Blessings, luck and omens
Rice and petals, the broom, the horseshoe, the broken glass and other ways of asking for luck.
A wedding is a time when people ask for luck. Rice and petals are thrown, bells rung, a horseshoe hung, a glass broken, a coconut cracked. Many of these customs began as a wish for children, wealth or protection from harm, and they remain because they are fun, meaningful and shared.
Throwing and showering
Rice is thrown at the couple in many parts of the world as a wish for fertility and plenty, and in some places is replaced by petals or birdseed. Italian weddings use confetti sugared almonds, and Moroccan guests shower the couple with dates and milk. Indian brides throw rice behind them as they leave, to give back to the parental home. In Ukraine and Russia guests may throw grain, coins and sweets.
Protection against harm
Many cultures guard against the evil eye or jealous spirits. The Jewish groom breaks a glass, in the Greek wedding the bride may carry a lump of sugar, and in Scotland the blackening of the bride is a boisterous prank. In China firecrackers scare off bad luck, and in Iran a sugar cone is rubbed above the couple's heads. In parts of Africa libations pour water or drink to the ancestors.
Omens and dates
Weather, day and month can also be omens. Rain on the day is lucky in many places, from Hindu communities who see it as a blessing to Western brides who say it is good luck. Dates are chosen by astrologers in India, by the lunar calendar in China, and avoided in Lent, Ramadan or the Omer, when weddings are not held by custom.
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on Blessings, luck and omens (kind of custom). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreToe ring
A silver band worn on the second toe to mark a woman as married in India.Adornment · The ceremony
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLaavaanਲਾਵਾਂ ਫੇਰੇ (Lavan)
The four sacred hymns sung during the Anand Karaj that guide a Sikh couple through spiritual stages of married life.Rite · The ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaTulasi Vivahतुलसी विवाह (Tulasī Vivāha)
A symbolic Hindu wedding uniting the holy basil plant with a stone representing Vishnu.Rite · The weeks before
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAlpanaআলপনা (Bengali)
Rice flour floor paintings that bless homes and mark wedding celebrations in Bengal.Adornment · The weeks before
🇮🇳 IndiaGaye holudগায়ে হলুদ
The turmeric ceremony that prepares the Bengali bride and groom for marriageRite · The weeks before
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMayian
The turmeric paste ceremony held the day before Punjabi weddings in India and Pakistan.Rite · The weeks before
🇮🇳 Goa, IndiaHaldi Kumkum
A gathering of married women in southern India who exchange turmeric and vermilion to celebrate their status.Blessing
🇮🇳 IndiaGana
A sacred red thread tied to wrists for protection during wedding rituals in parts of India.Adornment · The weeks before
🇦🇫 AfghanistanAhesta Beroآهسته برو
The song played to welcome the bride and groom into the wedding hall in AfghanistanPerformance · Procession and arrival
🇱🇰 Sri LankaPoruwa ceremony
The Sinhalese wedding ritual performed on a carved wooden platform with betel leaves and milk rice.Rite · The ceremony
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreChuraचूरा (Hindi)
The red and white bangles that mark a bride's new status in Indian Hindu weddingsAttire · The weeks before
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreAltaআলতা (Bengali)
A red dye applied to hands and feet as an auspicious adornment in South Asian weddings and festivals.Adornment · The weeks before
🇮🇳 IndiaAyyavazhi wedding
The sacred rite of Ayyavazhi that treats marriage as a spiritual sacrament and family life as the highest austerity.Rite · Procession and arrival
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreAuspicious wedding dates
The selection of lucky times for a ceremony based on astrology, numerology, and tradition.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 IndiaKettu KalyanamTālikettukalyānam
A mock marriage ritual in Kerala that marked a girl as ready for real unions by tying a sacred thread.Betrothal · The weeks before
🇮🇳 IndiaBrahmanippattu
A devotional song and dance performed by Nambeesan women to bless a marriage with the grace of the Goddess.Performance · The weeks before
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreToporটোপর
The fragile white conical crown worn by the Bengali Hindu groom for luck.Attire · The weeks before
🇮🇳 IndiaVadhu PraveshaBou Boron
The ritual welcoming the bride into her husband's home with blessings and symbolic acts.Blessing · After the wedding
🇮🇳 IndiaSaptapadiसप्तपदी (Saptapadī)
The seven steps or rounds around the sacred fire that complete a Hindu marriage.Rite · The ceremony
🇳🇵 Nepal and 2 moreKhata
A ceremonial scarf offered to show respect and welcome at weddings and other gatherings in Tibet and Nepal.Adornment · Reception, dance and gifts
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMangala AshtakaMaṅgala Aṣṭaka
A Hindu blessing sung at Marathi weddings and recited in Sinhalese Buddhist ceremoniesBlessing · The ceremony
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreWedding veil
A cloth covering the head or face worn by brides and grooms to mark marriage.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaDejhoor
A hexagonal ear ornament worn by Kashmiri Pandit women to mark their marriage.Adornment · The eve
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreYajnaयज्ञ (Yajña)
A sacred fire ritual central to Hindu weddings and other rites of passageRite · The ceremony
🇮🇳 Madurai, IndiaGoluBommai kolu (Tamil), Bommala Koluvu (Telugu), Gombe Habba (Kannada)
A tiered display of dolls and figurines arranged in South Indian homes during the Navaratri festival.Feast custom · The weeks before
🇳🇵 NepalPanche bajaपञ्चे बाजा
A set of five traditional instruments played at Hindu weddings in Nepal.Performance · Procession and arrival
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Gana: William J Sisti, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Poruwa ceremony: A Derivative Work by MediaJet ,, CC BY 2.0, source
- Laavaan: Ashish 100, CC BY 2.0, source
- Alta: Shounak Ray, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ayyavazhi wedding: Vaikunda Raja, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Yajna: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Saptapadi: Bhumish143, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Gaye holud: Arr4, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mayian: Rakzika, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tulasi Vivah: Unknown author, CC BY 3.0, source
- Alpana: Tripan123, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Golu: Ksiva21, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Panche baja: Janak Bhatta, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Toe ring: Wikiss, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Topor: Sumit Paul-Choudhury, CC BY 2.0, source
- Khata: Wiki-uk, CC BY 3.0, source
- Wedding veil: David Ring, CC0, source
- Dejhoor: Unknown author, Public domain, source