Wedding traditions with the colour red
Red is the colour of weddings in much of Asia.
Red is the colour of weddings in much of Asia. It stands for luck, joy, fertility, life and protection, and in China, India, Vietnam and Korea it is the colour of the bride. In the West it is often avoided, which shows how much meaning a colour can carry.
Red in Asia
Chinese brides wear red qipao or qungua, the wedding hall is hung with red double-happiness characters, and guests give hongbao, red envelopes. Indian brides wear red lehengas or silk saris, and the sindoor in the parting of the hair is red. Vietnamese brides wear a red ao dai, and Korean brides wear red dots, yeonji gonji, on the cheeks. In Japan the uchikake may be red, and the bridal umbrella is also red.
Red elsewhere
Red also appears in Armenia, Georgia and Turkey, where the bride may be wrapped in a red veil or have a red ribbon tied at her waist, called the kirmizi kusak in Turkish custom. In the Balkans red and white cloth were used in traditional dress, and in Central Asia red wedding robes and headdresses were common. In Europe white took over in the nineteenth century.
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on The colour red (symbol). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
🇭🇺 Hungary and 5 moreCsárdás
A Hungarian folk dance that begins slowly and ends with a fast spin.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreMizmarمزمار (mizmār)
A loud double reed instrument played at weddings and festivals across Egypt and the Levant.Performance · Procession and arrival
🇵🇦 PanamaTamborito
A Panamanian courtship dance performed in a circle with drums and female chorusPerformance · The wedding feast
🇮🇳 IndiaHindi wedding songs
Film and folk music that accompanies the stages of a North Indian Hindu wedding.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreBengali Muslim weddingবাঙালি মুসলিম বিয়ে
A multi-day Bengali Muslim marriage blending Islamic rites with local folk traditions.Rite · 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
🇩🇪 GermanyLandshut WeddingLandshuter Hochzeit
A four-year historical pageant in Bavaria re-enacting the 1475 royal marriage of George and Hedwig.Setting · Engagement and betrothal
🇰🇪 Kenya and 1 moreAdumuEnkipaata or Aigus
The high-jumping warrior dance performed by the Maasai at weddings and rites of passage.Performance · The ceremony
🇲🇷 MauritaniaT'heydinnالتهيدين (al-T'haydīn)
A Mauritanian Moorish epic performance of poetry and music kept by griot families.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇮🇳 Jaipur, IndiaGhoomarघूमर
A twirling folk dance performed by women in Rajasthan to welcome a bride or celebrate auspicious occasions.Performance · The ceremony
🇧🇷 Recife, BrazilFrevo
A fast, acrobatic dance and musical style from Recife that turns Carnival street parades into a display of agility.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.
- Csárdás: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Landshut Wedding: Oktobersonne, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Adumu: K15photos, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Frevo: Prefeitura de Olinda, CC BY 2.0, source
- Mizmar: dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
- Bengali Muslim wedding: NahidSultan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ghoomar: Aali Jain, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Călușari: El bes, CC BY 3.0, source