全球婚俗大观
The Pledge That Lasts a LifetimeThe word “wed” is derived from the ancient Greek word for “pledge”. And that’s exactly what a wedding is, no matter what country it takes place in, no matter what culture it’s part of. To wed is to pledge yourself to another. There are few acts we perform that are more pure or more beautiful than the act of marriage.1)
Marriage is the most solemn2) pledge we make in our lifetimes. To wed is both the most basic of all human pledges, and at the same time the most sublime3).
Marriage carries with it the most solemn of promises, but it also embodies the potential for the greatest joy of human existence — the pure joy that flows from two hearts beating as one.4) There are few joys in life as deep or as long lasting as the joy that springs from the well of true love and a lasting marriage.
Bridal Customs in Different Countries
North America
North American wedding traditions are among the most flexible and varied in all the world. North America encompasses many cultures and many wedding traditions. Mexican wedding traditions have been influenced by Spain, France, and by their own ancient and rich cultural traditions stretching as far back as the Aztecs5). The melting-pot6) wedding traditions in the United States have been influenced by virtually every country and every culture on Earth, making for a rich and varied amalgam7) of traditions. Canadian traditions have been influenced strongly by both English and French traditions.
Writing Your Own Wedding Vows
Today’s wedding ceremony in the United States can be a rather elaborate8) affair, especially among the affluent9), but small backyard weddings are also common. No matter what the setting, it is becoming more and more common for American couples to write their own wedding vows, expressing their love and commitment for each other in their own words and expressing their own unique feelings.
Traditionally, wedding ceremonies in North America end with the couple exchanging wedding rings — the circular ring, with no beginning and no end symbolizing ever-lasting love — and the traditional wedding kiss, to seal their union in front of friends and family. As the newlyweds leave the ceremony, tradition calls for rice to be tossed at the couple as a symbol of fertility.
Western Europe
Wedding traditions in Western Europe are as varied as the countries that make up the region — from Ireland to Italy, from Portugal to Switzerland and everything in between, the wonderful, colorful wedding traditions of Western Europe span almost a quarter of our world.
The Engagement Ring
One of the ancient traditions of Western Europe which is still going strong today is the idea of the engagement ring. It was way back in 860 A.D. that Pope Nicholas I proclaimed that not only was an engagement ring required to seal the agreement to be married, but that the engagement ring must be made of gold. The making of the ring out of gold signified that the groom was willing to make a financial sacrifice for his new bride-to-be.
It would be another 617 years before the tradition of adding a diamond to an engagement ring would be started. It was in the year 1477 that King Maximilian presented the lovely Mary of Burgundy with a diamond engagement ring, and from that day to this a diamond has been a girl’s best friend.
It was in Italy, the land of love, that gold wedding rings first became popular, and it was also in Italy that the tradition of the wedding cake was first begun when, in the first century B.C., a cake or bread was broken over the bride’s head to insure fertility.
The Best Man
It was in ancient Germany that the Western European tradition of a Best Man began. In olden10) days it was sometimes necessary for a man to kidnap his bride from a neighboring village and he needed his strongest friend (his Best Man) to help with the kidnapping and to stand by him at the wedding ceremony to fight off any relatives that might try to take her back.
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue
The ancient nursery rhyme about something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue is now an important part of most Western European weddings, even though many brides and grooms no longer know the significance of the rhyme.
Something old is symbolic of continuity. The old item was often a piece of lace or a grandmother’s scarf or an old piece of jewelry. Something new signifies hope for the future, and can be anything from a piece of clothing to the wedding band itself. Something borrowed is symbolic of future happiness and is often provided by a happily married friend of the bride. And finally, something blue. In ancient times blue was the color of purity and often both the bride and the groom wore a band of blue cloth around the bottom of their wedding attire11).
The White Wedding Gown
What wedding today would be complete without the white wedding gown? Prior to the 16th century, however, this most important Western European wedding tradition was not common. It wasn誸 until Anne of Brittany12) popularized the white wedding dress in 1499 that the tradition became part of Western European wedding culture.
During the Tudor13) period in England it became customary for the wedding party to throw old shoes at the bride and groom’s carriage; if the carriage was struck by a shoe it was considered a symbol of good fortune to follow. From this old Western European wedding custom was born the tradition of tying shoes to the back of the groom and bride’s car.
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1.婚礼这个词起源于古希腊的“誓言”。无论它在哪一国举行，无论它属于哪一国文化，这都是婚礼的确切含义。结婚就是把你自己抵押给了另一个人。几乎没有哪一项法案履行起来比结婚更为纯洁和美丽。
2.solemn adj. 庄严的，隆重的
3.sublime adj. 庄严的，崇高的
4.婚姻意味着最崇高的誓言，它还具体表现了人类潜在的最深层次的快乐——那种从一起跳动的两颗心中流淌出的完美的快乐。
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