Wedding Invitations Around the World
May 10, 2007
Wedding invitations and the traditions surrounding them vary greatly from culture to culture and country to country. Let’s take a look at some interesting traditions perhaps they’ll give you an idea or two!
The Colours of a Happy Life Together
In China, tradition dictates that invitations are red and gold. Red is the colour of love, prosperity, and happiness, and gold is a symbol of good luck and fortune. Chinese wedding invitations are often ornately decorated with calligraphy and stylized pictures. The dragon and the phoenix are frequently depicted, as they represent a harmonious balance of male and female power. Another popular symbol is the Chinese character Xi, which means “double happiness.
Word of Mouth
Written invitations may be the norm nowadays, but in Hungary guests were traditionally invited in a very special way. Customarily, the best man visited each and every guest and invited them in person by reciting a poem specially written for the occasion. Today, the bride and groom often fulfill this role instead, by visiting close family and friends and offering a personal invitation.
Shout it Out!
Many people still practice the public announcement of an upcoming marriage rather than sending formal invitations. In some parts of Africa and the Middle East, it is not unusual for a town crier to call out the impending marriage of a young couple. Friends and neighbours are invited to the ceremony in this way. And in places like Ontario, the calling of the banns still exists; the announcement of an imminent union for three consecutive weeks is a legal alternative to obtaining a marriage license. Similarly, a Quaker couple may announce their intention to marry during a community meeting.
Invite the World
Can you imagine sending out as many as 2,000 wedding invitations? One place where this may happen is India. By tradition, invitations are sent to family, friends, colleagues . . . just about anybody to whom you might wish to announce a wedding! Popular motifs for the wedding cards are images of Ganesh, the god of wisdom, or a doli, the traditional bridal carriage. Religious symbols from Hindu, Sikh, Islam and Christianity also appear frequently on Indian wedding cards.
Let’s Get Together
One trend in invitations is definitely not traditional: it involves the merging of two cultures when the bride and groom are from different backgrounds. What happens when a Japanese woman marries an American man? When a Greek groom takes a bride from Brazil? Or when a Muslim marries a Christian? Couples today are creating their own traditions by sending multicultural invitations and having ceremonies that honour important aspects of each other’s culture. Invitations are especially important in cases like these, as they help guests know what to expect of the approaching celebration. Many invitations combine significant colours, like those of a country’s flag, or display sacred text from each person’s tradition. Some wedding invites invitations are even bilingual, particularly when extended family members do not speak the language of their soon-to-be in-law.
Whatever the tradition, invitations are likely to be an important part of weddings for as long as people fall in love and get married!
Keywords: Wedding Invitations, Weddingblog, Wedding
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