All wedding traditions
611 traditions so far, best known first. 386 more are on the list to be written. Filter by region, kind and stage of the wedding.
RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
🇪🇬 Cairo, EgyptTahtibتحطيب (taḥṭīb)
A traditional Egyptian stick-fighting martial art that evolved into a folk dance performed at weddings and celebrations.Performance · The weeks before
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreLa víbora de la mar
A wedding game where the couple stands on chairs while guests form a snake to test their unity.Play · Reception, dance and gifts
🇲🇰 Galičnik, North MacedoniaGaličnik Wedding FestivalГаличка свадба (Galička svadba)
A recreated traditional wedding in a North Macedonian village that turns a local rite into an annual festival.Feast custom · The ceremony
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan and 1 moreKyz kuu
A horse race where a man chases a woman to win a kiss or faces her whip if he failsPlay · Engagement and betrothal
🇫🇷 FranceGarter toss
The groom removes the bride's garter and tosses it to unmarried men at the reception.Play · Reception, dance and gifts
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreChinese wedding door games堵门游戏 (dǔmén yóuxì)
Challenges set by bridesmaids for the groom at the bride's home to prove his devotion.Play · Engagement and betrothal
🇬🇧 United KingdomBlackening
A messy pre-wedding prank where friends cover the couple in sticky substances and parade them through town.Play · The weeks before
🇮🇪 Ireland and 3 moreBachelor's Day
The custom that lets women propose to men on Leap DayBetrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇹 Montepulciano, ItalyBravio delle botti
An annual barrel rolling race in Montepulciano that replaces a medieval horse race.Play · Reception, dance and gifts
🇺🇬 UgandaLarakaraka
An Acholi courtship dance where young men display agility to attract a partner.Play · Engagement and betrothal
🇵🇭 Hungduan, PhilippinesPunnuk
A post-harvest tug of war held in the Hapao River to ensure a plentiful rice harvest.Play · After the wedding
🇻🇳 Hội An, VietnamBài Chòi
A sung card game played in huts during Vietnamese New Year festivalsPerformance · The weeks before
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Punnuk: Bernardguerrero, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Larakaraka: Tabwoch, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Galičnik Wedding Festival: IvanaKrstik, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bài Chòi: Lưu Ly ( thảo luận ), CC BY 3.0, source
- Chinese wedding door games: elfgoh, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Tahtib: Yasser Elrasoul, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kyz kuu: SSGT JEREMY T. LOCK, Public domain, source
- Garter toss: MorningTea, CC BY-SA 4.0, source