It goes without saying that many Western wedding customs are completely different from those of Asian cultures. Some are so rooted in history that many Westerners have no idea whether they even exist.
Traditionally, June has been the most popular month for people to get married. One reason is that June 1 was the date of an ancient Roman festival celebrating the marriage of the god Jupiter and his wife Juno. Another reason will likely. astonish you. Centuries ago, taking a bath was not as common as it is today. Some people took a bath only once a year, typically in May. Since June was a time most wedding guests would not be too smelly, that month was preferred.
Another wedding custom is for the bride to "wear something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. "Having something old is said to protect the newlyweds' future baby, while the new item shows optimism for the future. Meanwhile, something borrowed is meant to bring good luck, and something blue is a promise of being faithful. Lesser known is the fact that the bride is also supposed to have a sixpence in her shoe for prosperity(兴旺)。 Interestingly, in Sweden, brides are given two coins before getting married-one gold from her mother and the other silver from her father-also to put in her shoes. These fascinating customs show just how important certain wedding traditions are in Western cultures.
The concept of the "white wedding", in which the bride wears a white wedding dress, is a familiar one. It is thought, mistakenly though, that this is a tradition that developed in ancient times and originates from the belief of white being a symbol of purity. Actually, the custom of brides wearing this color dates back less than 200 years and is attributed to the wedding of Queen Victoria. The queen's choice of white for her wedding was unusual for the time as other colors, especially red, were much more common.
After news of Victoria's highly publicized wedding to Prince Albert spread, not just around the United Kingdom, but to other nations including the United States, women began following in her footsteps and wearing white dresses at their wedding ceremonies. With white being the choice of a powerful royal figure like Queen Victoria, the color became associated with wealth. nobility and the fashion-conscious.
