Finnish Bride-To-Be's

     Looking back on last weeks discussion, it is interesting to learn and quite important to remember that as widespread as the tradition of tossing the bridal bouquet is, there are other incredibly special ways of crowning "bride-to-be's" all over the world. For example, in Finland a tradition quite similar to and just as beautiful as the act of a queen passing her crown down to her descendants exists. This tradition is incorporated into weddings all throughout Finland, and quite commonly at that.

     On her wedding day, a Finnish bride traditionally wears a golden crown. She keeps it on her head through the duration of the entire wedding; during the exchange of vows, through the feasts and dances, etc. It is only at the very end of the wedding that the bride finally removes her crown. After being blindfolded, she stands in the center of a circle of her closest female friends as they dance around her. After a little while, the bride takes her crown off and, still blindfolded, lowers it onto the head of whichever lucky woman happens to be closest. This woman is then considered to be next in line for marriage. The tradition is quite old yet is just as beautiful as it ever was, for there is just something absolutely charming about "crowning" a future bride.

By Julia Dankov

Why Do Brides Throw Their Bouquets?

     It's customary all around the world for brides to carry bridal bouquets with them at weddings. Even someone who's never attended a wedding would know that. This someone would also know that at some point during a wedding, the bride tosses this bridal bouquet of hers into a crowd of her closest female friends. It's believed that whichever woman catches the bouquet is next in line to marry. This tradition is old and long-standing, but how did it all start?

     Ever since the general idea of weddings was introduced, people have considered brides to be particularly lucky people. Everyone wanted a piece of that luck. When a bride and groom would gather to throw their wedding, they would of course invite wedding guests. During the wedding, these guests would go to quite desperate measures to try and symbolize their desire for a piece of the brides luck; they would go so far as to chase her down and try to tear off bits of her bridal gown. Naturally, the bride would oppose this. That's why the idea of tossing the bridal bouquet came to mind, as a way of distracting the guests and leaving the bride with plenty of time to get away unscathed. Over the years, the activity evolved and replaced the act of tearing off bits of the bridal gown. Now, the tradition is seen at almost every wedding and still continues to symbolize the sharing of the brides luck.

 By Julia Dankov

Poor Scottish Grooms

     Weddings are usually very elegant, luxurious events. Long white gowns and sleek black suits are worn, exquisite flowers and other decorations are arranged, classic music is played, and so on. Pre-wedding events however, aren't quite so. The Scots know this well.

     A few days before a Scottish couples' wedding, the groom is taken out by his friends. During this outing, the grooms is ridiculed at the hands of his friends in extremely public places, such as restaurants, clubs, etc. The groom is sometimes dressed up in a padded outfit to resemble a pregnant woman, and other times is the victim of silly practical jokes. By the end of the night, all the men are heavily intoxicated. In this state, and stripped of all his clothing, the groom is dropped off in front of his house by his friends. Most wouldn't consider this a very pleasant way to end a night, but the Scots would beg to differ. At least they sure know how to throw a quite unique bachelors party!

By Julia Dankov

Smashing Plates in Greece

     Most couples, when at their weddings, choose to eat off of plates. You're probably thinking, so what? That's a seemingly normal thing to do. Greek couples, however, would disagree. They wouldn't choose to use their plates for a "normal" activity such as eating, they would instead choose to use them for a far more unique purpose. At Greek weddings, it's not uncommon to find the bride, groom, and whomever else is attending smashing plates all over the place. As wholly violent as the activity may sound, it has a lot of history and deep meaning.

     The tradition of breaking plates at weddings and other such important events dates back to ancient times. Back in those days, people smashed plates at funerals all over Greece as a way of saying "good riddance" to the angst and pain they felt due to their losses. A little while later, the tradition of smashing plates began being incorporated into weddings all over Greece. Newlywed couples would stand in the doorways of their homes and smash plates on the ground to symbolize abundance and to summon a happy future together. Even now, the tradition is seen all around the world at Greek weddings, where plates are smashed during the reception. So next time remember, for many people, plates are only for meals!

By Julia Dankov

Spanish Miniature Brides?

     The Spanish culture is rich with all kinds of traditions. The tradition of the miniature bride is just an example of  this. In Puerto Rico, many couples incorporate a miniature doll wearing a replica bridal dress into their wedding. This doll could be found standing on the head table or the cake table at the reception of a wedding. Capias, which are somewhat like favors for the wedding guests, are attached to the doll. During the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom pin a single capia on each of their wedding guests to represent their gratitude. So if you're ever looking for a unique way to thank your friends and family for attending your wedding, you should look into this old Spanish tradition.

By Julia Dankov

Day 10 - Capri

     It was November, but I wanted so badly to jump into the teal waters of Capri.

By Julia Dankov

Day 9 - Pompeii

     Saw the ghost of what once was Pompeii, with stone skeletons here and rocky corpses there.

By Julia Dankov