Wedding traditions refer to a set of customs, rituals, or practices of an area, nation, ethnicity, or religion. That passes from one generation to the next on their wedding days to give meaning and depth to the holy celebration of a wedding. Every nation or region has its sweet or strange wedding traditions with a deep meaning behind them. For Example, at a Korean wedding, a bride receives a wooden duck or goose in place of gifts or cash. Which is a symbol of commitment. In return, the groom also needs to give a wild duct to his mother-in-law to show his purity and loyalty toward his wife.  

In Kenya, there is another unusual wedding custom in which the groom’s father spits on the bride’s dress. As strange as it may seem to you, in Kenya, spitting on someone indicates respect. Additionally, a father spitting on a bride’s dress is viewed as good luck. 

Weddings are fun but what’s more fun is attending weddings of different cultures. However, it is not possible for every soul. As a result, Simple Rishta is about to embark on a journey exploring wedding customs from various cultural perspectives in a blog post of ten minutes. Join us in this informative journey and see if there are any similarities between our and their culture.  

Wedding Traditions Across different cultures  

Here is the list of wedding traditions of different cultures of famous countries: 

1. Pakistani Weddings – Full of Heritage

Pakistan has a rich and diverse culture influenced by region, religion, and family background. The most common wedding traditions in Pakistan are the Mehndi ceremony, Nikah ceremony, Wedding Day, and Walima reception.  

The Pakistani wedding start with a mehndi ceremony where the bride’s female relatives and friends gather to apply henna on the bride’s feet and arm. The next is a wedding day which includes a Nikah ceremony which is a religious agreement of matrimony. Then Barat, where the groom and his family arrive to take the bride with them. The wedding day ends with Rukhsati – the official goodbye to the bride.  

Walima is a light function in which the groom feasts with his relatives and friends with meals. Some families add engagement, dholak, bachelor party, bridal shower, and Ubtan to this three-day wedding function. 

There is also a tradition of giving dowry (Jahez), where the bride’s family gives gifts and household items to the groom’s family as a symbol of the bride’s value. Juta chupai is a playful tradition of Pakistani culture. The bride’s sisters hide the groom’s shoes and demand money in exchange for their return.  

2. Indian Wedding Traditions

Pakistan and Indian wedding traditions are almost similar due to their similar past and close territory. But still, Indian weddings are famous for their elaborate, vibrant celebrations that can go on for several days. Their weddings include Roka (engagement), Sangeet (a musical event), Haldi, Bachelor party, Vivah day, and reception.  

Jaimala, Kanyadan, Saat Phere, Sindhoor (vermilion powder), and Manglasutra (sacred necklace) are the common wedding traditions of Indian culture which is a sign of support from parents and husband and wife union.  

Indian weddings are fun with many food, rituals, and colourful decorations to celebrate joyous moments of love and commitment.  

3. Korean Cultural Wedding

Similar to the country itself, Korean wedding customs are peaceful yet vibrant. Korean religion has its roots in syncretism, a synthesis of philosophical ideas drawn from Buddhism, Korean shamanism, and Confucianism. As a result, Korea’s marriage customs incorporate ideas from these philosophical traditions, particularly Confucianism. These traditions include a pre-wedding celebration with exchanging gifts and blessings between the families, Pyebaek- a ritual of paying respect to the groom’s parents by the wedded couple. Wearing hanbok- a traditional dress, sword, and drum dance, baek-il (drinking ritual in remembrance of groom’s ancestors), exchanging of ducks and geese as a sign of infidelity.  

There is also a playful tradition of tossing chestnuts and jujubes by the groom toward his bride. The more the bride caught in her skirt the more she will bless with kids.  

Overall, Korean weddings are full of meaningful traditions and rituals that reflect the country’s rich cultural heritage.  

4. Chinese Ritual Weddings

Chinese weddings are rich in symbolism and tradition and are a celebration of the couple’s love and commitment to each other. Their weddings traditions include “nao Dongfang” an engagement ceremony, wedding date selection by astrologers, cheongsam- traditional dress, and tea ceremony to pay tribute to the wedded couple’s parents. In addition, lion, and dragon dance to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits, red enveloped full of money as a symbol of good luck and prosperity. And a menu full of traditional Chinese dishes whole fish, noodles, and dumplings. These traditions are fun and vibrant to enjoy.  

5. German Wedding Traditions

The wedding customs in Germany are a reflection of the nation’s rich history and culture. Engagement, a bridal bouquet of white flowers as a sign of purity, Polterabend- the smashing of plates to bring good luck, a fun ritual of bride kidnapping and bringing bread and salt for symbolizing prosperity are practices including their weddings. Each region of Germany may have its own unique customs and practices but the ones enlisted above are the common ones.  

6.  Saudi Arabian Wedding Customs

In Saudi Arabia, weddings are seen as a major milestone in a person’s life and are celebrated with great joy and festivities. Their wedding traditions are similar to other Islamic countries with Nikah, henna, and a reception ceremony. One of the unique practices you’ll see in an Arabian wedding is the separation of gender that is men and women are separated in a wedding with curtains and walls.  

7. Malaysian Wedding ceremonies

Malaysia is a diverse country with a rich cultural heritage, and this is reflected in its wedding traditions. Their wedding traditions include “merisik” an engagement, “kebaya” a traditional attire, “hantaran” a dowry, “bersanding” sitting together, money dance, giving gifts, and traditional foods are a must. Malaysian weddings are a celebration of love, family, and tradition. They are marked by joy, festivity, and a strong sense of community, and are an important part of Malaysian culture. 

TAKEAWAY

 Wedding traditions differ significantly across cultures and countries. Only a few are summarized here, as there is a lot to discover. Perhaps we come back soon for a second journey to wedding traditions across the culture. So, we’ve written about some fascinating cultural wedding traditions. If you happen to be aware of any unique or conventional wedding customs, kindly share them with us. 

Read one of our earlier blogs to discover Interesting and Scary Facts About Marriage.” 

Endnote

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