Weddings, birth and death: Superstitions Explained

Great moments in life are surrounded by many beliefs, usually to protect the people involved at a time of change.

8 entries

Seeing the bride before the weddingIn Western weddings it is said to be unlucky for the groom to see the bride in her dress before the ceremony; the custom comes from arranged marriages in which the couple should not meet before the wedding.

Something old, something newA bride in England and the United States should wear or carry something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, a rhyme from the nineteenth century.

Rice or petals at weddingsThrowing rice or petals over a newly married couple is a sign of wishes for fertility and plenty, in many cultures.

Not buying baby things before the birthIn several cultures, including India, Jewish and Chinese families, it is considered bad luck to prepare for a baby before it is born, so as not to tempt fate.

Red for luck in AsiaRed is the colour of luck and joy in China and India, so brides wear red, and children and gifts are decorated with red.

White at funeralsIn India and China white is the colour of mourning; in the West it is black.

Covering mirrors in a house of mourningIn Jewish and some other traditions, mirrors are covered when someone has died.

Holding your breath at a graveyardA child's game in many countries, said to prevent the spirits from entering you.

Weddings, birth and death

8 entries

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