Love may be universal, but it knows many different forms. These are 10 strange wedding traditions from all over the world.
1. Graveyard weddings in Russia
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow is a popular wedding destination. Guests take photos and drink champagne here, while the bride and groom reverently place flowers on the grave.
2. Gifting a whale tooth
Are you having a hard time scouring shops looking for the perfect wedding gift? Be glad you don’t live in Fiji! On the Melanesian island it is customary for the groom to present a tabua (whale tooth) to his future father-in-law. Because, let’s be honest, if you don’t swim hundreds of meters underwater to fight the largest mammal in the world, it isn’t true love.
3. Kidnapped brides in Kyrgyzstan
This is not only a special, but one of the saddest wedding traditions. An old proverb from Kyrgyzstan states that tears on the wedding day predict a happy marriage. This may be why parents of kidnapped girls consent to forced marriages (even though such marriages have been banned since 1991). When a girl tries to escape, even though she succeeds, she is put under immense pressure. She will need a lot of courage and perseverance to resist the family pressure.
4. “Blackening the Bride
According to this rather disgusting tradition, the bride-to-be (and sometimes the groom as well) is pelted with all sorts of filthy things, from rotten eggs and molasses to fish. To make matters worse, they are paraded through the streets at the same time. The Scots believe that this humiliation is good preparation for married life.
5. Toilet traditions in Borneo
There is a tribe in Borneo that has both the sweetest and the most bizarre wedding traditions. After their wedding day, newly married couples are not allowed to leave their house and are even forbidden to go to the toilet! They are therefore put on a strict diet during these days, which is all meticulously monitored. This would bring happiness to the couple in their marriage.
6. Tears of happiness
Wiping away a tear on your wedding day is only normal, but to start this a month in advance may be a bit much. Yet it is customary among the Thujia people of China for the bride to cry for an hour a day the month before the wedding. The mother and other women join in after a while. Despite the sad face, this is actually a festive affair. The sound of the various women crying would sound like a harmonious song. Is this one of the wedding traditions that will spread to other countries?
7. Ladies’ choice
The Gerewol Festival in Niger is an annual courtship event. The men of the Wodaabe Fula dress up in elaborate costumes, put on traditional make-up and dance and sing in order to get a wife. At the end of their performance, the women get to choose the man of their dreams.
8. Bridal doll
This sweet and simple Puerto Rican tradition involves adorning a doll with charms and placing it at the head of the table during the reception. As the festivities come to an end, the charms are handed out to the guests as a token of thanks and love.
9. Ghadames Date Festival
When the date harvest ends in Ghadames (Libya), the population gathers in the old quarter, a registered World Heritage Site, to celebrate the successful harvest. Marriage ceremonies are regularly performed during the festivities to celebrate the coming of age of young men.
10. Bigger is better
Don’t bother losing those last kilos before marriage, in Mauritania the bigger the better. A fatter woman radiates the groom’s wealth, showing he will be able to support his family. Unfortunately, this is not about an extra piece of cake – this ideal often leads to unhealthy scenes where women are force-fed and in the long run develop nasty health problems such as obesity. These practices have been widely criticized by the community, which has led the government to take measures to protect young women and children.
Opener image: carles miro / iStock