Most of the citizens in the United States are aware of the traditions related to marriage in the US. June is the favorite month for a wedding. “Something borrowed, something blue”, the “groom’s party” for the parents and wedding party, a “dowry (perhaps)”, it is “bad luck to see the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony”, the father of the bride making that long trip down the aisle with her daughter and men, let’s not forget the “bachelor party”!
But in Germany the preferred month to get married is May. The traditions related to marriage in Germany are many and vary depending on the region. Additionally, some of the younger generations may no longer practice the following wedding traditions.
Eheringe (Wedding Rings)
During the engagement period, both the bride and groom wear a ring on their left hands. After the wedding they wear the wedding ring on the right hand. Rings are usually gold without diamonds.
Brautkleid (Bridal Drawing)
In Germany, as in the United States, the bride wears “white.” But in Germany, brides wear very short trains or generally no trains attached to their wedding dress. If veils are worn, they are fingertip length and are usually never worn over the face as in the US. A flower headband with ribbons is often worn instead of veils. Other included accessories can be a headband (tiara), a small drawstring bag and gloves. The custom is for the bride to dress at her home or her parents’ home and then drive to the ceremony.
Brautigams Kleidung (Attractiveness of the groom)
The groom usually wears a black suit or tuxedo jacket (dinner jacket)
Die Standesamtliche Trauung (The Wedding)
Before a church wedding, the bride and groom will have been married in the Standesamt (Registry Office) by a registrar who is usually located in the Rathaus (town hall). A witness is needed for the bride and also for the groom.
Die Kirche-Hochzeit (The Wedding in the Church)
Together, the bride and groom will enter the church and walk down the aisle. Because it is not legal to have only one church ceremony, the couple will already have been legally married by a Standesbeamte. Unlike in the US, it is not customary to have bridesmaids, groomsmen, or florists.
Andere Deutsche Traditionen (Other German Traditions)
The brides usually bring salt and bread as an omen of good harvests and the groom brings cereals for wealth and good fortune.
Before the wedding, the bride’s belongings are transported to her new home. These can include bedding that she has collected, a crib in which a doll has been secretly placed, and, for a farm girl’s wedding, her parents’ second-best cow.
Hochzeitslader
This Bavarian tradition has an official invitation dressed in fancy clothing decorated with ribbons and flowers going from door to door extending a personal rhyming invitation to guests. Guests agree by pinning one of the ribbons to the Hochzeitslader hat and offering a drink or two at each stop. If the guests are numerous and the Hochzeitslader accepts the offered drinks, it may take a day or two to complete its functions!
Junggesellenabschied (bachelor party)
A few weeks before the wedding, the groom and his friends go to a Kneipe (pub) to drink and party one last time as a bachelor.
Polterabend (Wedding Night)
At a party, the night before the wedding, plates and dishes are broken to drive away evil spirits. Only porcelain can be used. Anything else would bring bad luck. The bride and groom have to clean everything. This is to indicate that they can work together.
Hochzeit-Schuhe (wedding shoes)
Another tradition is for the bride to accumulate pennies over the years to pay for her wedding shoes in which to ensure that the marriage “starts off” on the right foot. The mother of the bride would place some dill and salt in her daughter’s right shoe.
Baumstamm Sagen (log sawing)
Another old Bavarian tradition occurs right after the church ceremony. When the couple leaves the Church there is a log on a trestle and the couple has to cut the log in half. This is to symbolize the first difficult tasks of your future that you can accomplish together.
Fichtenzweige (fir branches)
As the couple walks to the wedding car, fir branches are placed along the path to pave their first steps as newlyweds with fresh greenery to symbolize hope, luck, and fertility.
Reis Werfen (Rich Throw)
In this tradition it is said that the amount of rice left in the bride’s hair is the number of children the couple will have.
Hochzeitssuppe (wedding soup)
The Hochzeitssuppe is made of beef, meatballs and vegetables and is eaten in a large bowl by guests.
Eine Weisse Band (a white ribbon)
As the guests leave the church, the bride hands a white ribbon to each driver of a car in the procession to tie to the car’s radio antenna. This procession then goes around the city honking her horns. Other drivers on the road honk their horns in response to wish the newlyweds good luck in their marriage.
Hochzeitstanz (wedding dance)
The first dance is danced by the bride and groom and is traditionally a waltz. The following dance is only for the bride with her father and the groom with her mother, while the bride’s mother dances with the groom’s father.
Brautbecher (bridal cup)
A common toast at a reception in southern Germany is made with a special brautbecher (wedding glass). The pewter or crystal goblet is in the shape of a maiden holding a small goblet above her head. Both ends of the glass (the bride’s skirt and the top glass) are filled with champagne or wine and the bride and groom drink their first toast together from this glass at the same time signifying their union as one. This ancient tradition dates back centuries to the small town of Nuernberg.