Western Wedding Traditions and Where They Come From
There are many customs in society that people simply take for granted and thus barely even consider why it is done or how it originated. The western wedding ceremony, for example, is considerably replete with somewhat ridiculous ritual that few seem to really understand at all, other than that it is just “how it’s done”. Ironically many of the rituals being performed by devout Christians in a Christian church and ceremony are essentially based on Pagan beliefs.
Thankfully sometimes it is an elegant ritual and equally thankfully some of the rituals are just plain fun. It is likely that any ritual not fitting either the elegant beauty category or the fun category would have been phased out long ago and is thus no longer being practiced today. There are likely countless marriage rituals in various cultures which have long since been forgotten due to their disuse. Let’s look at some of the more popular traditional western rituals that are still being practiced today and perhaps see just why they have stayed around so long.
The throwing of rice is an interesting ritual of the kind that is very popular in animist or Pagan cultures as it is essentially a ritual of fertility. Rice is a seed and it doesn’t take a far stretch of the imagination to see just what showering handfuls of white seed on a newlywed couple is symbolic of. Perhaps if the couple isn’t planning on children then they can bypass this ritual, although it likely comes in handy for all of their creative endeavors in general so it is likely best to go for it. Besides, it’s possibly the most fun of all wedding rituals. Do consider the pigeons and plan accordingly for their safety.
The wedding bouquet itself is one ritual that has transformed over the years into something far different than it was originally intended to be performed. It had been a bouquet of intense herbs which were thought to have the effect of protecting from undesired “energies” which were considered inappropriate for the wedding ceremony. Imagine walking down the aisle with a bouquet of garlic today. Thankfully that is one ritual that has changed for the better.
The concept of tying cans to the bumper of a car apparently arises from a similar concept that was once enacted instead by the banging of pots and pans and so on to clear the proverbial air and allow the couple to proceed on their merry way.
Finally one tradition which may seem Pagan in its concept of luck is the tradition of the groom not being allowed to see the bride prior to the ceremony. This is one that probably isn’t actually originating in any animism other than the human kind. In the days when arranged marriages were popular among parents, the groom may have not actually ever seen the bride before the day of the wedding. Thus the reason for not allowing him to see the bride prior to the ceremony, lest he decide they are not the best match and so make a hasty exit to protect them from an unhappy marriage.
Hopefully that has given you a good introduction to some of the historical origins of some western wedding traditions. It may be best not to think about it too much and just have fun instead.
