Strange wedding traditions

Wedding traditions differ from culture to culture, nation to nation. Some of traditions are actually quite hard to explain. Here are just few examples of such traditions.

Let's start with Korea. After the wedding ceremony, friends of the groom take off his socks, tie a rope around the ankles, and start beating soles of his feet with dried yellow corvina. Yellow corvina is kind of fish! It is done so to make the groom stronger before the first wedding night.

Korean bride and groom

Koreans believe that if the groom is smiling a lot at the wedding his first child is going to be a daughter. After the wedding groom's parents throw some nuts and plums to the bride. If the bride takes some nuts she'll get many sons.

Jujubes (dried red dates)

There is also a tradition where guest at the wedding throw some other objects at the happy couple. These objects are chestnuts (symbolizing respect) and jujubes ("daechu") or dried red dates (symbolizing diligence).

"San-san-kudo no Sakazuki" or just "sakazuki-goto" is the name of the ceremony held at Japanese wedding. In Japanese San-san-kudo means "three, three, nine times". The bride and groom take three sips of sake from each of three cups. The cup used in the ceremony is called "sakazuki". Three cups used differ in size. First three sips are from the smallest one.

Number three was chosen on purpose. It is an indivisible numer and Buddhist believe that it is sacred. For them nine means triple happiness.

Japanese newlyweds

The sake drank during this ceremony is not always delicious. It is the same with life. All kind of troubles will appear. But the bride and groom will have to overcome them with spirit of unity present in the ceremony.

For the next tradition let's move to Scotland. There is an old Scottish tradition called "feet washing". It is held on the eve of a wedding. People gather to wash the feet of a bride-to-be. Before the ceremony the ring belonging to a married woman is put into a tub. The first person who is going to find the ring is going to be married next.

"Creeling the groom" is an old Scottish wedding ritual where the groom carries big basket full of stones on his back. He has to carry it until the bride comes and gives him a kiss.

Luckenbooth brooch

The Luckenbooth brooch is given to the bride by her groom on the wedding day. In the 18th century these brooches were sold from locked booths in the jewellery quarter of St. Giles in Edinburgh. Some people pin this brooch on the blanket of their first baby for luck.

"The first foot" is a person whome the Scottish bride sees first on her way to the wedding. This person gets a coin and some whiskey. He or she must join the bridal procession.

People in Scotland also organize "Blackening the bride". Couple's friends and family members kidnap the bride-to-be and then pour some rather smelly substance on her.

Blackening the bride

Would you like the recipe? Mix eggs, different sauces, butter, cheese, noodles, fish, sausages, carrots. Some extra ingredients can be added. Everything depends on your imagination. When she is "blacken" she is guided through town for everyone to see her.

What's the "procedure" for the bride when entering her new home? Before she enters it an oatcake or "bannocks" (a biscuit made of barley and oat flour) is broken above her head. Peaces of bannocks are then share among everyone present. Only then the groom carries the bride over the threshold.