Wedding Traditions Around The World

Weddings worldwide have different traditions that have been repeated for generations. Each country has an array of unique and sacred traditions and we have selected a set of countries that have very interesting ones. In Korea, beating the groom’s feet is a tradition where the soon-to-be husband gets his feet beaten with fish or a cane before their first night as a married man, to test his endurance and character.

In Germany, it is tradition to smash porcelain plates at wedding ceremonies. They believe that in doing so, evil spirits will remain at bay. Once all are broken, the bride and groom must clean up the mess together. A tradition that aims to educate couples that in conjugal life, if they work together, they can overcome all the challenges they face.

Getty Images / Moment / Lisa Schaetzle

In Greece, lucky charms are a must-have at any wedding. The soon-to-be-married Greek brides carry multiple lucky charms on the big day, including a little eye-shaped one to ward off evil spirits. The groom, however, carries a small piece of iron for the same purpose. Also, in order to add sweetness to the marriage, the bride tends to sprinkle some sugar on her gloves. In Russia, there is a great deal of tradition: one that stands out entails the groom paying some sort of a ransom to be allowed to take his bride. The tradition starts on the big day when the groom would go to his bride’s house. He then will have to pass a series of tests previously made by the bride’s friends. Every time he answers correctly, he gets a step closer to uniting with his bride