Stolen Shoes To Smashed Plates: 7 Wedding Traditions In World That Will Shock You

From stealing the groom’s shoes to smashing plates, weddings around the world feature fascinating traditions that may seem unusual at first. Discover 6 unique wedding customs and the stories behind them.

Unique Global Wedding Customs

Weddings across the world mean much more than just celebrations. They host many different traditions and customs. People celebrate marriage ceremonies in very surprising and unique ways in different countries and regions. We bring you seven of the most interesting and amazing wedding traditions from around the globe.

1. Smashing Plates

Relatives and friends bring old porcelain plates and bowls to smash them outside the new couple's house a day before the wedding in Germany. They believe that broken pieces bring good luck. The new couple must sweep and clean all this trash themselves later.

2. Bargaining For Shoes: The 'Joota Chupai' custom happens in a very fun way during North Indian weddings. The groom takes off his shoes before stepping into the wedding mandap. The bride's sisters and cousins immediately steal and hide those shoes. They bargain heavily with the groom and make everyone laugh before returning them.

3. Singing While Crying: The bride sings songs while crying before the wedding in the Tujia community of China. This custom starts a few weeks before the marriage. The bride expresses her pain of leaving home and her parents' love through these crying songs. Other women in the family gradually join her. Everyone cries together.

4. Kidnapping The Bride

Friends playfully kidnap the bride during a wedding reception in Romania. The groom must then give champagne, dance, or complete some fun tasks to free his wife. This provides great entertainment for the guests at the wedding party.

5. Irish Ring-Warming: Weddings in Ireland feature a beautiful custom called 'ring-warming'. Guests pass the wedding rings through everyone's hands before the ceremony. Every person holds those rings for a while and wishes the couple wholeheartedly. The bride and groom wear those rings only after receiving blessings from all the guests in this manner.

6. Tearful Farewell: The 'Kina Gecesi' happens very emotionally in Turkey. Everyone sings songs that recall childhood memories and the pain of leaving the maternal home while applying henna to the bride's palms. The bride and her mother traditionally shed tears during this time.

7. Greek Almonds For Luck: Guests receive sugar-coated almonds called 'Koufeta' as gifts during Greek wedding ceremonies. Families always pack these in odd numbers. We can never divide an odd number equally. The almond tastes bitter and the sugar tastes sweet, which symbolizes the hardships and joys in life.