The Language of love in 20 cultures

Many people may be familiar with Greek weddings thanks to the 2002 film, My Fat Greek Wedding. If you have watched the movie then you will know just how seriously Greeks take their weddings. Greek weddings tend to be big…. very big! Anyone and everyone is invited and even if you aren’t invited you sure will hear about it. What makes Greek weddings so interesting and entertaining are the many traditions that are practiced. Stefana The Stefana symbolises the couple being King and Queen. It is blessed by the priest and passed between the couple a few times before being put on their heads. The Stefana also represents the official union of marriage. It is usually made of white flowers and evergreen leaves to symbolise fertility. The Stefana is probably the most important part of styling the bride. The Koumbaros The Koumbaros is like the sponsor of the marriage and performs rituals throughout the wedding ceremony. The groom’s godparents are usu

Malaysian Weddings and how they are celebrated: A traditional Malay wedding is one of the most diverse, lavish and cultural traditions in the world. Malay weddings are well known as they are generally festive, grand and celebratory that is celebrated with their families and friends. Like all other weddings, ceremonies of a wedding may be held over several days, but in some cases, recently Malay couples have chosen to simplify their marriage, opting to have only the solemnisation ceremony also known as the Nikkah along side with a simple lunch reception celebrated with their close family and friends. This may be done to decrease costs or to ensure that the wedding is more aligned to Islamic beliefs. Those couples who choose to have a grand wedding, have various activities which can be conveniently divided into two parts. The first part is known as the ‘Akad Nikkah’ also known as the marriage contract, which is the legal and religious aspect of the wedding. The second part how

“The fascinating country of Turkey has a rich culture of wedding traditions, which vary throughout its cities, provinces and villages” By Helen Schrader The Historical marriage arrangements In the past there were numerous different kind of marriages, especially in the rural areas of Turkey. It was the custom to pay a dowry to the brides family. Occasionally, a family with a son and their daughter of marriagable age would marry their daughter into another family with a son and daughter, therefore cancelling out the need for a dowry. In the past, marriages in turkey was arranged in the case of the death of a brother, where they became widowed sister in law was wed with a single or widower brother in law (Levirat). Thus, it was also possible for a sister to be married to a deceased sister husband (Soroat). This was then practiced in order for them to keep the inheritance in the family and for their children’s welfare.  Searching for a bride In the traditional Turkish se

Indonesian love birds- How do these love birds tie the knot! An Indonesian marriage has three components such as; civil, religious, and a celebration which follows regional customs and traditions. During, Indonesian weddings the festive celebrations is often separate, and may occur during days and weeks after the legal and religious ceremonies. Each region and ethnic groups practices its own marriage customs. However, the families from both the groom and brides side get together and decide of how they should celebrate the wedding by deciding it together, but usually the community traditions are prevailed. With the Indonesian wedding there a different types, for instances: Javanese Wedding: As the Javanese are an ethic majority, fifty six percent of Indonesian population. Attending a Javanese wedding is a good way to accumulate to the nation’s culture. Javanese wedding begins with a formal meeting and agreement between the couple’s families. Once they have collectively se

Wedding traditions in Germany vary across the Country. Many Germans practice unique wedding traditions that are respected throughout Germany. Below are some of the most popular traditions that are practised.  The civil and religious ceremony: The Civil ceremony happens before the religious ceremony and usually only close family and friends attend. The purpose of the civil ceremony is to ensure the marriage is legally recognised. The religious ceremony will take place in a church or a similar venue after the civil ceremony. Just like Swedish Weddings, the bride and groom will usually walk down the isle together. While walking down the isle the bride will carry some salt and bread as an omen of good harvest. The groom will carry a grain for good luck. As they both exit the church at the end of the ceremony, rice is thrown on them by their guests. A popular belief among Germans is that the amount of grains of rice that stay in the bride’s hair will determine how many chil

Morocco, one of the gems of North Africa, is the country with significant rich and active traditions. Like many cultures of the world, a Moroccan wedding is a great gala event as it is celebrated with many family and friends. According to Moroccan customs and traditions, a Moroccan wedding can take up to three days to seven days, depending on the family and region of Morocco.  The various festivities are an ideal opportunity to bring Moroccan families and friends together and reveals the richness of Moroccan customs and traditions through various clothing, art music and of course cuisine, which is represented through a range of delicious dishes. Before the wedding ceremony, the bride holds a henna party with her female relatives and closest friends. Henna has been used in Morocco for centuries and is used today to create intricate decorative designs that are mainly applied on the palms and feet of the bride and the bridesmaid. The henna designs have a number of various me