Wedding Customs
There are numerous fascinating wedding customs enjoyed in cultures around the world. Many cross-cultural similarities can be seen, as marriage traditions frequently symbolize fertility, good health, good luck or beginning a new life. Here are a few interesting customs:
- In Greece, brides might carry a lump of sugar on their wedding day, symbolizing a sweet life, or ivy, representing endless love.
- In Norway, friends of a couple plant palm trees on both sides of the front door of the couple's home as a symbol of fertility.
- A South African tradition has the parents of the bride and groom carry fire from their homes to the fireplace in the couple's home, signaling the beginning of their life together.
- It's considered good luck for Venezuelan newlyweds to sneak away from their wedding reception without saying goodbye.
- In Fiji, the groom is expected to give the bride's father a whale tooth.
[Source: World Wedding Traditions]
More on Common Law Marriages
Common law marriage within the United States is legally recognized in:
- Alabama
- Colorado
- District of Columbia
- Kansas
- Iowa
- Montana
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
Common law marriage is legally recognized in five states under a grandfather clause. This means that the common law marriage must have formed prior to a certain date defined by that state:
- Georgia - union declared prior to January 1, 1997
- Idaho - union declared prior to January 1, 1996
- Ohio - union declared prior to October 10, 1991
- Oklahoma - union declared prior to November 1, 1998
- Pennsylvania - union declared prior to January 1, 2005
Common law marriage is allowed only for inheritance purposes in New Hampshire.
Finally, though a couple who has a common law marriage doesn't have a marriage license or certificate, they still must go through the legal process of obtaining a divorce in order to end their marriage.
For more information about marriage and other related topics, please check out the links on the next page.
