Wedding traditions of Europe
Rice and confetti, the veil and the white dress, Polish oczepiny, Greek koumbaro and the Irish handfast. 206 traditions on EveryShaadi so far.
Countries
🇦🇱 Albania 5🇦🇩 Andorra 1🇦🇹 Austria 12🇧🇾 Belarus 9🇧🇪 Belgium 5🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2🇧🇬 Bulgaria 13🇭🇷 Croatia 8🇨🇿 Czechia 4🇩🇰 Denmark 10🇪🇪 Estonia 2🇫🇮 Finland 9🇫🇷 France 30🇩🇪 Germany 31🇬🇷 Greece 23🇭🇺 Hungary 10🇮🇸 Iceland 5🇮🇪 Ireland 17🇮🇹 Italy 21🇽🇰 Kosovo 3🇱🇻 Latvia 3🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 2🇱🇹 Lithuania 4🇱🇺 Luxembourg 1🇲🇹 Malta 1🇲🇩 Moldova 6🇲🇨 Monaco 1🇲🇪 Montenegro 1🇳🇱 Netherlands 15🇲🇰 North Macedonia 9🇳🇴 Norway 9🇵🇱 Poland 26🇵🇹 Portugal 6🇷🇴 Romania 13🇷🇺 Russia 22🇸🇲 San Marino 0🇷🇸 Serbia 12🇸🇰 Slovakia 6🇸🇮 Slovenia 2🇪🇸 Spain 15🇸🇪 Sweden 11🇨🇭 Switzerland 6🇺🇦 Ukraine 19🇬🇧 United Kingdom 78🇻🇦 Vatican City 0
Cities and towns
London 7Rome 5Berlin 4Kraków 4Vienna 4Crete 3Hamburg 3Madrid 3Amsterdam 2Athens 2Barcelona 2Bern 2Budapest 2Copenhagen 2Dublin 2Edinburgh 2Galway 2Hanover 2
On the calendar
June, the Western wedding monthSeptember and October wedding peakShrovetide, the old Irish wedding time2/22 and other repeated datesLag BaOmer, weddings resumeMay, the month of brides in BrazilKrasnaya Gorka, the first wedding SundayPokrov, the autumn wedding seasonLentHoly Week and the TriduumAdventOrthodox Great Lent
🇪🇸 Spain and 4 moreMantilla
A lace or silk veil worn over the head and shoulders by women in Spain and Latin AmericaAttire · The weeks before
🇬🇷 Athens, GreeceLoutrophorosλουτροφόρος
An ancient Greek vessel that carried water for a bride's bath or marked an unmarried death.Attire · The weeks before
🇩🇪 Hamburg, Germany and 3 moreWimpelווימפל
A linen sash made from a baby boy's circumcision cloth that binds the Torah scroll.Adornment · The weeks before
🇺🇦 Ukraine and 2 moreRushnykрушник (Ukrainian), ручнік (Belarusian), ручник/рушник (Russian)
The embroidered linen cloth that marks life stages and guides the couple through the wedding ceremony in East Slavic culAdornment · The weeks before
🇮🇹 Rome, ItalyWeddings in ancient Rome
The religious ceremonies and attire that marked a union in the city of Rome before the rise of Christianity.Rite · The weeks before
🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreBread and salt
A traditional welcome offering of bread and salt to guests or newlyweds in Slavic, Baltic, and Balkan cultures.Feast custom · The weeks before
🇷🇴 Romania and 4 moreCălușariCălușarii
A traditional Romanian spring dance and male society known for acrobatic leaps and ritual healing.Performance · The weeks before
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreAnastenariaΑναστενάρια (Greek), Нестинарство (Bulgarian)
A barefoot firewalking ritual performed by Orthodox Christian communities in Greece and Bulgaria.Rite · The weeks before
🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreTuroń
A horned effigy that visits homes during Carnival to wish for fertility and collect gifts.Blessing · The weeks before
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreLaternelaufen
A lantern procession held by children in Germany and Austria on St. Martin's Day to celebrate sharing and light.Blessing · The weeks before
🇭🇷 CroatiaZa križen
A night-long Maundy Thursday procession on Hvar island that honors the Weeping of the Lady.Blessing · The weeks before
🇷🇸 Serbia and 3 moreLazariceлазарице (Serbian), лазаруване (Bulgarian)
A South Slavic procession of young unmarried women who bless homes before Palm SundayBlessing · The weeks before
🇬🇧 United KingdomWassailing
Singing and drinking to bless trees or homes during the Christmas seasonFeast custom · The weeks before
🇩🇪 GermanyBollenhut
A straw hat with woolen pompoms worn by women in specific Black Forest villages as part of their traditional dress.Attire · The weeks before
🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 3 moreMartenitsaмартеница
White and red yarn charms worn in the Balkans to welcome spring and wish for good health.Adornment · The weeks before
🇷🇴 Ieud, RomaniaNunta mortului
A symbolic Romanian rite that dresses an unmarried dead person as a bride or groom to complete their life cycle.Rite · The weeks before
🇭🇷 CroatiaŽudijeŽudije (čuvari Kristova groba)
Catholic guardians who stand watch over a replica tomb of Christ in Dalmatia until Easter Vigil.Rite · The weeks before
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreLenten veilFastentuch
A large painted or embroidered canvas that covers the altar during Lent to create a period of visual penance.Rite · The weeks before
🇷🇴 Romania and 3 moreMărțișor
The red and white string charm worn in early spring to welcome the new year.Adornment · The weeks before
🇵🇱 Poland and 3 moreEaster palmPolish: palma wielkanocna; Lithuanian: verba
A decorated willow or juniper bundle blessed on Palm Sunday to protect homes and crops.Blessing · The weeks before
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Turoń: Museum: The Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum in Kraków, CC0, source
- Loutrophoros: Picture taken by Marcus Cyron, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Wassailing: Joss Smithson, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Za križen: E.mil.mil, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Laternelaufen: Heinrich Hermanns, Public domain, source
- Easter palm: Evaldas Liutkus, CC BY 2.0, source
- Bollenhut: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Bread and salt: Olli Niemitalo, CC0, source
- Weddings in ancient Rome: Meister der Aldobrandinischen Hochzeit, Public domain, source
- Rushnyk: Pavlo Boyko, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Lazarice: Svetlina bov at Bulgarian Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Wimpel: Wikipedia Loves Art participant " The_Grotto ", CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Mantilla: Museu Valencià d'Etnologia, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Martenitsa: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Nunta mortului: Iosif Berman, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lenten veil: Plutowiki, CC0, source
- Anastenaria: Artkostov, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Călușari: El bes, CC BY 3.0, source