Wedding Traditions Around the World Quiz

Answer: Two doves

A traditional Filipino wedding sees both the bride and groom release a dove during the ceremony. This is said to symbolise a peaceful and harmonious married life together. One hopes that as the doves fly away, a one-in-yer-eye mishap doesn't occur. Still, if it does, a little birdie pooie landing on your head is said to be quite lucky, and means that wealth is coming your way.

It is unknown where that belief originates.

Answer: Sake

Taking three sips of sake during a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony is known as san-san-kudo. After the young couple do their sipping, their parents follow suit. This not only bonds the happy pair together, but also their respective families.

Answer: Their ability to saw a log in half

The German tradition of sawing a log in half during their marriage ceremony serves the purpose of displaying to the wedding guests that the young couple has the ability to work together and deal with any difficulties in their forthcoming life together.

Answer: Treacle and feathers

This ceremony, for want of a better name, includes adding flour and ash to the mush as well, and all carried out by otherwise normally quite sane family and friends. Its purpose is said to banish evil spirits and bring good luck.

Answer: A wild goose

This traditional wedding ceremony feat of endurance is to symbolise to the groom's glaring mother-in-law (who probably lives in a very small apartment) his life-long commitment to her daughter.

Answer: The Virgin Mary

The Roman Catholic faith is very strong in Mexico, with a 2010 census revealing that 83 per cent of the population follow that religion. And in the traditional Roman Catholic religion, Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus, plays a prominent part. People pray to her for guidance and to intercede with the Lord on their behalf. So, during a traditional Mexican faith, the bride, who carries two bouquets, leaves one on the altar to do homage to Mary.

Answer: Spits on her head and chest

By western standards, that's a pretty gross thing to do. However, this is part of a traditional wedding ceremony in Kenya, so we shouldn't criticise if we live in another country. Spitting on his daughter's head and chest by her father as she leaves the village with her new husband is said to protect her from any ill fortune.

Answer: A toilet bowl

This particular traditional wedding ceremony is known as La Soupe. It involves gathering up all the leftovers at the wedding feast, frog legs, snails and all, and mixing them up in a toilet bowl - one most earnestly prays not a used one - from which the bride and groom must eat to ensure good luck for their life together.

Answer: Fire from their own fireplaces

In this South African traditional marriage rite, both sets of parents carry lit logs from their own homes to the home of the newly married couple. There, the bride and groom, to honour the memory of their own happy childhoods, light the fire in their new home together for the first time, thus creating the first of their own happy memories as a couple.

Another tradition associated with South African weddings is that of tying the hands of the couple together with a rope made of grass, to symbolise their union.

Answer: Stones

Guests at these so-called traditional ceremonies are each given a stone and asked to hold it while the rites are being performed. At the conclusion of the ceremony, all stones are then put in a container for the young couple to keep as a reminder of the family and friends that were with them on that happy day.