Question 1

In Indian Hindu weddings, what is the name of the ritual in which the couple takes seven steps around a sacred fire?

Accepted Answer

Saptapadi. Saptapadi means 'seven steps' in Sanskrit. Each step is associated with a vow, and in many Hindu legal and religious traditions the marriage is considered complete after the seventh step.

Question 2

In a traditional Jewish wedding, what is the name of the canopy under which the couple stands?

Accepted Answer

Chuppah. The chuppah is a four-cornered cloth canopy held overhead during the ceremony, symbolizing the home the couple will build together and God's presence above them.

Question 3

In a Korean wedding tradition called 'paebaek', what do parents and elders toss for the couple to catch?

Accepted Answer

Chestnuts and jujubes. During paebaek, the couple bows to elders, who throw chestnuts and jujubes into a held cloth. The fruits are said to symbolize children — sons and daughters in older readings, simply children in modern ones.

Question 4

What is the 'tea ceremony' commonly featured in Chinese weddings primarily for?

Accepted Answer

Honoring elders and formally joining the two families. Serving tea to parents and senior relatives is a gesture of respect and a public acknowledgment that two families are now linked through the couple.

Question 5

In many Nigerian Yoruba weddings, the bride's family symbolically negotiates with the groom's family in a ritual called what?

Accepted Answer

Engagement (Idana) ceremony. The Yoruba engagement, or Idana, features a playful and formal exchange between families' representatives, including the presentation of symbolic gifts and prayers for the couple.

Question 6

In a Scottish wedding, the 'handfasting' tradition involves what?

Accepted Answer

Tying the couple's hands together with cords or tartan. Handfasting binds the couple's hands together with cloth or cords during the ceremony, an old Celtic custom often credited as the origin of the phrase 'tying the knot.'

Question 7

In a traditional Japanese Shinto wedding, the ritual exchange of cups of sake is called what?

Accepted Answer

Sansankudo. San-san-kudo, meaning 'three-three-nine times,' has the couple sip sake from three cups in a structured pattern, symbolizing the union of two people and two families.

Question 8

In many Western European Christian wedding ceremonies, the white wedding dress as a widely fashionable choice was popularized by which 19th-century figure?

Accepted Answer

Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria's 1840 wedding dress in white silk satin and Honiton lace popularized white as the fashionable Western bridal color, which had previously been just one option among many.

Question 9

In Mexican weddings, the 'lazo' is a:

Accepted Answer

Ribbon, rosary, or cord placed around the couple in a figure-eight shape. The lazo, often a long rosary, is placed around the couple's shoulders by padrinos to symbolize their union and shared spiritual life.

Question 10

In a Greek Orthodox wedding, the 'stefana' refers to:

Accepted Answer

Two crowns connected by a ribbon, placed on the couple's heads. The stefana are joined crowns placed on the couple's heads during the ceremony, symbolizing them as the king and queen of their new shared household.

Wedding Traditions Around the World: Cultural Trivia

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