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1. Spitting Tradition: Blessings and Respect in Maasai Culture
Spitting at someone is often considered rude in many cultures, but not among the Maasai people of Kenya and northern Tanzania. For them, spitting is a sign of respect, used for greetings, farewells, and expressing good wishes. This tradition extends to weddings, where the bride receives blessings through spitting by her father.
Breaking dishes is a German tradition.
Unusual wedding customs, rich in cultural symbolism, are often exceptionally intriguing. From carving wooden staffs to the ritual of smashing plates, these are some of the most interesting wedding traditions in Germany. As is the case with many cultural backgrounds, wedding customs in Germany commence prior to the ceremony. One such tradition is known as polterabend, which typically takes place on the evenings preceding the wedding day.
5. Tradition of Clanging Pots and Pans in Newlywed Homes in France
In modern French weddings, there is a blend of contemporary style with age-old customs. While some older traditions have faded away, many endearing traditional wedding customs of France are still embraced by modern couples. In France, when people marry (especially young couples), friends and family gather at the home of the newlyweds, banging pots and pans while singing and shouting. The newlyweds must come out and serve drinks and light snacks to these guests and sometimes even give them money to leave.
In Indonesia, a tribe prohibits newlyweds from using toilets for three days after the wedding. The Tidong tribe believes that breaking this rule will bring misfortune to couples such as broken marriages, infidelity, or the death of children at a young age. Therefore, the couples are closely monitored and are only allowed minimal food and drinks. After three days, they are allowed to bathe and then use the toilet.
The Tidong people reside in the northeastern region of Borneo, near the border between Indonesia and Malaysia. Whenever a wedding is held in the tribe, the couple must adhere to special customs. After all the wedding processions are completed, the couple is taken to a room where they must spend the first three days of marriage. However, they cannot answer the call of nature. The newlyweds are supervised by relatives, who also ensure they overcome the challenge without cheating by secretly relieving themselves. It is believed that only couples who pass this challenge can have a lasting and stable marriage, while those who fail will encounter misfortune in marriage.
Crying tradition in Chinese weddings has been long-standing in many regions of southwestern Sichuan Province
The tradition of crying at weddings has been a longstanding practice in many areas of southwestern Sichuan Province, China
Marrying a banana tree in India
For thousands of years, the banana tree, known as kadali in Sanskrit, has been intertwined with human life and nourished their imagination. In Hindu culture, it symbolizes beauty, femininity, and prosperity. It is considered the embodiment of the goddess Parvati, the epitome of a loving wife, and Lakshmi, the goddess of beauty. According to Hindu tradition, to ward off the malefic effects of Mars, a woman should marry a banana tree or a banyan tree before marrying her fiancé.
Daur people in China and parts of Inner Mongolia select wedding dates by examining the liver of a young rooster
Daur people, descendants of the Khitan, an ancient ethnic group in China, choose wedding dates through divination based on the appearance of the liver of a young rooster slaughtered by the couple
