Canadian wedding customs

Canada is a multi-ethnic country, with British, French, Indians, Eskimos, Chinese and a small number of immigrants from Europe, America and Asia. These ethnic groups all have their own traditional habits and customs, and they also express the same at weddings, making Canada a country with colorful wedding customs.

shopping

Most British and French residents in Canada are Catholic or Christian, and their wedding customs have many similarities with Western Christian countries. Most young Canadians attach great importance to weddings. They always strive to make weddings warm, colorful and memorable. Preparations usually start a few months or even a year before the wedding. In recent years, government departments at all levels in Canada have established a network of marriage consultation agencies across the country. Men and women preparing to hold weddings can go to shopping malls, restaurants, hotels and even city halls for wedding shopping consultations. This consultation service is free. If the consultant is satisfied, he can purchase items on the spot under the leadership of the shopping guide, and provide free door-to-door delivery service. Wedding supplies fairs are held every year in various places, which will be very lively.

floats

Young men and women in Canada like to hold weddings from May to September, especially in July, and the wedding ceremony is more likely to be held on Saturday. During this period, every weekend, the melodious "Wedding March" was heard from morning to night in urban and rural churches in Canada. The colorful caravan of the bride and groom drove slowly. The onlookers responded with warm applause and laughter. The vehicles that met honked the horns to express congratulations, and all places were immersed in a jubilant atmosphere. Since many men and women choose to hold weddings within the same period of time, the church is extremely busy, so all preparations must be made three or four months before the wedding. Canadians love flowers. The flowers at their weddings are very elegant. Churches, banquet halls, and new houses must be decorated with roses, orchids, and lilies. The colors are bright and fragrant. Therefore, purchasing flowers is also an important matter.

The wedding ceremony is held in a church, and the content is generally similar to that of many Western countries. Among them, the rings given to each other by Canadian newlyweds are engraved with their initials and wedding date on the inside. Both parties regard them as treasures and keep them as permanent souvenirs. At the end of the church ceremony, the newlyweds will take a well-dressed float to walk around the bustling area, and then go to a scenic park or tourist attraction to take a group photo of the newlyweds.

Canadians 'wedding banquets are generally held in the evening. First, they are informal receptions, followed by formal cold meals and hot meals. The atmosphere is warm and the scene is grand. Canadian newlyweds also have the habit of traveling on their honeymoon after marriage. Due to Canada's long winters, people with good economic conditions like to go on vacations to the Caribbean Islands and Florida in the United States to enjoy the sun, beaches and waves. For those with low incomes, they often visit domestic scenic spots, such as the Laurentine Mountains in Quebec, Banax in the Rocky Mountains and Lake Louise.

Chiefs

Canadian Indian weddings have a strong national color. Wedding venues are mostly held in public buildings in Indian settlements, usually a large wooden house. During the wedding, relatives and friends, neighbors, and village residents came to the wooden houses one after another. Everyone sat on the ground and greeted each other. Men, women and children wear national costumes in fashionable styles and bright colors. Although the Indians are cheerful and cheerful, the wedding occasion seems very quiet, and even their words are soft and soft.

The wedding ceremony was hosted by the chief and two elders. When they arrived at the scene, everyone in the audience saluted them to pay tribute. The chief is dressed in national costumes, and the tall feathers on his head symbolizing authority are particularly eye-catching. The chief sat down in the middle of the hall, and two elders sat on his left and right. They were the oldest people in the area, with gray and white hair hanging in long braids on their shoulders. The bride and groom, dressed in traditional white deer skin costumes, knelt opposite the chief. Adult men sat around the chiefs, elders, bridegroom and bride, and women and children sat around the men, with knives, forks and bowls in front of each person.

At the beginning of the ceremony, the chief faced the air and held his hands high. The audience was silent. He lit the mugwort, and as a puff of green smoke accompanied by a strong aroma rose, the chief prayed to the gods in the national language and blessed the newly married couple. After the chief finished speaking, the elders on the left and right spoke and sang. The singing was bold and rough. After praying, the chief took out a long-tube bong from his body and lit it on the wormwood. He then raised the bong flat in his chest, turned it from left to right, and put it in his mouth to take a few puffs. Then, he handed the smoking gun to the elder on the left. The elder followed the example of the chief and handed it to the elder on the right, and then passed it to the groom, bride, and guests. According to traditional Indian customs, smoking symbolizes peace and smoking expresses friendship. When everyone present had smoked cigarettes, four young people carried a large bucket of soup. The bride and groom first served a bowl for each of the chief and elders. The chief then divided the soup into five or six small buckets, and then distributed it to everyone present. According to Indian traditions, the groom should try to hunt a moose before marriage, make a soup with deer meat and wild rice, and give it to everyone at the wedding. According to ancient custom, when Indians eat tortillas at weddings, they should also eat roasted wild beef. However, today's bison have become protected animals, so many people use the American "KFC fried chicken" to replace the roasted wild beef at weddings. In this way, the weddings of the Incean people not only maintain the traditional habits of the nation, but also are influenced by Western culture. After the wedding banquet was over, the chief and elders left. People came to an open space and danced the traditional Indian sun dance all night long to the sound of cheerful drums.

bride theft

The Eskimos living in northern Canada still practice the ancient custom of "bride theft". Eskimos value sincere feelings and do not care about the form of marriage. A young man and woman have an affair. To a certain extent, the man builds a house for the woman's family or gives the woman a set of clothes to keep out the cold. The woman's family members move into the house or the woman puts on clothes, and the marriage relationship between them is confirmed. Eskimos choose wedding dates to be held in the middle of winter, because the door is closed by heavy snow during this time and it is impossible to go out fishing or hunting. On the day of the wedding, the man secretly hid near the woman's home and "stole" the girl whenever he had the opportunity. The girl naturally knew that the young man was suffering from the cold outside the door. In order to test his loyalty, she deliberately stayed deep in the inner room to make it difficult for him to "grab" it. Smart young men always use tricks to lure girls out of the house to achieve the goal of "robbing" people. If the wedding is in summer, the young man can get into the woman's house and drag the girl out. The girl will pretend not to obey, but the family will turn a blind eye. Finally, the girl's shouts will slowly disappear into the distance. The Eskimos wedding was extremely simple. The groom, Xin Lang, bowed to the family elders, parents, brothers, relatives and friends, etc. Everyone ate a fish rice, drank a bowl of fish soup, and danced to their heart's content. The wedding came to an end and the guests left each other.