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The World's 7 Most Amazing Wedding Traditions


On May 19th, the world will be watching as Prince Harry and Megan Markle tie the knot at their Royal Wedding celebration. To celebrate this global event, HomeToGo travelled the world to find the most amazing wedding traditions.


From funny to dirty to downright unbelievable, these 7 wedding traditions (colourfully painted and brought to life) show the lengths humans go to to celebrate love and marriage.

Let’s start our wedding-around-the-world trip with the obvious stop… A Royal Wedding tradition.

1. England, Royal Wedding: Mailing a piece of the wedding cake to the attendees

Illustration featuring the wedding custom from the royal wedding, where attendees are mailed a piece of cake after the celebration


If you’re on the guest list of the Royal wedding, you may receive a very original thank you note.

Each attendee of Prince Harry and Meghan's Wedding on May 19th will enjoy a royal tradition; it is custom for every guest to receive a piece of cake as a gesture of thanks in the post a few days after the big day.

Sweet, isn’t it?


2. Fiji: Offering a whale tooth to the bride’s father

Illustration featuring the wedding custom from Fiji, where the groom has to offer a whale tooth to the bride's father


Atabua is the name of a sperm whale’s tooth. In traditional Fijian wedding celebrations, the groom offers a tabua to the parents of the bride.

Despite rising cost due to species preservation, this ritual is still alive and remains a truly authentic way to say, “I love you” in Fiji.


3. Russia: Stealing the bride

Illustration featuring the wedding custom from Russia, where friends sometime steal the bride in exchange of a symbolic ransom


In Russia, wedding celebrations are often spiced up by light-hearted kidnappings. Friends attending the wedding “steal the bride” from the groom.

The ransom? Money or a symbolic gesture (depending on the ethics of your friends - choose them wisely).

Once paid off, the bride is returned to the groom, and the celebration continues. Nasdrovie!


4. Scotland: Throwing dirt on the groom and the bride

Illustration featuring the wedding custom from Scotland, where the groom and the bride get thrown dirt before the wedding


Before lucky Scottish couples are wed, they are captured by friends and family and covered in dirt, food, feathers, and whatever else their friends bring along to show them they care.

Once thoroughly covered, the couple are paraded through the town so everyone can see them at their dirtiest.

Illustration featuring the wedding custom from Sweden, where attendees steal kisses to the newlyweds


“You may now kiss the bride,” is a statement that takes on another meaning in Sweden.

When the groom leaves the room, guests kiss the bride and vice versa. It’s a very loving affair.


Illustration featuring the wedding custom from Germany, where the newlyweds smash plates before the wedding


Joyful plate smashing at a wedding celebration is not considered a discourtesy in Germany, but a playful custom named Polterabend.


Illustration featuring the wedding custom from Korea, where friends slap the feet of the groom with a fish


If you attend a wedding in Korea, you may witness some slimy and epic foot slapping. What will it look like, you may ask?

The friends of the groom will tie a rope around the ankles of the groom and start slapping the sole of his feet with a fish.

While this could look like an excuse to make fun of the groom, it is said to provide some vital energy to perform well on the wedding night.


If you're lucky enough to be invited to a very authentic wedding in one of these countries, make your stay even more comfortable with a great vacation rental from HomeToGo.


Illustrations done by Jessica Olah

Sources

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_wedding_traditions
  • https://www.popsugar.com/celebrity/photo-gallery/43542328/image/43542331/Wedding-Cake-Mailed-Out-Thank-You
  • https://www.thelocal.se/20150609/seven-traditions-that-make-a-swedish-wedding
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polterabend
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3815929/It-s-not-just-cake-s-tiers-Nasty-groom-slaps-bride-s-hand-away-tries-feed-piece-wedding-cake.html
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/11/world/asia/suva-fiji-tabua.html
  • http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14285355.The_Blackening__Scots_wedding_tradition_making_a_comeback/
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