Weddings

      Weddings are an important part of every culture. Every society has a different ritual or tradition for recognizing that two people are life partners responsible for each other's well being and in many cases, for also raising a family. Some traditions require a formal ceremony with a religious component. Others require no ceremony at all. Weddings can be religious or secular. Civil weddings in many Western countries now are beginning to equal or even outnumber traditional church weddings.  A wedding can be as simple as two people saying to a tribal elder that they plan on being together or as complex as huge wedding parties complete with bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls and ring bearers. In a democratic country such as the United States, it is not unheard of for some people to go off to Las Vegas to elope where you can even be married by an Elvis Presley impersonator!

     Weddings are as varied and diverse as people are. Every day new traditions are added and old ones conserved or reworked. Regional tastes also influence the celebration. In some areas of the world it is expected that the bride wear white, but in other places, red is the color of choice. Flowers are usually included but not required. Some brides are veiled while others are not. In many places rings are exchanged as symbols of the union. In some cultures the bride's family is expected to give a gift or a payment known as a dowry to the groom's family. There is a tribe in Africa where the number of heads of cattle a bride owns determines whether she is good marriage material or not. The settings for weddings are numerous. Some choose outdoor locales. Here in Cyprus you can plan to marry on the beach. More adventurous people have even married while skydiving, scuba diving in the sea or on a mountain top. Other people choose to marry outside in a garden or inside in a church or temple or even in their homes. Most weddings incorporate some form of music and dancing. Sometimes there are special foods that are eaten in celebration of the wedding. Some wedding celebrations last only a few hours while others can last for days and include various costume changes.

     No matter where the celebration occurs or the traditions that are followed, weddings are special occasions for everyone involved. They are a time for families and friends to come together. We may speak different languages and eat different foods. We may pray to a different god or no god at all. We may have a different sense of style and fashion and come from different regions on the globe, but at the end of the day what we all have in common is the importance of family. In all cultures ties that bind are made between people. Relationships are cultivated, nurtured and supported. We are encouraged to bond together and to form connections with other human beings so as to not go through our lives alone. The journey is much more interesting when shared.