Wedding Customs from Around the World

June has traditionally been associated with weddings. The tradition can be traced back to Ancient Roman times. For the Romans, June was the time when they paid special homage to Juno, the goddess of marriage and as such, getting married in June was deemed lucky. There was also a practical aspect to it. If a couple got married in June, it meant that if the wife conceived, she would give birth before harvest time. This translated to the fact that she would be well enough to work the fields come harvest time.

The word "wed" is derived from the ancient Greek word for "pledge." While wedding customs and traditions vary from one country to another, each one is special and celebrates the marriage bond of the newlyweds.

Following is a sampling of how this sacred institution is celebrated around the world:

Africa. Binding the bride and groom's wrists together with plaited grass is a tradition performed in some regions to signify the insperability of the marriage partners on their road through life.

Belgium. A lovely tradition has long been practiced in Belgium to make and embroider the bride's name on a handkerchief for her to carry during her wedding. Following the wedding, she frames the handkerchief and hangs it on the wall until the next family wedding, at which time it is taken down and the new bride's name is embroidered on it.

England. The familiar tradition of a flower girl throwing rose petals as she passes down the aisle before the bride is a reminder of days gone by when the bride walked to the church with her maids in waiting. Leading the procession was always a young girl throwing flower petals along the lane, so the bride's path through life would be happy and soft to traverse.

Germany. In Germany, an informal party called the Polterabend is held on the evening before the wedding. Guests bring and smash various dishes and procelain items, the noise of which is said to chase bad spirits from the newlyweds' home. At the conclusion of the party, the bride and groom-to-be must clean up broken dishes together, signifying the beginning of their life of working together as a team.

India. Flowers have always played a very important part in the Indian wedding. A lasting tradition passed along from generation to generation is that of the brother of the groom sprinkling flower petals over the heads of the couple following the wedding vows and at the end of the ceremony.

Japan. The bridal couple in Japan takes nine sips of sake, becoming husband and wife after the first sip. They will sit across the table from each other, looking directly into the eyes of the other, each taking a sip at the same moment, being very careful to set the cup down on the table at the exact same moment -- the tradition being that whoever's cup is set on the table last will be the first to die.

Mexico. The guests at a Mexican wedding have a lovely old custom of forming a circle around the couple in the shape of a heart. The newlyweds will then dance their first dance together within this circle of love.

Poland. The custom of pinning money to the bride's gown is centures old in Poland. It was once done to help the young couple set up housekeeping and gave them money to begin their new life together. Today, it is more popularly known as the "money dance" and money may be pinned on both the bride and groom in payment for dancing with them.

Spain. Long ago, in certain regions of Spain, the bride wore a black silk dress and mantilla. Orange blossoms in her hair were the flower of the day. The groom wore a tucked shirt which had been hand-embroidered by the bride.

Sweden. Imaginary trolls, once thought to bring misfortune to the young couple, were kept away by the bride, as well as her bridesmaids, carrying bouquets of pungent herbs and stinking weeds. Today, those herbs and weeds have been replaced by the beautiful bouquets carried on the arms of brides throughout the world.

Language in the News

New U.S. Citizenship Test
Details of the new U.S. citizenship test, which has been many years in the making, were announced recently by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The new test, which will be implemented beginning October 1, 2008, is designed to be more meaningful for students and more standardized in the way it is given across the United States. Read the full article . . .

Last Fluent Eyak Speaker Dies
The death of Chief Marie Smith Jones in January 2008 marked the extinction of the Eyak language. Chief Marie was 89 years old and was the last person to have learned the language the traditional way -- taught as a child from her parents.
Read the full article . . .

New Research on How Knowledge is Shaped by Language
New research, supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, proposes that the way in which "alive" and other biological concepts are named within a given language shapes their understanding and acquisition in children.
Read the full article . . .

Bilingualism Delays Onset of Dementia
Fully bilingual people who speak both languages everday for most of their lives can delay the onset of dementia by up to four years compared with those who only know one language, according to a recent study conducted by Canadian scientists.
Read the full article . . .

Language/Culture Tips &Resources

VoxSwap.com, a free social networking site, is dedicated to helping people learn and improve languages by matching language learners with native speakers of their target language.

Culture Shocks Blog is a resource offered by the National Capital Language Resource Center, a nationally-funded language center for teachers of foreign languages. The blog showcases entertaining and instructive stories of encounters between cultures.

The Say Hello to the World Project was created as a resource for the Youth Division of the Internet Public Library. The goal of the project is to bring together language resources on the Internet into one convenient place for beginners who would like to learn more about languages from all over the world. The project also includes cultural information to give learners a context and appreciation for the countries and people speaking the language.

National Geographic's Enduring Voices Projectwas created to document endangered languages and prevent language extinction. The project strives to understand the geographic dimensions of language distribution, determine how linguistic diversity is linked to biodiversity, and bring wide attention to the issue of language loss. The Enduring Voices Project also assists indigenous communities in their efforts to revitalize and maintain their threatened languages.

Upcoming International Events

Learn more about the international events being held in the Triangle during May and June:

World Fair Trade Day - May 10, 2008
An international celebration of Fair Trade internationally, with events organized worldwide.

Exhibits

Five Friends from Japan Exhibit - Feb. 16 - Jun. 29, 2008
Marbles Kids Museum, Horizon Gallery, Raleigh, NC

Far From Home Exhibition - Feb. 17 - Jul. 13, 2008
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC

The Importance of Peace - Images from Near and Far -
by Russell Gorga - Apr. 4 - Ongoing
Miriam Block Gallery, Municipal Building
Raleigh, NC

Cherokee Pottery: People of One Fire - through Jul. 27, 2008
North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, NC

Performances

Greece: Secrets of the Past (Movie) - Ongoing Wachovia IMAX Theatre at Marbles Kids Museum, Raleigh, NC

Mitsuko Uchido - piano - May 6, 2008
Carolina Performing Arts
Memorial Hall, Chapel Hill, NC

As the Crow Flies: Tales from Four Directors -
Co-produced by Raleigh Little Theatre (RLT) and Paperhand Puppet Intervention - May 9-18, 2008
RLT'S Louise "Scottie" Stephenson Amphitheatre
Raleigh, NC

Taiwan Cultural Event - May 11, 2008
Taiwanese Association of North America - North Carolina Chapter
Carolina Theatre, Fletcher Hall
Durham, NC

Scandia Song - May 13, 2008
North Carolina Master Chorale
St. Michael's Episcopal Church, Raleigh, NC

Hidden Voices Benefit for Speaking without Tongues - May 16, 2008
The ArtsCenter, Carrboro, NC

Grupo Fantasma - June 15, 2008
The ArtsCenter, Carrboro, NC

Northern Lights - June 28, 2008
North Carolina Symphony 2008 Summerfest Series
Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park, Cary, NC

Festivals and Celebrations

Carolina Theatre, Durham, NC

A Taste of Durham Festival - May 24, 2008
Imperial Center, Durham, NC

Conferences and Workshops

Friends and African American Art
Developing an Eye for African Art - May 31, 2008
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC

Latino Arts & Culture Summit - Spring 2008 (Date TBD)
Diamante, Inc., Cary, NC

About The World Company

The World Company provides language learners with the highest quality language training at affordable rates. We offer individualized instruction, group instruction and tutoring for businesses, institutions and private students in English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, and other languages.

Our proficiency-based approach utilizes a variety of learning styles and instructional techniques to achieve the most expedient acquisition for each individual student.

The World Company's qualified and experienced instructors bring to class not only in-depth knowledge of their language, but also a keen understanding of the culture within which it is spoken.

Call (919) 796-2876 or write us and see how we can improve your international communication skills!