Funny Wedding Superstitions and Traditions Explained

So THAT's where 'tying the knot' comes from...

21 March, 2018
Funny Wedding Superstitions and Traditions Explained

We've all heard the adage that a bride should have 'something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue' on her wedding day, and that the groom should NEVER see her before the ceremony, but we've never really stopped to think where those little superstitious traditions come from...

[If you're wondering, the former is said to safeguard a bride's fertility, while the latter originates from the days when marriages were arranged and couples weren't meant to see each other before they wed.]

Unsurprisingly, pretty much every culture has its own little quirks when it comes to the big day – those things couples either do or hope for so that the wedding gods will look down kindly on their union.

Here, we've rounded up some of the funniest lucky (or not-so-lucky, depending on what happens) superstitions that couples around the world bear in mind on their big day...

1. Hope for rain on the day

Why? We're not sure any couple really wants torrential rain on their wedding day, but many cultures, including us in Britain, have long associated a bit of drizzle with good luck.

For a start, it symbolises fertility, since rain water allows plants and crops to grow, but it's also a metaphor for washing away sorrow.

Incidentally, this superstition is also where the expression 'tying the knot' comes from – a wet knot is stronger and difficult to unravel, hopefully like the marriage itself will be. Aww.

2. Shatter a glass on the floor

Why? This Italian tradition sees newlywed couples throw a glass or vase onto the floor – and the harder they do it, the better. Tradition dictates that the number of shards it breaks into represents the number of years they will be happily married.

Not to be confused with a similar practice in Jewish wedding ceremonies where the groom stomps on a glass – this serves as a reminder of the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem.

3. Check how dark henna goes on your skin

Why? The night before her wedding, an Asian bride will have henna painted on her hands and feet, with superstition saying the darker it develops on her skin, the happier and stronger the marriage will be.

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4. Cry on the day if you're the bride

Why? No one wants runny mascara in their wedding snaps, but a dry eye isn't necessarily good news either – according to tradition, anyway. A bride crying on her big day is meant to be great luck, as it means she has metaphorically shed all her tears and will be happy in the marriage.

5. Get spat on by your father

Why? If our dad tried this, it would NOT go down well FYI, but in Kenya the father-of-the-bride is traditionally meant to spit on his daughter's head and chest after the ceremony in order to bless her.

6. Wear a sugar cube in your glove

Why? Greek brides are traditionally told to place a sugar cube in their wedding glove to keep the union sweet. Doesn't sound exactly practical – or comfortable!

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7. Find a spider in your dress

Why? Arachnophobic brides might shudder, but finding a spider in your wedding dress is said to bring good luck to the marriage, according to old English folklore. Well, 'money spiders' are meant to bring good fortune, aren't they?

8. Get pinched by your guests

Why? It's 'no pain, no gain' for Egyptian brides, who get repeatedly pinched by their guests for good luck. Ouch.

9. Plant a pine tree in your garden

Why? Better grab those gardening gloves, at least if you're a Dutch couple. In Holland, it's traditional for the betrothed pair to plant a pine tree outside their home for fertility and luck. Presumably, this isn't meant to happen on the ACTUAL day, though – we'd hate to see soil stains ruin anyone's wedding dress...

Credit: Cosmopolitan
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