Scotland: Blackening of the bride
In Scotland, blackening of the bride is a part of a hazing ritual that happens before the wedding. Before the wedding, brides are taken by surprise by the friends. Friends throw and douse the bride into foul substances such as curdled milk, egg, dead fish, spoiled food, tar, feathers and then tying her to a tree. Finally she is taken out for a night of drinking. It is a typical pre-marital humiliation that Scottish brides undergo with the belief that if you can handle this you can handle anything, even marriage. In short blackening the bride is to prepare her for any humiliation or problems she’ll come across during her marriage. Even in some parts it is also believed that the ritual is carried out to ward off evil spirits
Korea: Beating the groom’s feet
In South Korea after the wedding ceremony, the groom has to endure a beating from his friends before he can retire with his bride. Friends of the groom take off his socks, knot a rope around the ankles, and begin beating the soles of his feet with dried fish. A particular type of fish is used i.e. Yellow corvine. Sometimes a stick or cane is also used. It is believed that this will make the groom stronger before the first marriage night. It can be painful but it’s over quickly and more fun than cruel. The intention behind this tradition is to check the groom’s strength and knowledge. He is often asked questions and quizzed during the test. Beating the soles of a groom’s feet with a fish perhaps isn’t going to make him any smarter, but it’s an amusing tradition that holds a unique place in Korean wedding culture
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Romani: Kidnapping Brides
A common practice in Romania, Bride Kidnapping is a crazy ritual where a man abducts the woman he wants to marry. Also known as marriage by arrest or by seizure, bride kidnapping also include elopements, where couples run away without the consent of their parents. In some parts of the world, the ritual is considered as a sex crime. In some cultures like the Romani or Gypsies it is still practiced. It is believed that if you manage to convincingly or forcefully kidnap a girl and remain her by your side for at least 2-3 days, she will officially be called your wife
China: Preplanned Crying
Weird but true that crying is one of the wedding function in China. Crying is a regular part of weddings. Crying is pre planned as a wedding custom. A month before the wedding, a bride is expected to cry for about an hour. After 10 days, her mother joins her in the ritual. After another ten days, her grandmothers, sisters and other females unite in the ritual. Tujia would be bride has to perform the Crying Marriage Song. The bride weeps in different tones which sounds like a song and with various words which is seen as an expression of happiness and joy.The belief behind this tradition is actually a celebration of happy married life for the couple
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Germany: Smashing Dishes
In parts of Germany, a ritual called Polterabend is practiced. It is a party hosted by newlywed which typically starts with profligate feasts and finishes with the entire guest making as much noise as possible. Dishes are damaged, pots are clashed and cookeries are smashed. It is believed that the cacophonous sounds caused by all this represent the inevitable future trouble that the couple will face in their married lives. By breaking the dishes in advance, the community is preparing the pair for the obstacles ahead and at the same time wishing them luck. Whips are often brought out and broken to hasten the removal of any evil spirits. The origin of this tradition is unknown but yes, it’s as fun as it sounds.
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Mauritania: Over Feeding
Hitting the gym for some pre-wedding workouts is tradition in most parts of the world. Though in Northwest Africa it is believed the bigger the bride, the better it is. In order for a man to flaunt his outstanding status, he needs a fat wife. If the girl has stomach rolls, stretch marks and overlapping thighs it all indicates that her husband is wealthy enough to keep her satisfied. In a custom called Leblouh, females from the ages of 5 to 15 are sent to “fat farms”. There they are forcefully fed thousands of calories. The calories are almost four times the actual amount of calories an adult bodybuilder takes in each day. This over feeding results into gaining weight rapidly and preparing them to be confirmed fit for marriage. The ritual is so serious that women are often beaten badly if they refuse food. Due to this ritual many develop health problems that shoot from obesity
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India: Marrying an Animal
In India it is believed that if a girl has a tooth rooted to her upper gum, it’s the obvious sign that some misfortune will happen to her in the future, because bad spirits hate her. Therefore, she needs to marry an animal to ward off this bad omen. Usually the animal is either goat or dog. After warding off the evil spirits the girl can marry a real boy some time later. Even girls who are very ugly or have some facial disfiguration are believed to be possessed by ghosts and are forced to undergo the same ritual.
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