Where did the term, “Wedding Toast” come from?

Aug 07
2011
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 Where did the term, “Wedding Toast” come from?

It is said that this tradition first began in France, where bread would be placed in the bottom of two drinking glasses for the newlyweds. They would then drink as fast as they could to be the first person to get to the toast. According to legend, the winner would rule their household!

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Wedding Traditions

Feb 12
2011
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Several thoughts are found on this tradition:

  • To protect the bride from evil spirits that were thought to be lying in wait under the threshold.
  • Roman times when it was believed that if the bride stumbled when entering the newlywed’s home for the first time, it would bring bad luck and harm to their marriage. Carrying the bride across the threshold was thought to prevent this from happening.
  • Tradition dictates the new wife must enter he home by the main door and, to avoid bad luck, she must never trip or fall–hence the custom that a bride should be carried over the threshold.
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Maui Wedding Photographer, Wedding Traditions

Feb 08
2011
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Wedding Traditions of Africa; Top Ten Crazy Traditions

Across the continent of Africa, you will find all sorts of wedding traditions and customs. From
country to country or tribe to tribe, traditions can be similar to the western world or can also be
of the very odd. Some of the traditions are dealing with evil spirits and some are simply to either
bring good luck or to honor the past. However, some are just really odd. The top ten (and some
honorable mentions) are:
Honorable Mention – The Kenyan tribe of Maasai is a polygamous tribe. However, the female
will not only marry her husband, but will also be considered married to the entire age group.
When a male guest comes to visit, the men of the tribe are looked at to give up their bed. Along
with that, the wife will choose whether or not she will be joining the male guest in that bed. In
the event she becomes pregnant from the guest, the child will be considered as the husband’s.
Honorable Mention – In Sudan’s Southern region, the people of the Neur tribe believe that a
marriage has not been completed until the new bride has birthed two children. However, if she
were only to have one child, the groom is able to seek divorce. He will also receive all the cattle
that he paid to her father for her hand in marriage back to him. The cattle that the groom paid for
her is done as a way to replace the lost labor of the daughter. Sometimes the cost can be almost
as much as 40 cattle.
Honorable Mention – In Ethiopia, once a wedding ceremony is over, the new couple will head
to the groom’s family house where they will begin their honeymoon. The honeymoon can
last upwards to three months and it is also common for the best man to join the couple for the
honeymoon.
10 – A bride in Morocco will have her eyes decorated with Kohl, which is a combination of soot
along with other substances. Kohl is thought to have therapeutic qualities to it and was expected
to prevent eye disease. Not only was Kohl used to decorate the bride, but also to prevent off the
evil eye.
9 – In the country of Sudan, when a husband passes away, his widowed wife is presented with
his brother as his replacement to be her new husband. In the event they have children together,
the kids will then be thought of as the deceased husband’s children, and not the brother’s.
8 – It is not uncommon to see in a Zimbabwe wedding the killing of a goat or a cow as part of
their celebration.
7 – In Somalia, a wedding for the tribe of Samburu will not be considered finished until after a
bull is brought to the celebration in the hut. The mother of the bride is responsible to watch the
bull during the ceremony. Afterward, the bull is then killed.
6 – In the event that two male cousins, in the county of Niger, share the same fondness for the
same female cousin of theirs, the female will decide which cousin will become her husband. As
for the cousin that is not selected, he is still welcomed in their home. In addition, if she consents
to it, it is not uncommon for the bride to share her bed with both of the cousins.
5 – In the country of Congo, for the wedding and marriage to be seen as being taken seriously,
the bride and groom are not allowed to smile throughout or even after the ceremony. This will
include all activities of the pre, the during and the post ceremony photos.
4 – In Somalia, in an attempt to deter possible bad luck, the women that are on the groom’s side
of the family will insult the new bride.
3 – For the Somalia tribe called Swahili, an elder woman, also known as a somo, will instruct the
bride-to-be on how to please her husband in a sexual way. To avoid problems, it is common for
this somo to hide herself under the couple’s bed, just in case her help is needed.
2 – At a Somalian wedding ceremony of the Massai tribe, the bride’s father will offer blessings
to his daughter by spitting on her head and her breasts.
Number 1 – Also with the Massai tribe in Somalia, when the bride, who is often between the
ages of 13-16 years old, walks away from the ceremony with her husband going towards their
new home, she is not to look back for the fear that she will turn to stone.

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Wedding Traditions of the Middle East; Israel to Lebanon

Jan 22
2011
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Wedding Traditions of the Middle East; Israel to Lebanon

Wedding traditions within the Middle East can vary just as much as their religions and other beliefs. Despite their differences, the one thing they all have in common is the love of their young and the celebrations of marriage. For the countries of Israel, Jordan, Kuwait and Lebanon, these joyous events are rich in tradition.

ISRAEL

Wedding traditions of Israel include:

- Usually starting around dawn, the groom and bride-to-be will fast and will continue to do so until the wedding ceremony concludes.

- To observe a biblical custom, at the beginning of the ceremony you may see the bride circling the groom seven times. The seven circles represent the searching for one another complete.

- Quite often, an Israeli wedding may take place under a wedding canopy known as a Huppah. The outside event is believed that the couple will be blessed with many children, just as many as the stars up in the heavens.

- As the ceremony is coming to an end, the groom will take the empty wine glass, wrap it up, and then stomp on it. This represents Israel’s Holy Temple and its destruction.

- At the very end of the ceremony, the guests will yell out “Mazel Tov!” or “Good Luck!” At which point the traditional dance to celebrate, the Hora, is performed.

JORDAN

Wedding traditions of Jordan include:

- Majority of the marriages are still arranged by the bride-to-be’s father.

- Quite often the marrying couples are cousins. In addition, the new couple may not know each other very well until after the engagement is announced.

- It is imperative that the brides-to-be are virgins upon their wedding night.

- After the marriage is complete, it is the husband that will dictate every aspect of his new bride’s life. That includes day-to-day life as well as any other travel. To travel, he must give written approval.

- Polygamy for the husband is legal and can have as many as four wives.

- In Jordan, divorce is legal. However in the event there are children, they will go into his custody. With this being the case, women in Jordan tend to stay in marriages, good or bad, instead of opting for divorce. Even if he weds others.

- Women that are divorced are seen as outcasts.

KUWAIT

Wedding traditions of Kuwait include:

- Staying within the Kuwait tradition, marriages are arranged and the family is responsible for finding the partner.

- Within the clans, intermarriage is common. However, it is not between the social classes.

- Women in Kuwait need the permission of their father to marry, despite their age.

- A man in Kuwait is allowed to marry a non-Muslim, but a woman can never marry a non-Muslim man.

- A man can marry up to four women, while a woman is only allowed to have one husband.

- Throughout the engagement period, the engaged woman is not allowed to meet anyone or even leave her house.

- On the night of the wedding ceremony, the groom, surrounded by his father, uncles, neighbors and other relatives, walk from his home to his bride’s, where they are received by the songstresses.

- After the ceremony, the new couple will spend the first week at her family’s home. When the week is over, they will then move on to his family’s home for much rejoicing and celebration. It is considered a bad omen if the bride’s mother joins them at the groom’s home.

LEBANON

Wedding traditions of Lebanon include:

- Usually a wedding engagement takes place in the home of the future bride, in which the groom will bring many presents.

- A wedding in Lebanon may take up to three days long.

- In the event a bride should step on the foot of a single girl, the single girl is brought good luck and will marry soon.

- After the wedding celebration is over, the bride’s family will be invited to a big feast by the groom’s family. This can be either lunch or dinner. Afterwards, the bride’s families will the return the favor to the groom’s side.

- Served at the reception will be the Ghoraibi. This is a white butter cookie that crumbles. The cookie is white which will represent the bride’s purity.

- Many of the old traditions in Lebanon still exist today, but you will see more and more of the modern day “western” style infused into the wedding and reception, especially in your larger cities such as Beirut.

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