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Weddings as we know is where a bride and groom stands at the altar taking their vows pledging undying love for each other but not all countries do the same as we. Worldwide country cultures and beliefs differ greatly in the way they celebrate their wedding night.
Did you know that after a marriage has taken place some couples wedding night never goes according to plan due to all the activities concocted up by friends and family in a quest to upset the newlyweds plans of becoming one in the marital suite as early as they would like.
In the US it is habitual after the reception for the couple to jump into the vehicle that waits to take them on honeymoon only to find that the rear end of the car is fully geared up with rattling tin cans.
Tradition for the Gaelic culture is where close friends and family set out to delay the couple consummating their marriage in a fun sort of way. In the good old days the married couple would spend their wedding night in a hay barn. Close lady friends of the bride would dress her for bed and would invite every male species who attended the wedding to kiss her goodnight. What they did in the old days to add fun to the night would be things of disturbance making it hard for the groom to meet up with his new wife. When the couple finally come together noises would bellow from outside the barn with its (peephole) thus adding further embarrassment to the newlyweds.
It is just a matter of time when the alcohol kicks in sending the pranksters to sleep. Is it any wonder why in those days the honeymoon destination was kept a secret.
Other Celtic Scottish rituals performed on the wedding night was the sprinkling of water onto the bed which was considered to bring good luck.
Inhabitants of Germany and France uphold similar traditions where their disturbances on the wedding night are called Chiverie. The US spell it Shivaree, they also cause havoc by decorating the bridal suite with balloons or laying food all over the bed just for fun. A love in surrounded by crumbs is not very romantic.
They say when in Rome do as the Romans do but whatever you do dont fall as it is seen as bad luck if the bride takes a tumble on entering the newly weds first home. After the roman wedding all male friends of the married couple would carry the bride over the threshold. But times have changed where the groom has the pleasure, in saying that; he may need to ask for assistance if his bride is the size of Bessie Bunter.
In western Africa, (Benin), virginity is valued highly. The brides mother compensates her with money if still untouched by man on her wedding night! This may sound alarming but the sheets are checked for blood smears the next morning after the wedding night. I did say things were done differently in other countries and this just happens to be the custom in Benin. Sometimes the sheets were flown like flags from the window to show that the daughter never gave into temptation submitting her body to any other.
A Chinese wedding night consists of beautifully designed candles shaped like a phoenix and dragon to force away evil spirits. Wine is drunk from goblets tied together with a scarlet red sash while at the same time the newlyweds have their arms intertwined. It is now when the bride is handed half-raw dumplings which denotes prosperity.
Wait for it no ration on passion for brides from Marquesasian (Polynesia) who are expected to have sex with all the male guests – Heaven for bid if the numbers are great – the groom finally gets to sleep with his bride last.
Depending on the number of male guests surely this could go on for quite some time but at the end of the day I suppose the wait will be worthwhile because it is the groom who gets to sleep with her for the rest of his life.
