Wedding Customs Around the World
Wedding Ceremonies
A wedding is celebrated with some kind of ceremony almost everywhere in the world．The ceremonies vary greatly among different nations and different religions．But whatever the form．of a marriage ceremony, it serves the important purpose of announcing to the community that a male and a female have been joined in matrimony(婚姻).
The wedding ceremony may be a religious one performed by a churchman．In Western societies it may be a civil ceremony performed by a civil official, such as a mayor or a judge．Or it may be only a couple's declaration, before witnesses, of their intention to marry．In some places a transfer of property makes a marriage binding．In other places blood is drawn from the hands of the bride and groom．The blood is mixed, sealing the union．Among some people the marriage rite consists only of the bride and groom's sharing the same food.
Marriage is one of the seven important religious ceremonies of the Catholic Church．The marriage is held in a church with the service conducted by the priest in the language of the country．The couple stand at the altar(圣坛)．The priest asks each in turn, 'Do you take
[name of partner] here present for your lawful wife/husband, according to the rite of our Holy Mother, the Church?' in turn, each answers, 'I do.' They then repeat the marriage vows after the priest．The priest blesses the union: 'In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit．Amen.' The priest sprinkles the couple with holy water and blesses the ring or rings.
Many traditional customs are observed at Jewish weddings, although they are not requiredby Jewish law．Usually the Jewish priest, the bride and groom, and their attendants stand under a decorated cover called a chupah (犹太教举行婚礼上用的彩棚)．The present use of the chupah began during the Middle Ages among the Eastern European Jews．The Jewish priest conducts the service．During the ceremony the bride and groom make appropriate vows and take part in the ring ceremony．The Jewish priest blesses a cup of wine, from which the bride and groom both drink．The Jewish priest talks to the couple about the sacredness of marriage and responsibilities of the bride and groom．After the Jewish priest has pronounced them man and wife, a wine glass is often placed on the floor．The groom steps on the glass and breaks it．Scholars disagree about the symbolism of the custom, but many believe that the breaking of the glass recalls the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, reminding the couple that even at the moment of greatest joy, there may be sorrow.
The Muslim marriage is a civil and religious contract between the bride and groom．The religious ceremonies and celebrations vary with the customs of the country in which the marriage is held．People of wealth begin the celebrations two or three days before the wedding and continue for two or three days after．The bride is elaborately dressed in bright colors and wears her finest jewelry．The wedding takes place at the home of the bride．The service is performed by Muslim priest, before at least two male witnesses or one male and two female witnesses and then the vows are exchanged.
Wedding Customs
Many of the customs associated with wedding ceremonies are based on neither church nor civil law．They developed from wedding customs of earliest times and come from many lands.
The wearing of a bridal veil dates back to early Greek and Roman times．The veil was thought to conceal the bride from evil spirits．The veil is also believed to have been worn as an indication of the bride's innocence and purity.
The wedding ring is the most widely used symbol of marriage today, as it has been for centuries．The word 'wedding' comes from the old English word 'wed', which means 'promise' or 'pledge'．During Anglo-Saxon times a