Marriage Customs of the World: From Henna to Honeymoons

An encyclopedia of marriage rites, traditions, and beliefs from around the world, ranging from ancient practices to contemporary ceremonies. Like other social rituals, weddings are filled with traditions that everyone accepts as meaningful and necessary. But when and how did all those necessary things originate? The bouquet and the white dress? The Huppah and the smashed glass? The Muslim wedding's henna night? Or even the notion that weddings should take place in churches? Didn't they always? Tracing the evolution of wedding ceremonies from their beginnings to their contemporary forms, Marriage Customs of the World dispels many myths and uncovers a number of intriguing connections and variations across different peoples.