of slavery in this country, African American couples were not allowed to formally marry and live together.
To make a public declaration of their love and commitment, a man and woman jumped over a broom into matrimony, to the beat of drums. The broom has long held significant meaning for the various Africans, symbolizing, the start of home – making for the newlywed couple. In Southern Africa, the day after the wedding, the bride assisted the other women in the family in sweeping the courtyard, indicating her dutiful willing ness to help her in-laws with housework till the newlyweds could move to their new home. Some African-American couples today are choosing to include this symbolic rite in their wedding ceremony.
早期非洲裔美國人：跳掃 帚在美國的黑奴時代，黑人男女是不允許正式結婚生活在一起的。為了向世人宣布他們的愛情和婚約，一對黑人男女和著鼓聲的節奏，一起跳過一把掃帚。 (掃帚對各種非洲人長期來都具有很重要的意義，因為它意味著新婚夫婦組成家庭的開始。在南部非洲，新娘在婚後的第一天要幫助夫家的其他女性清掃院子，以此表明在住進自己的新家前，她願意盡職地幫助丈夫的家人承擔家務勞動。)直至今日，一些美國黑人還在他們的婚禮上舉行這種象徵性的儀式。
Armenia:Two white doves may be released to signify love an happiness. The bride may dress in red silk and may wear cardboard wings with feathers on her head. Small coins may be thrown at her.
亞美尼亞：人們放飛兩隻白鴿，以示愛情和幸福。新娘穿著紅色絲綢的服裝，頭戴飾有羽毛的紙翼。人們還可向新娘投擲硬幣。
Bermuda: Islanders top their tiered wedding cakes with a tiny sapling. The newlyweds plant the tree at their home, where they can watch it grow, as their marriage grows.
百慕大：百慕大島民在他們的多層婚禮蛋糕的頂層插上一株小樹苗，新婚夫婦要將這株樹苗種在家中，這樣他們可以目睹樹苗伴隨著他們的婚姻一起長大。
Bohemia: The groom gives the bride a rosary, a prayer book, a girdle with three keys to guard her virtue, a fur cap, and a silver wedding ring. The bride gives the groom a shirt sewn with gold thread blended with colored silks and a wedding ring. Before the ceremony, the groomsman wraps the groom in the bride’s cloak to keep evil spirits from creeping in and dividing their two hearts.
波黑人：新郎向新娘贈送一串念珠，一本祈禱文，一根上面串著三把鑰匙的腰帶(用以保護她的貞潔)，一頂毛皮帽，一個銀的結婚戒指。新娘則向新郎贈送一件用金線和彩色絲綢縫製的襯衣和結婚戒指。婚禮前，伴郎將新郎裹進新娘的斗篷裡，以防惡魔侵入，拆散他們相愛的心。
Caribbean: A rich black cake baked with dried fruits and rum is especially popular on the islands of Barbados, Grenada and St. Lucia. The recipe, handed down from mother to daughter. It is considered a “pound” cake with the recipe calling for a pound each of flour, dark brown sugar, butter, cherries, raisins, plus a dozen eggs and flavorings. The dried fruits are soaked in rum and kept in a crock anywhere from two weeks to six months.
加勒比地區：在巴巴多斯，格林納達和聖盧西亞，用乾果和朗姆酒製作的味道濃郁的蛋糕十分常見。蛋糕的製作方法，由母親親手傳給女兒，並且各自對其加以修飾。人們把這種蛋糕叫作“一磅”蛋糕，因為製作這種蛋糕需要麵粉、棕糖、黃油、糖霜櫻桃、葡萄 幹、李子、紅醋栗各一磅，加上一打雞蛋和調味品。製作蛋糕的干果要在朗姆酒中浸泡並在瓦罐中保存兩個星期至6個月。
Czech: Friends would sneak into the bride’s yard to plant a tree, then decorate it with ribbons and painted eggshells. Legend said she would live as long as the tree. Brides in the countryside carry on the very old custom of wearing a wreath of rosemary , which symbolizes remembrance. The wreath is woven for each bride on her wedding eve by her friends as a wish for wisdom, love, and loyalty.
捷克共和國：朋友們溜進新娘的院子去種一棵樹，然後再用彩帶和彩繪的蛋殼將樹加以裝飾。傳說新娘將與這樹活得一樣長。鄉村的新娘還保留著佩帶迷迭香花環的古老習俗，以表懷念之情。花環是在婚禮前夕由新娘的朋友編織而成，它像徵著智慧、愛情和忠誠。
Egypt: Families, rather than grooms, propose to the bride. In Egypt, many marriages are arranged. The zaffa, or wedding march, is a musical procession of drums, bagpipes, horns, belly dancers, and men carrying flaming swords. It announces that the marriage is about to begin.
埃及：在埃及，由新郎的家人，而不是新郎本人，向新娘求婚。許多婚姻還是父母之命，媒妁之言。 Zaffa，也就是婚禮，其實是一個充滿音樂的列隊遊行，有鼓、風笛、號角及肚皮舞，男人們手持火紅的劍。這個儀式宣告，婚姻即將開始。
England:Traditionally, the village bride and her wedding party always walk together to the church. Leading the procession: a small girl strewing, blossoms along the road, so the bride’s path through life will always be happy and laden with flowers.
英格蘭：按照傳統，鄉村的新娘和參加婚禮的人們總是一起步行走向教堂。一個小姑娘走在隊列最前面，她一路拋撒鮮花，預示著新娘一生的道路上也將開滿鮮花，永遠幸福。
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