“Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, A Sixpence in your Shoe” – when it comes to wedding customs, these five good luck charms are almost a must when planning. Except for the coin, which is supposed to bring prosperity, but is often left out for practical reasons. The English custom combines the time before marriage with the new life as a wife, what is borrowed symbolizes friendship and blue classically stands for loyalty. But there are many other customs - sometimes more, sometimes less well-known - that make the wedding colorful and varied and give it an unforgettable setting.

Rich and fine

“Marry in September's shine, your living will be rich and fine,” says an old English proverb. While today we prefer spring and summer for weddings because of the weather, in the past the time between autumn and Christmas was considered ideal, when the harvests were in and there was enough food to entertain the guests.

Rumbling drives away evil spirits

Driving away ghosts made easy: Anyone who rumbles before the wedding drives away evil spirits and starts married life with a large portion of happiness. But be careful, only porcelain can be broken; when it comes to glass, things change. The hen party traditionally takes place the day before the wedding and is hardly celebrated today - this is good for the wedding photos.

To be on the safe side when it comes to spooks, the bridesmaids wear similar dresses to the bride and thus confuse the evil spirits.

Wedding dresses all over the world

Hands off the wedding dress! At least when it comes to sewing. “So many stitches, so many tears,” says a German superstition. Another demands that the wedding dress should not be finished before the wedding day. Here you can use a trick and simply cut off a small detail and sew it back on on the wedding day - leave it! It goes without saying that the groom only sees the dress at the wedding ceremony (because of the wow effect). If you get married in Scotland, you should avoid the color green. This is reserved exclusively for the elves. The ban on green applies not only to the bride, but also to the groom, the guests, the decorations and even the food... In China, people once celebrated in red. With the adaptation to Western habits, red accessories remain as a relic, for example as a red carnation in the groom's buttonhole. The sari, colorful and richly decorated, replaces the wedding dress in India. Hands and ankles decorated with henna promise good luck.

Where do you wear the ring?

Left or right? In Germany, the wedding ring is usually worn on the right ring finger, but if you look beyond the borders, the left hand seems to be the preferred place for the wedding ring because it is closer to the heart. According to the ideas of the ancient Romans, a “vena amoris”, a love vein, runs from the heart to the left ring finger. The Germanic tribes are said to have assumed that vein was on the right side, and we also consider the right hand to be the (sincere) hand. In the absence of conclusive evidence, the choice of a particular side remains a matter of personal taste.

Throwing the bridal bouquet

Some take it with humor, for others it is bitterly serious and a tough competition: whoever catches the flowers when throwing the bridal bouquet will be the next to get married, or so the prophecy goes. Things can sometimes be quite unladylike...

Sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter...

The custom of distributing sugared almonds to wedding guests comes from Italy. The almonds symbolize the sweet and bitter side of life.

And who is in charge?

Whoever has the upper hand has the say in the marriage: this tradition easily turns cutting the wedding cake into a competition; after all, there is a reputation to defend.

Sawing a tree trunk

Teamwork is required here: sawing a tree trunk is intended to demonstrate how well and harmoniously a couple can work together.

This is about fertility

They are pretty to look at and create a festive atmosphere: the flower children make the walk to the altar perfect. By the way, scattering fresh petals was once supposed to attract the fertility goddesses - and throwing rice also serves to bless children. By the way: In England, the subsequent honeymoon gets its name from the fact that the bride is supposed to drink honey wine a month after the wedding to increase her fertility...

Bridal Shower and Garter Auction

Finally, there are some customs that serve to supplement the bride and groom's budget. At the bridal shoe auction, the bride's previously stolen shoe is auctioned off among the guests in turn. Each bidder places his bid in the shoe and passes it on until it reaches the groom again. The auction of the garter, in which guests pay the difference to the previous bidder, is likely to create even more excitement. In Greece, a relative of the bride collects banknotes from guests and attaches them to the wedding dress. And in the USA, gifts are given before the wedding - at the bridal shower, where the bride-to-be is presented with all sorts of useful things from the exclusively female guests. The wedding itself follows a strict plan and is rehearsed in advance. The bride and groom receive support from the best man, the groom's best man, and the bride's maid.

Now things are getting serious

When the night comes to an end, the groom still has to carry the bride across the threshold. This also serves as protection against evil spirits that are said to be lurking under the door...