The wedding industry is on the rise, but with that comes more and more unique ideas. There are so many traditions and beliefs that people have picked up over time that it can be challenging to know what to do. Wedding traditions are often passed down through the generations, and specific practices and rituals repeat themselves for centuries, which can be seen in weddings today. Fascinating wedding traditions not only create ways that celebrate the love between two people but also incorporate cultural practices into their ceremony.
- Shoe stealing by bride’s sisters, stopping of the car by bride’s brother in Hindu weddings:
One of India’s most unique wedding traditions is the shoe-throwing tradition by the bride’s sisters. They throw shoes at the grooms, who try to catch them. This is done because the bride’s families believe that the groom will not be able to go for a walk and do other everyday activities after marriage. Wearing shoes for a long time is considered very difficult in Hinduism. Thus, the bride’s families want to ensure that the pair has no problems and the ceremony goes smoothly.
- Arsi Mushraf in Muslim weddings – Couple sees each other’s reflection with a mirror between them:
The Arsi Mushraf ritual is unique to Muslim weddings. The couple uses a mirror between them and looks into it while reciting their vows. This is a sign of the couple’s love for one another, and they both swear to be truthful for the rest of their lives. While not a traditional part of all Muslim weddings and amazing Muslim Wedding Invitations, this is a prevalent practice in many Muslim marriages.
- A Bengali mother cannot attend her son’s or daughter’s wedding:
In Hindu weddings, a tradition states that the bride cannot be attended by her mother. This is so because she will not be able to be present to fulfil a wife’s duties properly. Her mother must be content with accompanying the bride and wishing her luck in her new life. The bride usually goes with some other close female relatives as they provide emotional support while being present at the wedding without having any business obligations.
- Baraat welcomed by tomatoes in UP:
In the state of Uttar Pradesh, there is a tradition for newlyweds to be welcomed by tomatoes. The bride includes the groom and his friends by throwing tomatoes at them. This is done symbolically as it is supposed to be good luck if the groom gets hit with a tomato, although it can get messy.
- Twisting of groom’s ear and colliding bride and groom’s heads in Marathi weddings:
In the Hindu tradition, it is said that the groom and bride are not supposed to see each other until the wedding day. Because of this, they go through a lot of preparation before the wedding to ensure that they match according to their horoscopes. After the wedding, various rituals are done to look at each other as husband and wife for the first time. One such way involves taking both sets of parents out of the room separately and telling them about their marriage.
- Bride’s mother pulls the groom’s nose in Gujarati weddings:
The bride’s mother is usually the one who tells her son the date of the wedding. She must be there when he receives this information as she wants to see that all goes well with him. For this reason, in most traditional Gujarati weddings, the bride’s mother pulls the groom’s nose to say congratulations.
- Tying knots with a tree in case of Manglik weddings:
According to the hijra community, there is a seventh gender called Manglik, a person who has an imbalance in the elements of nature. This imbalance causes unhappiness and misfortune in marriage. To ensure the marriage will not be unlucky, the bride and groom go through a ritual of tying knots with a tree. Usually, one set of knots is done by the bride’s family and the other by the groom’s family. The meaning behind this ceremony is that if you do something terrible to your partner, you will be tied to them forever as they are connected to that particular tree.
These are a few of the unique wedding traditions that can be seen in India. Although there are so many different rituals to choose from, I believe the ones listed above were fascinating as they took into account culture, religion, and history. Overall, these practices create a grand celebration for the bride and groom and their families, guaranteeing they will have happy lives together.