Chapter 5: Around the World
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Chapter 5: Around the World READING TEST “Wedding Traditions” By Diego Pelaez 1. A friend of mine is getting married next Saturday, and I am the best man. I rented a tux, and I plan to enjoy myself at the party. But why is he getting married? Here in Quebec, weddings are becoming irrelevant. A recent survey showed that almost 40 percent of Quebec couples are in common-law relationships. Still, I have a part to play in a “white wedding,” so I decided to investigate the ritual. Weddings have a fascinating history and a great variety of traditions. 2. In a white wedding, the bride and groom marry in a church or temple, and exchange vows and wedding rings. The bride wears a long white gown, carries flowers, and has at least one bridesmaid. White wedding traditions have practical and supernatural sources. Originally, white symbolized “purity” because the bride was expected to be a virgin. Also, in past centuries, the bride carried flowers to mask body odour because people rarely bathed. Imagine if you suggested that a bride carry flowers for that reason now! Do you know why bridesmaids have to wear those embarrassing gowns? In previous eras, people believed that evil spirits would take away the bride. If bridesmaids also wore long gowns, the spirits would get confused and not recognize the bride. Apparently, evil spirits don’t have very good vision. 3. Throughout most of human history, a wedding was a business deal. The wife was considered the husband’s property. Often, the bride’s parents had to give money to the groom’s family. In some cultures, the groom and the best man would kidnap the bride and force her to become a member of the groom’s tribe. Fortunately, all the best man has to do these days is give a speech full of embarrassing anecdotes about the groom. 4. The white wedding ceremony exists in many cultures, but details about the ceremony differ. Mexican Catholics place a lasso—usually a white rope—around the necks of the bride and groom to symbolize their unity. In Jewish weddings, the groom stomps on a glass at the end of the ceremony; the broken glass symbolizes a marriage that will last for as long as the glass is broken: forever. 5. Some wedding traditions are silly. In Scotland, there is a pre-wedding tradition called “blackening of the bride.” The bride is covered with eggs, sauces, and feathers, and then paraded around town. In some American wedding receptions, the groom shoves cake into the bride’s face. Such traditions are supposed to be funny, but I’m sure the bride doesn’t laugh. In Germany, it is considered good luck for all the wedding guests to smash old dishes on the floor. The bride and the groom then have to gather all the pieces to show the strength of their union. Everyone has a lot of fun doing this, but it sounds like a poor wedding present. 6. Think of all the time women spend shopping for a wedding dress. Imagine if they had to find three! In a traditional Japanese wedding, the bride changes three times. First, the bride’s face and hands are painted white, and she wears a traditional Japanese kimono. The bride and groom drink sake—a type of rice wine—in front of the priest. Then, the bride Avenues 1: English Skills , Second Edition 1 Chapter 5: Around the World My eLab Reading Test: “Wedding © ERPI ● Reproduction authorized solely Traditions” for use with Avenues 1: English Skills , Second Edition changes into a more conventional wedding gown to celebrate with the guests. She changes a third time to participate in a candle ceremony. 7. Not all weddings are white. In many African countries, the bride chooses any colour that she likes for the wedding, and everybody comes dressed in the same colour. My sister, who works in the Congo, had to buy an orange outfit for a wedding. In some Asian countries, red is the colour of marriage. In India, brides wear long red saris. In that country, white symbolizes death, and only widows 1 dress completely in white. In China, red symbolizes luck and good fortune. Red is everywhere in a Chinese wedding—the table settings and flowers are red. Even the homes of the bride and groom are decorated in red. Also, the bride and groom give each other red handkerchiefs with pictures of a pair of ducks on them. Ducks are considered monogamous birds. This is why in China, they are a symbol of a long marriage. In reality, ducks only stay with the same mate for about a year or two. Maybe they are a better symbol for modern marriage? 8. Personally, I don’t plan on getting married. The expense and ceremony don’t appeal to me. I believe common-law unions make more sense in the modern context. Still, I understand the value of family and community bonding over the marriage of a couple. I’m pleased that same-sex marriage is legal. And any event that involves a seven-course meal can’t be all that bad! (796 words) Sources: Jacks, Matt. “The History of Weddings.” Wedding Zone . Wedding Zone, n.d. Web. “German Wedding Traditions.” World Wedding Traditions . World Wedding Traditions, n.d. Web. “Wedding Customs from around the World.” Topics Online Magazine . Topics Online Magazine, n.d. Web. 1 widows: the wives of men who died Avenues 1: English Skills , Second Edition 2 Chapter 5: Around the World My eLab Reading Test: “Wedding © ERPI ● Reproduction authorized solely Traditions” for use with Avenues 1: English Skills , Second Edition .