Jumping the Broom: Wedding Traditions Around the World

The dance floor was hopping, and my boyfriend and I were feeling the groove. Cassie-my best friend from high school-was getting married, and she had instructed the deejay to spin all the '80s favorites that ushered us through those awkward years. A perpetual wallflower in high school, I had never danced to the Pet Shop Boys, Run DMC, the Cure, or Van Halen. Well, at least not in public. And so it was that, nearly a decade after graduation, I finally was having my chance to shake it in on the dance floor.

It was one of those great life moments, where nothing matters but the present. That is, until the lights dimmed, and the inevitable strains of "Lady in Red" began In an instant, every dancer disappeared, and it was just me, perplexed at how quickly Eric Clapton can clear a room.

Then I saw Cassie, waiting, and I watched as her father embraced her, spun her around the room a couple times, and jammed a $100 bill into a sash along the bodice of her wedding dress. This was my first encounter with the Money Dance, and it explained why the masses had made a beeline for the bar. Gradually, various leading men in Cassie's life took a turn with her across the floor and, in parting, attached cash onto her person. The whole ritual seemed unreal and tawdry, and I was sure Cassie had contrived it to pay the honeymoon bill.

I was wrong. The Money Dance, or Dollar Dance, is originally a Polish tradition. I should point out, though, that Cassie's ancestors never set foot in Poland, whereas the paternal side of my family comes from the Polish/Russian border and has never heard of nuptial dancing for cash.
They are well-versed in Jewish customs, though, such as the huppah wedding canopy and the smashing of the wine glass. And, though they are far from Orthodox, they have been known to hoist a bride and groom up into chairs for a dance, a nod to the Talmudic belief that guests must make the wedding couple joyful after the ceremony.

One of my favorite customs has its roots in West Africa Asante culture, in which brooms have the symbolic significance of sweeping away the attention of the evil eye. During the era of slavery in America, slaves would leap over the handle of a broom to recognize their official union. The American custom of carrying the bride over the threshold is another way to dodge evil spirits, this time to avoid those that reside in the creaking floorboards.

We can thank the French for the fabulous innovation of serving a croquembouche-a tower of pastries beneath a caramel sauce-rather than a wedding cake. In Sicilian weddings, dessert may come in the form of Venetian Table or Venetian Hour, a gorgeous assortment of sweets, fruits, cheeses, drinks, and, of course, cakes. This is a far cry from the practice in Ancient Rome of breaking a wheat bun over the head of the bride as an omen of fertility.

There is a fascinating ritual that has become popular in contemporary Chinese ceremonies. Wedding guests desert the reception and hide in the wedding couple's room, where they make jokes, play games, and await the new couple's entrance. The ironic twist is that it is forbidden for the newlyweds to ask the guests to leave, so the shenanigans go on for hours.

Some of Lebanon's ancient wedding customs have gone by the wayside, such as the bride entering the house backwards, implying that she will only leave the marriage feet first, when she dies. Another was for the wife to lie on the ground while the groom steps over her three times as a way of marking his territory. There was also the practice of displaying bloodied linens from the wedding bed as proof of the bride's virginity. Contemporary Lebanese customs include shouting improvised blessings at the groom, followed by a sharp sound called a zalghoota. Single women receive the blessing of "May your turn come!" Dancing may include feats of derring-do such as performing tricks with fire and dancing with sabers in hand. Finally, the bride throws a ball of yeast above the doorway to her home. If the dough sticks, it is a good omen.

While some of these traditions would make a stressful time even more nerve-wracking-I could just imagine myself at a reception gone wrong, with guests who won't leave, dough falling to the floor, and my tripping over the broom handle-there is great solace in one thing. Through all the cultures and eras, one custom remains a constant: the tradition of celebrating by sharing decadent food and libations.