Wedding Traditions Around The World...
There are some pretty crazy wedding traditions out there and others that we would hate to do without - don't we all know a girl who would refuse a proposal on the basis that her man wasn't down on one knee? Here are the origins of some common wedding traditions to help you decide whether you want to keep them, or start your own.
The act of tying cans, streamers and shoes to the bumper of the newlyweds' car is steeped in some hefty tradition. The shoe was seen as an object of power - the victor of a fight would put the heel of his shoe on the neck of his defeated opponent.
In ancient Egypt, when the father of the bride gave his daughter away, he would also send with her, her sandals to show whose property she now was.
The Anglo-Saxons also traditionally transferred the ownership of the bride by her father presenting her groom with one of her slippers. The shoe was then placed in the bridal room on the husband's side of the bed.
In Germany, the bride would throw her shoe, as many modern brides now throw their bouquets. The tradition developed into throwing shoes at the couple and continued through the Victorian era. With the invention of the car, it became more practical - and safer for the married couple - when guests tied shoes behind the newlyweds' car so the shoes still followed them.
Proposing on one knee is one of the few chivalrous things the modern man still does. The tradition comes from the days of knighthood where a knight would dip his knee to show servitude to his master and his lady. Often before a tournament, a knight would kneel before his lady and wait for her to throw him her colours to show him her favour.
It is also a common tale that the woman is allowed to propose to her partner in a leap year. This originated from the old English Law which did not even recognise the 29th of February. The day was 'leaped' over and ignored and since the day had no legal status, normal traditions did not apply.
Of course there are many modern women who don't want to wait four years, so go for it girls, create a new tradition for your family.
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