| The idea of a typical wedding ceremony is so | | | | practiced wedding traditions centered around |
| ingrained in modern culture that it's easy to forget | | | | jumping over a broom. Jumping the broom was |
| how widely varied wedding traditions can be. | | | | seen as an action taken by each member of the |
| Around the world and throughout history, | | | | couple, that required them to work together, and |
| different groups of people have created unique | | | | that could be done in sight of the full community. |
| wedding invitations to celebrate this joyful event. | | | | In conditions of dire poverty, ceremonies with |
| From ancient Babylon to the present, people have | | | | more elaborate parties and gift exchanges were |
| developed numerous notable wedding traditions: | | | | impractical. The trend became less common after |
| Ancient Babylon is allegedly the source of two | | | | the Civil War, but these traditional wedding |
| well-known wedding traditions. One is that of the | | | | practices were revived in the wake of the |
| honeymoon. Sources vary, but most claim that | | | | television series Roots. |
| the 'honey' in honeymoon refers to mead. Some | | | | Some Jewish wedding traditions include: marrying |
| claim that the wedding traditions of the day | | | | under a canopy made of two prayer shawls, to |
| revolved around letting the husband and wife drink | | | | symbolize the new home; drinking a glass of wine |
| mead together; others believe that the tradition | | | | together to symbolize companionship; and allowing |
| was for them to spend enough time together for | | | | the husband to smash the wine glass as his last |
| honey to ferment into mead. The 'moon' may | | | | chance to 'put his foot down'. Other unique |
| also refer to the length of time required for the | | | | variations on the wedding ceremony include |
| brewing -- in this case, their wedding traditions | | | | blessing the new couple, and exchanging detailed |
| would call for celebration lasting from one full | | | | vows in a special contract, which specify both |
| moon to the next. | | | | what the couple is obligated to do, and what will |
| The ancient Romans believed that if the bride | | | | happen int he event of a divorce. |
| stumbled on the way to her new home, it would | | | | Polish wedding traditions once required a three-day |
| be bad luck. To solve this, their wedding traditions | | | | wedding, to which guests were invited in person |
| called for the groom to carry her across the | | | | by the bride and groom. The wedding ceremony |
| threshold -- a tradition that survives to this day | | | | itself involved only the bride, groom, parents, and |
| (albeit without the same justification). Other | | | | a few friends, but afterwards it was generally |
| traditions hold that the threshold contained evil | | | | time for a lengthy party. On the way to the |
| spirits, and that the groom was obligated to carry | | | | party, the newlyweds would traditionally give |
| his new bride over them to keep her safe. | | | | away vodka to some guests. |
| Many African-American communities once | | | | |