Italian
Wedding Traditions
- by KissMeGoodnight.com
Couples who are of Italian descent may choose
to incorporate a variety of Italian traditions into their wedding
even if they have never even set foot on Italian soil. This
is a fun way to honor your ancestors with a nostalgic glimpse
into the past. The religious aspects, dances and food at a
wedding may all hold traditional values.
The dominant religion in Italy is Roman Catholicism. Therefore
a traditional Italian wedding would also be linked to a traditional
Catholic wedding and would include a full Mass with the ceremony. Although, not all Italians are also Catholics and if you and
your future spouse are not Catholic you can still have a traditional
Italian reception to celebrate your marriage. Immediately after
the wedding ceremony the couple may release a pair of white
doves. These doves symbolize the love and affection that the
couple hold for each other.
There
are a few other small traditions that apply to the ceremony. One of these traditions is to adorn each entry way that the
couple will pass through with elaborately tied ribbons. These
ribbons are symbolic of the unity of the couple. It is also
customary for the groom to carry a small piece of iron in his
pocket during the wedding ceremony. This piece of metal is
said to ward off evil spirits and ensure a happy future for
the couple. The bride may also rip her veil slightly. This
is said to bring good luck to the couple.
The
reception that follows the wedding ceremony is where the
majority of Italian traditions take place. It is customary
for the guests to assemble in the reception room before the
bride and groom arrive. You should arrange for your guests
to be served alcoholic beverages during this time. The women
are traditionally served sweet liquors while the men are served
stronger drinks. It is important that these drinks be served
before the couple arrives at the reception because tradition
holds that the guests offer a toast to the bride and the groom
the moment that they arrive at the reception.
There
are a few traditional dances that are typically performed
at traditional Italian weddings. The Tarantella is one example
of these dances. There are several different stories on the
origin of this dance but most of the stories revolve around
a spider bite. In just about every version of the story, la
tarantella was a dance that was performed either to counteract
the venom of the spider or as an uncontrollable response to
the venom. In modern times this dance is performed as a way
of wishing the couple good luck in their future together. La
Tarantella is a group, circle dance where the participants
dance in a clockwise direction until the music speeds up and
then they reverse directions. These tempo changes occur several
times and each time the tempos speeds up the group changes
direction again. This continues until it is impossible to keep
up with the tempo of the music.
No
authentic wedding would be complete without a scrumptious
feast featuring several courses. A traditional Italian wedding
reception begins with an antipasto course that features olives,
pickled sweet peppers, mushrooms and cheeses. That is followed
by many other courses that include pastas, meats, soups, salads
and desserts that are each accompanied by free flowing wine.
There are certain foods that have symbolic meanings. For example
guests are usually presented with an odd number of almonds.
The almonds represent the fact that marriage is often bittersweet.
They are presented in odd numbers that have different traditional
meanings. For example three almonds wish the couple luck with
children while five almonds wish the couple monetary wealth.
Another
Italian wedding tradition is to have the couple break a
glass or vase at the conclusion of the reception. The Jewish
faith has a similar tradition where the groom will break a
wine glass at the conclusion of the ceremony but these traditions
vary in their intentions and symbolism. Jewish couples break
a glass as a symbol of human frailty and the hardship that
their ancestors have endured because of their faith. An Italian
couple, however, breaks a glass or vase for a completely different
reason. According to Italian tradition the number of pieces
that the glass breaks into represents the number of happy years
that the couple will enjoy together.
It is fun for couples of Italian descent to incorporate traditional
elements into their wedding. Even if the couple only has distant
relatives that originated from Italy and have never even been
to Italy, it is still acceptable to follow these traditions.
Couples of other nationalities may also choose an Italian themed
wedding just for the enjoyment of trying something different.
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KissMeGoodnight.com : 2005
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