WEDDING 👰💒

Borneo: Toilet Tradition China: Seeking chicken with good liver Africa/Cambodia: Courting Hut China: Tears of Joy

Toilet tradition in Borneo The Bornean Tidong tribe, which boasts some of the most heart-meltingly sweet wedding traditions, is also home to one of the most gut-churningly unique customs. After their special day, newlyweds are not allowed to leave their own house for three days and three nights, not even to use the bathroom. The ritual, which involves constant supervision and a restricted diet, is said to bring the couple good luck in their marriage gut churning-causing a feeling of nausea or disgust.

 Romance written in a chicken liver We’ve all heard of cutting the cake, but cutting the chicken? The Daur people of China have a tradition for couples who become engaged to dissect a chicken and inspect its liver. If the liver is a healthy shape, this is seen as a good omen and a date can be set. If not, the couple must keep searching for that prophetic liver.

Step inside a courting hut Think you had cool parents growing up? Think again. In a revolutionary parenting style, some African tribes provide their daughters with ‘courting huts’ to entertain potential suitors away from the parents’ gaze. A similar custom exists in Cambodia, where unmarried teens are even encouraged to use these huts to explore multiple partners, both socially and sexually, all in a quest to find that one true love.

Tears of joy in China It’s definitely acceptable to get a little teary at the wedding, but a month before might be overkill. However, for China’s Tujia people it’s customary for the bride-to-be to begin weeping for an hour a day one month before the wedding. Sometime after, her mother joins in, and so on until all the women of the family are shedding a habitual tear. Despite the tears, this is a joyous celebration and it’s said that the different sounds of the women crying are almost like a song.

Love padlocks in Italy Inspired by Federico Moccia’s book and film I Want You, many people began attaching their own love padlocks to the Ponte Milvio in Rome. In what is now a worldwide phenomenon, couples attach the locks – often complete with a Sharpied proclamation of love – and throw the key into the river as a symbol of their unbreakable love and commitment to one another. Today, however, many cities have banned these amorous trinkets as they have become environmental and structural hazards. Perhaps a simple poem would suffice instead.

White Day in Japan On Valentine’s Day in Japan it’s the women who buy chocolates for the men. But never fear, ladies: one month later it’s White Day, when the chaps have to splash out for the girls if their feelings are mutual. Oh, and did we mention they are expected to spend twice as much?

Love spoons in Wales This adorable Welsh tradition gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘spooning’. The beau presents their lover with a meticulously carved wooden spoon as a gesture that they will always feed and provide for them. If the affections are not mutual, the spoon is returned (awkward), but if the spooning is successful, the sweetheart must wear it around their neck for a number of days.

South Korea: Beating the Groom’s Feet Following their wedding ceremonies, some South Korean grooms are subjected to a certain ritual before they can leave with their new wives: the beating of their feet. His groomsmen or family members remove the groom’s shoes and bind his ankles with rope before taking turns to beat his feet with a stick or, in some cases, a dried fish. Though obviously painful, the ritual is over quickly and meant to be more amusing than an act of punishment, and apparently – as the groom is often quizzed and questioned during the act – the beating of feet is meant as a test of the newly wedded husband’s strength and character.

Kenya: Maasai Marriage Spitting During the weddings of Kenya’s Maasai people, it is often customary for the father of the bride to spit on his daughter’s head and breasts before she leaves with her new husband. What might seem a strange, disrespectful custom to certain cultures actually makes sense within Maasai culture in which spitting is seen as a symbol of good luck and fortune. Spitting can be seen in other areas of Maasai culture too – Maasai tribesmen will spit on their hands before shaking hands with elders as a sign of respect and it is also tradition to spit on newborn Maasai babies to ward off bad luck.

France: Le Pot de Chambre Though we might associate France with haute cuisine, a certain stomach-churning French wedding tradition known as La Soupe is about as far from cordon bleu as you can get. Following the wedding reception, guest would traditionally gather leftover food and drink and place into a chamber pot before presenting to the newlyweds to drink, supposedly to give them energy for their wedding night. Thankfully, when the tradition is observed nowadays, the bride and groom are usually served a slightly more appealing concoction of chocolate and champagne

Sweden: You May All Kiss The Bride In many western weddings, the immortal words ‘you may now kiss the bride’ signifies the sealing of a couple’s vows with a kiss but in Sweden, the kissing ritual is taken to a whole other level. At the wedding reception of newlywed Swedish couples, if the groom should leave the room the male guests of the bridal party are permitted to kiss the bride. Similarly, if the bride leaves the party female guests will hone in to kiss the groom

Congo: No Smiling on the Wedding Day While most about-to-be marrieds brim with excitement and anticipation, Congolese couples must keep their happiness in check. During their entire wedding day, from ceremony to reception, the two are not allowed to smile. If they do, it would mean they aren't serious about marriage