make things even more difficult to walk the bride’s shoes will stay unlaced, which is suppose to enhance the chances of easy childbirth.
Traditionally in Uzbekistan the parent’s of the groom choose their son’s bride. The parents spend their life saving for the wedding. The groom’s parents go to the bride’s home to ask the girl’s parents if they agree to the marriage. But before going the parents will ask their friends and neighbors to find out what type of girl is she? They ask questions like does she cook well and is he going to be a good housewife or a good wife for their son?
Many of the traditional wedding traditions of Kyrgyzstan are still practiced today. Typically the bride is kidnapped by the groom and his friends and family in a planned attack. A man brings the girl to the future husband’s house, upon entering her head is covered with a white kerchief which is the sign of virginity. The boy’s parents then scatter ‘chachyla’ which is traditional bread, sweets and fruits over the new daughter-in-law; this symbolizes happiness and successful welfare between themselves and her in the future.
A popular form of marriage in Kazakhstan was via matchmaking and the purchase of the bride for a kalyn which is the bride-price. For the individual to enter into the marriage they must observe certain restrictions tied to the exogamic norms – social, national and clan/tribal denomination were required. If people violated the exogamic barrier they would be severely punished by the clan which could result in death.
Before a wedding occurs in Brunei the fiancé gives his fiancée between $1000 and $2000, known as ‘belanja dapur’ the money is used towards the preparations of the wedding. Preparations include the building of a special stage called the ‘pelamin’, which the couple sits on during the wedding ceremony.
Traditionally in Kiribati marriages were pre-arranged these days’ people choose their own spouses. Before the man proposes he sends his uncle to the young woman’s house to notify the family of the up and coming marriage proposal. The engagement process is normally long as it allows the bride’s family time to weave sleeping mats for the new son-in-law and his family. In return the groom’s family gives rolls of cloth to the bride’s family. Once married the new wife will live with her husband’s family learning how to be a good wife from his relatives. If a man dies, its common practices for an unwed brother to assume his place in the marriage.
On Saipan, its custom for the man to propose to the woman, if accepted a meeting is set up with the girl’s parents at their home. On arrival the young man is introduced to the parents and in a sign of respect he takes the hands of the parents and kisses them saying ‘Niora’ to the mother and ‘Niot’ to the father. Financial assistance for the wedding is provided by the relatives and the young man, who must provide most of the financial assistance. The man pays for two parties and provides money for the bride’s clothes and jewelry.
There are two distinct styles of weddings that take place in New Zealand. First being the traditional European style wedding which involves the white wedding gown, the church and a reception. And, weddings in New Zealand also reflect the Maori heritage of the island. Maori weddings include a ceremony which is conducted by a tribal elder and the couple will be blessed in the Maori language. Wedding rings are traditionally made out of carved bone or greenstone.
The people from ‘Down Under’ don’t actually have any real memorable wedding traditions to speak of, as most traditions are borrowed from America and Europe. But, they do have one custom that dates back many centuries involving the bible, which is often giving as a wedding gift. The bible is kept as a souvenir for future generations. Traditionally, Australian weddings begin with a ceremony in a local church and finish at a reception venue, where a big party involving much drinking and dancing takes place.
