The wedding (die Hochzeit)
A German wedding (die Hochzeit) is as lavish an occasion as it is in Britain, and one that incorporates a large number of traditions. Some of them will be familiar to us - for example the stag night (der Junggesellenabschied) during which the groom celebrates his last few hours of freedom by drinking himself into an alcoholic stupor with his friends. Less familiar however is der Polterabend, a party held at the bride's house on the eve of the wedding that literally translates as "an evening of making noise". And this is precisely what happens - wedding guests and other friends bring ceramic dishes (but no glass, as this brings bad luck!) and smash them on the ground to ward off evil spirits. The bride (die Braut) and groom (der Bräutigam) then clear up the pieces with a broom (see below), preferably together as this shows that they are willing to work as a team in bad times as well as good.
Other differences to note are that German married couples wear their wedding ring (der Ehering) on their right hand. Both the bride and the groom wear simple gold bands that are very different to the diamond-encrusted wedding rings that are often found in Britain. The bride often carries salt and bread as an omen for good harvest, wheras the groom carries grain for good luck and wealth. Rice is thrown in the air as the happy couple leave the church and instead of the bride's bouquet, it is her veil that is passed on to the female guest who is next in line for marriage.
German wedding celebrations (die Hochzeitsfeier) vary from region to region and from town to region. In some rural areas, the bride is "kidnapped" before the marriage by friends and family and the groom has to search strategic locations to find her. As these locations invariably include local hostelries, the groom will buy drinks for any acquaintances that he might meet on his journey. In parts of North Germany the newlyweds return to their house to find that the doors have been barricaded shut and that all the furniture has been placed on the roof! Their first task as a a married couple is thus to rescue their furniture and get into their house without any outside help. In other rural areas, the first task of the bride and groom on leaving the church is to saw through a log using a 2-man log saw. Not very practical if you're wearing a wedding dress or a tuxedo...
Given the strenuous and expensive nature of a traditional wedding, it seems hardly surprising that an increasing number of Germans forsake the additional chuch ceremony (die kirchliche Trauung) and make do with a simple civil ceremony (die zivile Trauung) at a registry office (das Standesamt). This civil ceremony is required by law. The money thus saved can then be spent on on the honeymoon (die Flitterwochen).
