The mayor of the Mexican town of San Pedro Huamelula surprised everyone with his marriage to a female crocodile. The sacred marriage, concluded by Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa, is intended to bring luck, prosperity and a good harvest, informed One TV. The publication notes that this ritual is over 230 years old. It commemorates the day when the two ethnic groups of the region were united in marriage. Russian media tells what other unusual wedding traditions exist around the world.
Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP
Indian wooden wedding
Hindus believe that if a girl was born in the astrological period, when Mars and Saturn are in the seventh house, then a terrible curse hangs over her: she can be widowed early. To avoid this, the young girl marries a tree, which is then cut down to remove the curse and prevent her real husband from suddenly dying after the wedding.
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Cry cry…
A wedding for the Tujia people living in China begins with a ritual of tears: a month before the upcoming wedding, the bride cries for an hour a day. Then her mother and grandmother join her – until all the women in the family participate in this ritual. Tujia thinks such crying is not a manifestation of sadness, but of joy and deep love.
Lee Jin-man/AP
cramped leg
After the wedding ceremony in South Korea, the groom’s friends and relatives take off his shoes and socks, tie up his ankles and start beating the soles of his feet with a stick, cane or even dried fish. The groom must endure this traditional ordeal by answering the riddles and questions posed by the contestants. It is believed that the ritual tests the strength and character of the groom – and only after that he can go to his bride.
Vadim Ghirda / AP
insignificant matter
At a Maasai wedding ceremony in Kenya, the bride’s father spits on her head and chest for good luck. Only after this can the bride go to her groom and at the same time she should not turn around – otherwise, according to local beliefs, she can turn to stone.
Tana Tidung Regency Government
No shower for 3 days in a row
The Tidongs of Malaysia and Indonesia believe that newlyweds are not allowed to use the bathroom for 3 consecutive days after their wedding – or even leave the house. This is done in order to bring luck to the marriage and to avoid divorce and the death of future children.
Moses Sawawawa / AP
The smile is forbidden
In some parts of the Congo, it is not customary to smile at weddings. Indeed, the marriage is not for love, but within the framework of a commercial agreement between two families who have agreed on the “price” of the bride and have exchanged her, most often against cattle.
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