Cake for the Couple!

     The sharing of the first slice of cake among the bride and groom is a tradition that's been around for quite a while. We've all heard of it, for it's not only extremely long-standing, it's immensely popular as well. The tradition originated in Rome several centuries ago, where people believed that it would signify the creation of a special bond. To this day, such a belief continues to stand strong.

     This activity usually takes place right after the wedding ceremony and at the very beginning of the reception. Once the cake is revealed, the bride and groom dig in together. They feed each other small pieces of the cake, smiling and laughing away. The wheat that's used to bake the cake is often symbolic of fertility and a fruitful union, and the overall sweetness of the cake is thought to offer sweetness to the marriage. It's a quite fun and sweet tradition because of such symbols, and can be seen all over the world because of this.

By Julia Dankov

Egypt's "Big Day" Foods

     Have you ever attended a wedding? I'm sure you have. Have you ever noticed that the wedding you're attending usually takes up most of the day it's held on? Well, I'm sure you have as well. There are a lot of things to a wedding; there's the ceremony, the music, the dancing, the activities, and of course, the feast. For some couples, the meals served at their weddings may not mean much, but for the couples of Egypt, they mean a whole lot. The food served at an Egyptian wedding reflects much more than the couple's taste in food, it reflects as much as the general wealth of the families of the couple. Traditionally, the bride's family is the one who prepares and serves all the food for the wedding. The food can consist of kebabs, grilled chicken, fish, rice dishes, etc. So, the next time you're sitting in a fancy restaurant gazing at your newly wed friends, remember that they might've spent months planning out what's laying on your plate at that exact moment.

        
By Julia Dankov