Rice throwing
Throwing rice or grain over a couple as a wish for fertility and plenty.
Also: throwing rice, throwing grain
Throwing rice, or other grains such as wheat, over newlyweds is an old wish for fertility and prosperity, recorded in Europe and Asia for centuries. In the United States, a belief that birds eating the rice would burst is a myth, but many places now ask for birdseed or petals instead because of litter. In Hindu and Chinese weddings, rice has its own rites, and in India the bride may throw rice over her shoulder as she leaves her parents' home, a different custom. Many couples now blow bubbles or wave ribbons.