Scandinavian Marriage Customs
Wedding Traditions from Norway, Denmark & Sweden
Marriage Customs in Norway
As a symbol of fertility, friends and neighbors of the new couple plant two small pine trees on either side of the couple's front door. Also, a Norwegian bride wears a silver crown with silver charms dangling from it. Not only do the charms make a musical sound, like chimes, when she walks down the aisle, it also wards off any evil spirits that are lurking around the newlyweds.
Marriage Customs in Denmark
In Denmark, an arch of pine branches is planted in front of the bride’s home, known as the Gates of Honor. Also, it is customary for the groom to sneak away during the ceremony so that the unmarried men can have a last chance to kiss the bride. Likewise, the bride also disappears to give the young unmarried girls an opportunity to kiss the groom. During the reception, the bride and groom hold the knife together when they cut the cake, in order to promote good luck and ward off evil spirits.
Wedding Traditions in Sweden
In Sweden, the bride wears a gold coin in her right shoe (from her mother) and a silver coin in her left shoe (from her father), to show that her parents hope that she is never poor. During the ceremony, the groom gives the bride a wedding ring and a ring of motherhood (in addition to the engagement ring), so when she says her wedding vows, she is wearing three rings.
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