![]() |
Rice at the Wedding in New York |
It is the seed of the plant Oryza sativa. It is a cereal considered as a staple food in many culinary cultures (especially Asian cuisine), as well as in some parts of Latin America. Its origin is the subject of controversy among researchers; it is discussed whether it was in China or in India.
Along with the tradition of the white color in the wedding dress, to wear dark tones in the groom dresses or to throw the beautiful bouquet of bride to all the single women of the celebration, there are other customs of equal beauty in a wedding. One of them is the launching of rice to the bride and groom on their departure from the ceremony. The rice that is thrown at the end of the religious ceremony symbolizes the prosperity and fertility that is desired to the new marriage, so that it has a great family and abundance in "all the senses".
Oriental tradition
Throwing rice over the bride and groom is an ancient custom inherited from the East. Certainly Marco Polo's voyages to China and the expeditions of Portuguese sailors allowed some oriental traditions, such as this, to enter Europe through ports. However, some historians assert that this tradition also existed throughout the Roman empire.
Wheat grains
In all the Roman weddings, the brides wore a crown with small ears of wheat full of grains that represented the fertility. The groom, on the other hand, was the one in charge of breaking baked wheat cakes on the head of the bride, as a symbol of abundance.
Nowadays pink petals are also thrown, which represent a sweet and full future.
To throw rice to the bride and groom is a custom that has been preserved in Europe since the Middle Ages. At the wedding guests throw rice to the bride and groom in the hope that the couple will have many children.
Who throws it?
In ancient times, men and boys did, since women only participated in the ceremonies in the strictest privacy. Today the rice is thrown by all the guests and in some cases only the children of the nuptial procession are given. For Artiview Studios it will be a pleasure to capture with our lens that magical moment filled with desires of prosperity and fertility that we wish beforehand. Contact us and you will have a memory that will last for a lifetime.
Artice built on:El arroz en las bodas(s.f.), ¿Por quĂ© tiramos arroz en las bodas?(2016).