The celebrity wedding season seems to last forever. Have you heard of any wedding superstitions? Since it is the celebrity wedding season, let’s get started with some of the most common yet absurd superstitions.
While Ranveer-Deepika and Nick-Priyanka have become the talk of the town with their lavish wedding ceremonies, it is Sonam Kapoor’s sister Rhea Kapoor who has been gathering the most amount of rumors for her upcoming nuptials. After Sonam Kapoor, it is time for Rhea Kapoor to spill the beans about her love life, soon to be converted into her marriage life.
Today, Girlossip will be sharing some of the funniest and weirdest wedding superstitions that you may have never come across. Currently, the celebrities are on a spree of weddings so why dwell up some more in their lives and get a sneak peek in their wedding rituals while they tie the nuptial knot.
Have you ever wondered why these wedding superstitions exist? Well, the motive is quite clear. Some of them are borne out of love and some just out of nowhere. You may want to embrace some while running away from others. So what are we waiting for?
Let’s get started!
Superstition 1 – Crossing Paths
Ever heard about crossing paths with animals and objects? It may seem weird at first but in many wedding ceremonies, crossing paths with animals, objects, and humans are considered sacred. It is given certain significance depending on different cultural marriage rituals.
You may notice in English folklore, that wedding gowns of the bride are considered lucky if they find a spider on their wedding dress. However, if you have a phobia of spiders then it is suggested best to run away from them but it is certainly considered fortunate because of the spider silk. It is used as a sign of a flourishing relationship between husband and wife.
Talking about good luck, there are also certain instances of bad luck in wedding ceremonies. If you have crossed paths with a person practicing celibacy, for example, nuns or priests, it is considered that you will be unfortunate in conceiving a child or you may face issues with fertility. Who would like to risk their fertility anyway?
It is a lifelong tale of superstition with black cats. A black cat crosses the road, every vehicle and pedestrian on the road has to stop unless some other vehicle or pedestrian crosses. You may have seen people throwing a rock once a cat has crossed the road to get rid of the bad omen. Similarly, black cats during wedding ceremonies are bad luck.
Superstitions work suspiciously! When a cat bites your shoe on the day of your wedding, expect good luck in your marriage life.
Crossing paths with animals like a lizard, a pig, a cow, a dog is an indicator of a bad omen. However, people have found new ways to deal with them.
Superstition 2 – The Color Palette
Colors have certain relevance in all weddings. However, they may differ in different cultures. It is the culture that makes Indian weddings marvelous. Different colors have different cultural meanings in wedding ceremonies, not just in India but across the globe.
In Christian weddings, the white color for the bride is considered holy and sacred. Nevertheless, for Latin American brides, wearing black wedding gowns and veils is contemplated as a good omen. We can see that in other parts of the world, wearing black is considered dangerous.
When the color palette shifts to India, it becomes red. In fact, in most Asian countries, red colors are quite prevalent in wedding attire. Colors send out different meanings and messages in China and Japan as well during the marriage rituals.
One wedding ritual which is quite popular and prevalent in all cultures is making wedding cards attractive. This little marriage poem with acronyms can help you with the cards:
M is for Making a future that will last.
A is for Accepting both the present and the past.
R is for Respect for each other every day.
R is for Remembering those special things to say.
I is for Issues, which no doubt will challenge you.
A is for Always find a way to talk them through.
G is for Growing the love that keeps you strong.
E is for Endurance when sometimes things go wrong.
Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/marriage-3
Superstition 3: Evil Eye Warding
There is no doubt that evil eyes can be scary. Evil eyes can have severe consequences for those who believe in them. People use several tricks and techniques to ward off the evil eye. These differ in several cultures. Some of them can be essentially absurd.
There is an old English rhyme which goes by to refer to everything needed to ward off the evil eye – “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something Blue It only means that you will need certain objects to ref tour, they can be old, they can be new as well. Here blue object means anything blue to make the metaphoric reference.
It is believed that in most south Asian countries, brides put henna on their palms, forearms, feet, and other parts of the body to deal with evil eyes. The color of the henna also indicates the love of the groom.
In Christian weddings, the veils on the bride’s hair have the faith to ward off the evil. All the unwanted influences get thrown away with them. Most essentially it is prevalent in Ancient Greece, Rome, and Denmark.
Knives have also been considered as a superstition. There is a prominent belief that they bring a bad omen to the relationship of bride and groom. However, it is rightly said that whatever you believe in firmly will happen. Sometimes, people give knives cutlery to the couple but if you give them coins as a return gift then the bad omen gets neutralized.
All of these superstitions are certain beliefs of people from different cultures. In several parts of India as well, people believe in marrying off the bride or groom to the tree or animal to transfer the bad luck.
Superstition 4 – At the Altar
Ever imagined that you are walking to the altar, and something bad happens. All the expectations will go in vain. At the altar, people make unthinkable superstitions but they have to be believed to surpass the consequences.
It is a thing in English weddings that the groom’s profession is mostly the theme of the wedding. The entire design and set are done in such a manner that it reflects the profession of the groom.
If the groom is a shepherd, then the wedding hall is filled with sheep sculptures, wool, and even the real sheep. If the groom is a doctor, then the altar is decorated in a hospital-like setting with all the equipment. If the groom is a jewelry maker, then different ornaments are placed in order.
It is believed that the entire setting of the altar must be decorated in defense with a groom to bring good luck for the couple. It also hints to the guests about the personality, financial status, and emotional well-being of the groom.
There are two sides to every coin. similarly, where there is a fortune, the misfortune tags along. Falling off rings, dress getting tucked, sneezing before the vows, etc are considered to be misfortunate. The ring has to be worn on the 4th finger of the left hand, this should be carefully noted.
The prevalent practice of name change has also taken over in few parts of the world. The belief of the same letter surnames is a bad omen. That is why people consider making slight changes in names and surnames during the marriage.
Many couples also light sky candles and lamps as a resemblance of lighting their lives after marriage.
Superstition 5 – How do you bring back the luck?
Yes, wedding superstitions can be weird for the modern generations but in the traditional system of the wedding, there was a prominent belief in these superstitions. Marriages are a long-term affair and that is why no one wants to expect any hindrances in the future. Hence, they not only save negative outcomes but also bring good luck.
In Indian weddings, the bride and groom promise 7 vows in the form of her as for fortune. They also eat dinner on the wedding night on silver plates and spoons. Silver is considered to bring a good omen to the family.
When we are talking about Indian weddings, how can one forget about kicking the Kalash on the bride’s entry into her new home, finding the ring in the bowl of milk by the bride and groom, and taking the bride’s handprint on the walls? In the interiors and suburbs of Asian countries, one can find some bizarre rituals at weddings that are believed to bring luck.
It was first with the Romans who started the practice of throwing barley-cakes. It is considered a good omen that brings fortune to newlywed couples. But if you are Christian or English, you will have to go through certain practices to get lucky. These practices may seem absurd but they carry faith from people around the world.
Now you will not be able to believe it but in Kenya, the bride’s father spits on her head and breast to bless her well for the future. This can be disgusting for most of you. Just feel blessed that you are not from Kenya. Do you know that Egyptian brides are pinched to bring good luck in their lives? Well, that can be hurtful.