People can do a lot of strange things to attract good luck, including various rituals and superstitious activities. And brides are perhaps the most superstitious creatures in the whole world. So, there are dozens of wedding traditions that are believed to bring good luck to the couple in marriage. Do they really help? Who knows… Some of these rituals are actually based on logic, and thus, they can work magic. Here are the most interesting wedding rituals for luck in China, India, Spain, Ireland, Egypt, England, Thailand, Mexico, Italy, and Vietnam.
The date is the thing in China
Picking the date is an important wedding ritual in China and sets the stage for everything that will follow. Pick the right date, and the marriage is bound to be successful. Pick the wrong date, and the unlucky couple doesn’t stand a chance. When picking a wedding date, couples always consult with a Chinese monk, fortune-teller, or Chinese calendar, to ensure that the wedding falls on an auspicious date.
Rain on your wedding day is lucky in India
Indian weddings are colorful, joyous, and as lucky as the guests can make them. A little bit of luck may fall on every couple. But in India, when it rains, it pours. According to Hindu tradition, rain on your wedding day is good luck.
Everyone wants a piece in Spain
In Spain, good luck on your wedding day can spill over to your best friends. The groom’s tie is cut into pieces and auctioned off to his friends. It brings good luck to everyone who gets a piece. At many Spanish weddings, they do the same with the bride’s garter.
Irish brides are all about horseshoes
In Ireland, brides incorporate a small horseshoe into their ensemble for good luck. You may find it pinned to her wedding dress, or added to her bouquet. No matter how wild the party may get, Irish brides always remember which end is up. The “U” shape must always face upwards. That way, she keeps all the luck in.
Getting married in Egypt leaves a mark
Egypt is the birthplace of legalizing unions, now known as marriages, between two people, but thankfully, one Egyptian wedding custom did not spread around the globe. In Egypt, brides are routinely pinched by every single female wedding guest attending the ceremony. Good times!
English brides weave a web
In England, if you have arachnophobia, you may have to choose between an unlucky marriage and the single life. Good luck here is measured in itsy bitsy you-know-whats. If you find a spider crawling somewhere on the bride’s dress, the couple is sure to have good luck. This custom makes you definitely want to avoid inviting pranksters to the wedding!
Thai couples are bound together
On the wedding day itself, monks take over, wishing the couple good luck and providing them with bountiful blessings for happiness, provided they make donations, called merit making. After the ceremony, guests of the couple tie sai sin (white strings) on the couple’s wrists, which are meant to stay on for three days. If the couple complies and does not remove the sai sin, they will have good luck forever.
Mexican brides have a secret
Mexican wedding rituals tend to be deeply religious, and brides always wear white, but good wedding luck is ensured in a colorful, albeit hidden, way. Brides sew three ribbons into their lingerie for good luck and wear them secretly on their wedding day. The ribbons are red, blue, and yellow, and to represent passion, financial stability, and abundance of sustenance.
Italian brides get sweet treats
Italian newlyweds bestow small gifts to all of their guests, for added wedding luck. These are called confetti bomboniera, and are usually sugar-coated almonds in a little purse. Each purse contains an odd number of almonds (7 or 9). If a purse accidentally holds an even number, the good luck becomes diminished.
Vietnamese brides see red
No white weddings here! The color red, which symbolizes good luck, is the color of choice for attire, and décor, at most Vietnamese weddings. Leaving nothing to chance, the groom’s family will even travel to the bride’s parental home, bearing wine, fruit, and cake, wrapped in red paper and presented on red platters.
