Engagement and wedding customs

1. Today, Americans marry at an older age than did young adults of the 1960s and 1970s. At the time of his first marriage, the average bridegroom (or groom, for short) is about 26. The average bride is 24. When a man and woman decide to marry and announce their engage­ment to their friends and relatives, it is traditionalfor the man to give his fiancee a diamond engagement ring. When the engagement period begins, the bride‑to‑be and her future husband meet each other's relatives, make arrangements for their wedding and honeymoon, andplan their future together.

2. Very few newlyweds choose to begin married life living with either set of parents. Therefore, during the engagement period, most couples look for their own apartment and buy furniture for their new home. Engagement and wedding gifts help the bride and groom to set up housekeeping. The bride's parents usually give their daughter a trousseau of new clothing and linens. Relatives and close friends of the bride often arrange a shower — a party just for women at which each guest gives the bride‑to‑be a gift for her new home. Also, shortly before the wedding, the groom and his close friends and relatives celebrate at an all‑male party called a bachelor or stag party. On this occasion, the groom usually receives gifts.

3. Most wedding customs observed in the United States today originated in other countries and past centuries. Some relate to old superstitionsabout ways to bring the bride and groom good luck and many children. Other customs are ancient symbols of the marital promise of lifelong devotion.

The traditional American bride wears a long white gown and a veil. (In ancient times, the veil was supposed to protect the bride from evil spirits and to symbolize her innocence.) Traditional brides also obey the well‑known verse and wear "something old, something new, some­thing borrowed, and something blue." The groom usually wears a tuxedo (a fancy suit), which is often rented just for his wedding day. According to custom, the groom should not see the bride's wedding gown before the wedding. Also, on their wedding day, the bride and groom do not see each other until they meet during the ceremony.

5. The American wedding is often an expensive affair (average cost: about $10,000). It is usually paid for by the bride's parents, although the groom and his parents help prepare the guest list. The day's festivities begin with the marriage ceremony, which may be held in a church, synagogue, home, or hotel. Guests are seated on either side of an aisle, and the wedding starts with a procession down the aisle. The procession includes the bridal couple and their closest relatives and friends. There are usually bridesmaids and a maid of honor (all wearing matching dresses) and the groom's best man, who carries the bride's wedding ring. Walking immediately in front of the bride is a young girl (the flower girl), who decorates the bride's path with flower petals dropped from her straw basket. The bride walks down the aisle with her father, who leads her to the altar and "gives her away" to the groom. The bride and groom then face a cleric or judge conducting the service, as the traditional service is recited.

6. The doublering ceremony is quite common today, with bride and groom placing identicalrings on each other's fingers. The ring, a circle with no beginning and no end, is a familiar symbol of unendinglove and loyalty. It is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand because of a very old (and incorrect) idea that a vein or nerve ran from this finger directly to the heart.

7. Toward the end of the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom promise to love each other "until death do us part. They are pro­nounced husband and wife, and are invited to kiss each other. Then, the entire wedding procession walks back up the aisle, and the cere­mony is over. Often, after a church wedding, guests throw rice, rose petals, or confetti at the newlyweds as they leave the church. Some­times, the couple's car is decorated with tin cans, paper streamers, or old shoes, along with a "Just Married" sign. The tin cans and shoes are a modern version of the ancient idea that noisemakers will scare away evil spirits and bring the couple good luck. Rice, a common fertility symbol, is supposed to help the couple become parents.

8. After the ceremony, there is a party at which guests enjoy dinner and dancing. During the meal, the wedding cake ‑ a tall, many‑layered cake with white frosting—is displayed. Most wedding cakes have a miniature bride and groom or miniature wedding bells on the top. After the meal, the bride and groom cut the cake, and it is served to the guests. Some guests take a slice of cake home with them. If a single woman sleeps with a slice of the wedding cake under her pillow, she is supposed to dream of the man she will marry.

9. Just before the bride leaves the wedding party, she throws her bouquet of flowers to the group of single women at the wedding. Sup­posedly, the one who catches the bouquet will be the next to marry. At some weddings, the groom throws his bride's garter to the single men. Catching the garter also means an approaching marriage.

10.After the wedding, the newlyweds take a vacation called a hon­eymoon. This word comes from a French phrase that means "month of honey." Some scholars believe the phrase came from an ancient custom for newlyweds to share a drink made with honey every day during the first month of their marriage.

11.Though it is common to get married with a large group of rela­tives and friends present, it is by no means essential. Some couples simply go to City Hall and have a local judge perform the ceremony. To be legally wed, a couple need only fulfill the requirements set by the state in which the ceremony is performed. Each state prescribes who may get a license to marry there. In most states, 18‑year‑olds can marry without their parents' consent, and 16-year‑olds can marry with parental consent. Marriages between first cousins or people more closely related are forbidden.

12.Finally, following one last wedding tradition, when the bride and groom first enter their new home as husband and wife, the husband carries his wife across the threshold.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16