Shoes on the Bumper

     The different countries and cultures of the world all offer unique, sometimes even bizarre wedding traditions. Some cultures find it customary to jump over a broom, others require exchanges of food gifts. Some even tie their shoes to the bumper of their car and drive away at the end of their wedding celebrations. Yes, you read right. Now, you may be asking, what's up with that?

     The tradition of tying shoes to the bumper of a bride and groom's car is quite new, for cars haven't been around for that long. But the shoe part is significantly older, dating back to the times of the ancient Assyrians, Egyptians, and Hebrews. Trading sandals and other such shoes were a very important part of all the weddings back in those days. It symbolized the grooms acceptance of taking on the responsibility of caring for the bride.

     Nowadays, a more modernized version of this tradition still exists. Who needs to just transfer shoes when you could tie them to the bumper of your car? The tradition is seen all around the world, and is a common wedding icon everywhere. As silly as it might seem, what it symbolizes is quite the opposite.

By Julia Dankov