Wedding ways
One of the most important events in the life of a young man and woman is
when they get married. People in different parts of the world have many
different ways of getting married. Some weddings are very simple. Some
are very fancy.
When a Dorze man of Ethiopia wants to be married, his friends “kidnap”
his girl for him. She pretends to be afraid. But she really knows when
she’s going to be kidnaped. She wants to be married, too.
An Arab bride rides to the wedding tent on a camel. She is hidden under
a big cloth. The camel is led around the tent seven times, then the
bride goes in. Meanwhile, the groom pretends to run away! But his
friends catch him and bring him to the tent.
For a Shinto wedding in Japan, most brides wear beautiful kimonos and
cover their faces with white powder. During the ceremony, the bride and
groom must take nine sips of rice wine together.
Ethiopia
Before a Dorze wedding, the groom’s friends pretend to kidnap the bride.
She acts angry and afraid, but she isn’t really. She is carried to the
groom’s home—for a party.
Escorted by musicians, a well-hidden Arab bride rides to the wedding
tent on a camel.
At most Shinto weddings, the bride wears a traditional kimono, and white
powder on her face.
A German bride and groom ride off in an old-fashioned horse-drawn
carriage.