Wedding Traditions : Italian

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Italian Wedding Traditions

One tradition in Italy is that the couple must walk to the church together through the town. As they go the townsfolk put barriers in their way, such as a small child. If the Bride looks after and helps the child then he will be a good mother; or if she picks up the broom she will keep a clean house. They might even come across a log that must be cut in half with a double-handled saw. They work together and this represents their life together.

Tying the knot
A ribbon may be tied across the the front of the church or chapel symbolising the tying of the knot

Good luck traditions
The Groom may carry a piece of iron in his pocket to ward off evil while the Bride wears a veil to avoid being carried off or cursed by jealous spirits, though tearing the veil at the end of the ceremony is considered good luck.

Similar to the Greek tradition suger-covered almonds are eaten symbolising the bitter-sweet nature of marriage. In Italy they are tied into mesh bags which are thrown at the couple. They are also distributed in odd numbers, as they are in Greece, though in Italy the numbers are either in threes, for children, or fives for prosperity.

As they leave the church the guests will shower the couple with confetti (either rice or paper) which is intended to bring good luck to them.

The Bride shouldn’t wear any gold until she is given the ring by the Groom. She may also carry a satin bag ("la borsa") which is passed around the guests who place envelopes of money which helps to offset the cost of the wedding.

This particular tradition varies, sometimes the Bride will give dances to the male guests in return for their gifts while in other places the Bride’s grandmother will be in charge of la borsa.

Another way of raising money is for the Groom to have his tie cut up into little pieces and sold as a memento of the celebration

Again like the Greek customs the bride and Groom will break a glass, in this case the number of pieces it shatters into indicates the number of years the couple will share together. They may also release doves.

Wedding reception
Traditional Italian wedding receptions may have up to 14 courses, but prior to the meal the Best man will serve the guests with a sweet aperitif and a toast is given "Per cent’anni" which means "for a hundred years".

When things go quiet in at a reception one of the male guests will shout out a special toast "Eviva gli sposi" which means "Hurrah for the Newlyweds!" The other guests will react very loudly and that usually gets things going again. Alternatively they might use "A kiss for the Bride" which means the Groom must kiss the Bride which again gets things going.

During the reception the guests will dance the Tarantella, and the men hold their jackets open to the side, to demonstrate they are not carrying any weapons.

After the dinner the wedding cake is cut and served to the guests with espresso and coffee.