世界各地的婚禮習俗

　　婚禮，無論在古今中外，都被認為是人生儀禮中的大禮。但對其的認識則古今大不一樣。 古人認為，家族和血統(tǒng)的延續(xù)，是做晚輩不容推卸的重任，即所謂“不孝有三，無后為大”，因此，把交合男女陰陽、產生子嗣的婚姻之禮放在一個很重要的地位。 婚禮和婚姻制度有密切聯(lián)系，從一個側面反映了人們的文明教化程度。以漢族為主體的中華民族祖先和世界各民族一樣，在原始時期經歷過亂婚、群婚的階段，進入文明社會之后則基本采取一夫一妻的婚姻形式。

　　The wedding around the world

　　Early African American: Jumping the Broom. In the times of slavery in this country, African American couples were not allowed to formally marry and live together. To make a public declaration of their love and commitment, a man and woman jumped over a broom into matrimony, to the beat of drums. (The broom has long held significant meaning for the various Africans, symbolizing, the start of home-making for the newlywed couple. In Southern Africa, the day after the wedding, the bride assisted the other women in the family in sweeping the courtyard, indicating her dutiful willingness to help her in-laws with housework till the newlyweds could move to their new home.) Some African-American couples today are choosing to include this symbolic rite in their wedding ceremony.

　　Armenia: Two white doves may be released to signify love and happiness. The bride may dress in red silk and may wear cardboard wings with feathers on her head. Small coins may be thrown at her.

　　Belgium: The bride may still embroider her name on her handkerchief, carry it on the wedding day, then frame it and keep it until the next family bride marries.

　　Bermuda: Islanders top their tiered wedding cakes with a tiny sapling. The newlyweds plant the tree at their home, where they can watch it grow, as their marriage grows.

　　England: Traditionally, the village bride and her wedding party always walk together to the church. Leading the procession: a small girl strewing blossoms along the road, so the bride's path through life will always be happy and laden with flowers.

　　世界各地的婚禮

　　早期非洲裔美國人：跳掃帚。在美國的黑奴時代，黑人男女是不允許正式結婚生活在一起的。為了向世人宣布他們的愛情和婚約，一對黑人男女和著鼓聲的節(jié)奏，一起跳過一把掃帚。(掃帚對各種非洲人長期來都具有很重要的意義，因為它意味著新婚夫婦組成家庭的開始。在南部非洲，新娘在婚后的第一天要幫助夫家的其它女性清掃院子，以此表明在住進自己的新家前，她愿意盡職地幫助丈夫的家人承擔家務勞動。)直至今日，一些美國黑人還在他們的婚禮上舉行這種象征性的儀式。

　　亞美尼亞：人們放飛兩只白鴿，以示愛情和幸福。新娘穿著紅色絲綢的服裝，頭戴飾有羽毛的紙翼。人們還可向新娘投擲硬幣。

　　比利時：新娘可以將其姓名繡在手帕上，在婚禮舉行日隨身帶上它?；槎Y后將手帕裝入鏡框保存，直到家里的另外一個姑娘結婚。

　　百慕大：百慕大島民在他們的多層婚禮蛋的頂層插上一株小樹苗，新婚夫婦要將這株樹苗種在家中，這樣他們可以目睹樹苗伴隨著他們的婚姻一起長大。

　　英格蘭：按照傳統(tǒng)，鄉(xiāng)村的新娘和參加婚禮的人們總是一起步行走向教堂。一個小姑娘走在隊列最前面，她一路拋撒鮮花，預示著新娘一生的道路上也將開滿鮮花。