Wedding Customs around the World
HUNG · 2008-07-03 09:07 · 30479 次点击
WeddingCustomsaroundtheWorld
世界各地婚俗
EarlyAfricanAmerican:JumpingtheBroomInthetimesofslaveryinthiscountry,AfricanAmericancoupleswerenotallowedtoformallymarryandlivetogether.Tomakeapublicdeclarationoftheirloveandcommitment,amanandwomanjumpedoverabroomintomatrimony,tothebeatofdrums.(ThebroomhaslongheldsignificantmeaningforthevariousAfricans,symbolizing,thestartofhome-makingforthenewlywedcouple.InSouthernAfrica,thedayafterthewedding,thebrideassistedtheotherwomeninthefamilyinsweepingthecourtyard,indicatingherdutifulwillingnesstohelpherin-lawswithhouseworktillthenewlywedscouldmovetotheirnewhome.)SomeAfrican-Americancouplestodayarechoosingtoincludethissymbolicriteintheirweddingceremony.
Armenia:Twowhitedovesmaybereleasedtosignifyloveandhappiness.Thebridemaydressinredsilkandmaywearcardboardwingswithfeathersonherhead.Smallcoinsmaybethrownather.
Belgium:Thebridemaystillembroiderhernameonherhandkerchief,carryitontheweddingday,thenframeitandkeepituntilthenextfamilybridemarries.
Bermuda:Islanderstoptheirtieredweddingcakeswithatinysapling.Thenewlywedsplantthetreeattheirhome,wheretheycanwatchitgrow,astheirmarriagegrows.
Bohemia:Thegroomgivesthebridearosary,aprayerbook,agirdlewiththreekeys(toguardhervirtue),afurcap,andasilverweddingring.Thebridegivesthegroomashirtsewnwithgoldthreadblendedwithcoloredsilksandaweddingring.Beforetheceremony,thegroomsmanwrapsthegroominthebride'scloaktokeepevilspiritsfromcreepinginanddividingtheirtwohearts.
Caribbean:ArichblackcakebakedwithdriedfruitsandrumisespeciallypopularontheislandsofBarbados,GrenadaandSt.Lucia.Therecipe,handeddownfrommothertodaughter,isembellishedbyeach.Itisconsidereda"pound"cake--withtherecipecallingforapoundeachofflour,darkbrownsugar,butter,glacecherries,raisins,Prunes,currants,Plusadozeneggsandflavorings.Thedriedfruitsaresoakedinrumandkeptinacrockanywherefromtwoweekstosixmonths.
Croatia:Marriedfemalerelativesremovethebride'sveilandreplaceitwithakerchiefandapron,symbolsofhernewmarriedstatus.Sheisthenserenadedbyallthemarriedwomen.Followingtheweddingceremony,thoseassembledwalkthreetimesaroundthewell(symbolizingtheHolyTrinity,)andthrowapplesintoit(symbolizingfertility).
TheCzechRepublic:Friendswouldsneakintothebride'syardtoplantatree,thendecorateitwithribbonsandpaintedeggshells.Legendsaidshewouldliveaslongasthetree.Bridesinthecountrysidecarryontheveryoldcustomofwearingawreathofrosemary,whichsymbolizesremembrance.Thewreathiswovenforeachbrideonherweddingevebyherfriendsasawishforwisdom,love,andloyalty.
Egypt:Families,ratherthangrooms,proposetothebride.InEgypt,manymarriagesarearranged.Thezaffa,orweddingmarch,isamusicalprocessionofdrums,bagpipes,horns,bellydancers,andmencarryingflamingswords;itannouncesthatthemarriageisabouttobegin.
England:Traditionally,thevillagebrideandherweddingpartyalwayswalktogethertothechurch.Leadingtheprocession:asmallgirlstrewing,blossomsalongtheroad,sothebride'spaththroughlifewillalwaysbehappyandladenwithflowers.
早期非洲裔美國人:跳掃帚在美國的黑奴時代,黑人男女是不允許正式結婚生活在一起的。為了向世人宣布他們的愛情和婚約,一對黑人男女和著鼓聲的節奏,一起跳過一把掃帚。(掃帚對各种非洲人長期來都具有很重要的意義,因為它意味著新婚夫婦組成家庭的開始。在南部非洲,新娘在婚后的第一天要幫助夫家的其他女性清掃院子,以此表明在住進自己的新家前,她愿意盡職地幫助丈夫的家人承擔家務勞動。)直至今日,一些美國黑人還在他們的婚禮上舉行這种象征性的儀式。
亞美尼亞:人們放飛兩只白鴿,以示愛情和幸福。新娘穿著紅色絲綢的服裝,頭戴飾有羽毛的紙翼。人們還可向新娘投擲硬幣。
比利時:新娘可以將其姓名繡在手帕上,在婚禮舉行日隨身帶上它。婚禮后將手帕裝入鏡框保存,直到家里的另外一個姑娘結婚。
百慕大:百慕大島民在他們的多層婚禮蛋?nbsp|的頂層插上一株小樹苗,新婚夫婦要將這株樹苗种在家中,這樣他們可以目睹樹苗伴隨著他們的婚姻一起長大。
波黑人:新郎向新娘贈送一串念珠,一本祈禱文,一根上面串著三把鑰匙的腰帶(用以保護她的貞洁),一頂毛皮帽,一個銀的結婚戒指。新娘則向新郎贈送一件用金線和彩色絲綢縫制的襯衣和結婚戒指。婚禮前,伴郎將新郎裹進新娘的斗篷里,以防惡魔侵入,拆散他們相愛的心。
加勒比地區:在巴巴多斯,格林納達和圣盧西亞,用干果和朗姆酒制作的味道濃郁的蛋?nbsp|十分常見。蛋?nbsp|的制作方法,由母親親手傳給女儿,并且各自對其加以修飾。人們把這种蛋?nbsp|叫作“一磅”蛋?nbsp|,因為制作這种蛋?nbsp|需要面粉、棕糖、黃油、糖霜櫻桃、葡萄干、李子、紅醋栗各一磅,加上一打雞蛋和調味品。制作蛋?nbsp|的干果要在朗姆酒中浸泡并在瓦罐中保存兩個星期至6個月。
克羅地亞:由已婚的女性親戚摘下新娘的面紗,換上一塊頭巾和一條圍裙,意味著新娘的已婚新身份。然后由所有的已婚婦女為新娘唱小夜曲。婚禮之后,所有來賓圍繞著井走三圈(象征著圣三位一体),并向井中扔苹果(象征著生育)。
捷克共和國:朋友們溜進新娘的院子去种一棵樹,然后再用彩帶和彩繪的蛋殼將樹加以裝飾。傳說新娘將与這樹活得一樣長。鄉村的新娘還保留著佩帶迷迭香花環的古老習俗,以表怀念之情。花環是在婚禮前夕由新娘的朋友編織而成,它象征著智慧、愛情和忠誠。
埃及:在埃及,由新郎的家人,而不是新郎本人,向新娘求婚。許多婚姻還是父母之命,媒妁之言。Zaffa,也就是婚禮,其實是一個充滿音樂的列隊游行,有鼓、風笛、號角及肚皮舞,男人們手持火紅的劍。這個儀式宣告,婚姻即將開始。
英格蘭:按照傳統,鄉村的新娘和參加婚禮的人們總是一起步行走向教堂。一個小姑娘走在隊列最前面,她一路拋撒鮮花,預示著新娘一生的道路上也將開滿鮮花