The finale of any wedding celebration is the wedding night. Nowadays, the first night of newlyweds has become a convention that has no value. It is now considered the norm for newlyweds to have sex long before the wedding. But once upon a time the first wedding night was accompanied by a whole ritual, different for each nation. WANT.ua invites you to look at the pages of history and remember the customs of the first wedding night.
In the Middle Ages in European countries there was a tradition according to which the bride had to spend the night not with her husband, but with the feudal lord. Historians give different arguments regarding the emergence of such a custom. Some argued that deflowering is dangerous procedure, subject only to the deities, and the feudal lord took full responsibility for what was happening and protected the spouses from the wrath of the gods.
Others complained about satisfying their sexual needs and the desire to be above everyone else, because the feudal lord could easily refuse ugly brides, and with beautiful girls this rule was always followed. True, at the end of the 16th century, such a custom was abandoned in Switzerland, and in Germany it was replaced by ransom.
SEX ON THE WEDDING NIGHT IN AFRICA
In some African tribes On the wedding night, it was customary to knock out a girl’s two front teeth. This symbolized marriage - something like a wedding ring. Married women were not ashamed of their toothless smile and showed it to everyone, while unmarried women covered their mouths.
IN Samoa The first wedding night had to take place in the circle of sleeping relatives of the bride. Only newlyweds should make love silently so that no one wakes up. IN otherwise, the man was in for a serious beating from his relatives. That is why many Samoan men lubricate their bodies with oil before their wedding night: this makes it easier to break out and the beatings are not so painful.
Sex on your wedding night North Africa involved alternate copulation of the bride with the guests at the wedding. Each guest had to give the bride a special gift.
There were tribes in which it was customary to deflower girls at a very young age - before the onset of menstruation. This had to be done by a complete stranger. Most often it was a traveler passing through the village. If a girl remained a virgin during the onset of her period, it was considered a real disgrace; she might never get married.
IN Bakhtu tribe, which is located in Central Africa, instead of having sex on their wedding night, the newlyweds had to fight until dawn, and then go to their parents' houses and sleep. It’s a strange custom, of course, but every nation has its own cockroaches in their heads. The next night, the newlyweds fought again. And this continued until they took out all their hatred on each other for years to come. Sometimes such battles ended in death.
Some African peoples had a tradition of performing the act of defloration using special tools. This mini-operation was performed by the oldest women.
Sometimes this procedure was replaced by a natural one, but it was not the husband who had to deflower the girl, but the father or elder brother of the groom, as well as a priest or elder.
IN Arunto tribe The girl's friends were supposed to take her virginity. The man chose two or three friends, they kidnapped the bride and each of them had sex with her. When a girl loses her virginity, anyone could come to her house until the wedding and have sex with her in order to test the new woman.
HOW DOES THE FIRST WEDDING NIGHT HAPPEN WITH MUSLIMS?
The first wedding night among Muslims has remained virtually unchanged since ancient times. Most Muslims still have the custom of showing the groom's relatives the sheet on which the newlyweds had sex. Blood stains testified to the bride’s innocence; if they were not there, the girl was considered vicious, it was a shame for the whole family. Currently, this rule is observed only in some regions.
Before the first wedding night, Muslims must observe a number of customs:
- The first wedding night among Muslims takes place only after the bride has transported all the necessary things to her husband's house. They start collecting a dowry for a girl from a young age; she should have at least 40 blankets and pillows. Bedding must be decorated and sewn by hand (some accessories are not prohibited from being purchased)
- Before starting intimacy, a man should put his hand on his wife’s head, praise her, say a few kind words and end the speech with the phrase “In the name of Allah.” Then, the newlyweds read two ritual prayers, after which the man reads another prayer, in which he asks for Allah’s blessing on life together and in case of divorce, help them maintain friendly relations.
- A man must present his wife with a lot of sweets and delicious drinks. Honey and milk were considered obligatory products on the table. The husband should be soft and gentle when communicating with his wife, win her over, and talk. Indecent intimate relations are prohibited by the Koran. A woman should not push away a man, because this could lead to dire consequences. Also, the newly-made wife should not be indifferent and cold.
- In the morning, after the first wedding night, the spouses perform a ritual of ablution and begin to eat. They often set the table and invite relatives.
HOW THE FIRST WEDDING NIGHT IS SPENT FOR CHECHENS
For Chechens, their first wedding night takes place on the third day of the wedding. To perform the ritual, the man put on a special suit, which had previously been presented to him by the bride’s relatives. At this time, the woman should be ready in the bedroom, where her married friends bring her.
Before intimacy, a man must open the Koran and pray to Allah, then close the book with thick canvas and begin to deflower his wife. If the spouses did not know each other before marriage, sexual intercourse is not prerequisite on their wedding night, they must first get to know each other.
There should be no one, not even animals, in the room where the newlyweds sleep.
THE FIRST WEDDING NIGHT OF MUSLIMS IN DAGESTAN
Dagestanis celebrate their first wedding night in a special way: they turn it into a martial arts ritual. A man will be worthy of a woman only if he wins. The bride has been prepared for a fight since childhood, and on the first wedding night they shaved her head, lubricated exposed skin with fat, put on clothes with many knots, and tied the overalls with a cord, which was supposed to preserve virginity.
No one was allowed to enter the room where the battle took place; one could only eavesdrop and spy. According to ancient customs, the guy was obliged to defeat the girl and the fight continued until victory.
If the battle took too long, the bride was persuaded to give up, they specifically did not allow her to drink or eat, but they did everything for the groom.
How faster man untie all the knots in his overalls, the faster he can take possession of his wife. The battle took place without weapons, and inflicting bodily harm was not forbidden.
HOW IS THE FIRST WEDDING NIGHT OF GYPSIES?
The Gypsies, of course, are not the cleanest nation, but they have observed their traditions from time immemorial. The first wedding night among the gypsies is called the “Bringing out of Honor” and is considered the most important rite of passage at the wedding. The bride must remain virgin until the wedding, otherwise she will disgrace her family. The newlyweds, along with three respected ladies from both families, go to a separate room where the bride's virginity is checked.
The newlyweds have sex without witnesses, but the groom is obliged to take out a veil with traces of virgin blood.
According to another version, three ladies deflower a girl using a sheet wrapped around her finger so that the newlyweds cannot falsify the bride's virginity. There is another version of the first wedding night among gypsies - the bride and groom must have their first sexual intercourse on the banquet table in the presence of guests. When the girl's innocence is proven, the ladies put the sheet with the marks on a tray, shower it with red ribbons and take it out to the guests. Red ribbons are distributed to the groom's relatives for a fee. After the ceremony, the bride is dressed in a red dress, her hair is braided and the veil is removed.
FIRST WEDDING NIGHT IN Rus'
During times Ancient Rus' Premarital relations were not forbidden - it was a widespread phenomenon. Some young people managed to live with each other and get married, and sometimes had children. In some settlements, a “trial marriage” was common, in our opinion it was a civil marriage. The young people lived together, shared a household, gave birth to their first child, and only then could they get married if they didn’t change their minds.
Some traditions of Rus' were similar to barbarian ones. At the wedding, each man could touch and grope the bride as it should have happened during the wedding night. The bride could even be stripped down to her undershirt at the wedding to show off all the juice. When the wedding came to an end, the newlyweds retired to a separate room, and the guests eavesdropped and peeked under the door so that the newlyweds were busy with each other and not with sleep.
The sex had to continue until the morning, which was facilitated by the guests - they shouted ditties with sexual overtones and in every possible way spurred the young people on. In the morning, the bride and groom provided evidence of deprivation of virginity. If the groom did not succeed, he could repeat the attempt two more times; if even then he failed in his duty, the groom was replaced by more an experienced man. In some villages, it was customary to spend the first wedding night with the groom's older brothers, who came to the aid of the inexperienced groom in case of emergency.
As we see, the wedding night in many countries involved deflowering a girl, if the girl was vicious before the wedding, her family was disgraced, and the careless bride could be returned to her parents. True, now any gynecologist will say that during the first sexual intercourse there may not be any blood, just like there may be no pain, since everyone’s hymen is different.
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Every nation has its own wedding ceremonies. Somewhere, the bride is led to the altar by the hand by her father, and somewhere, the groom’s friends secretly kidnap her from the bedroom of her father’s house. In some places the newlyweds are pelted with rice, and in others they are showered with banknotes. Europeans will certainly consider African wedding ceremonies exotic. Well, those traditions of African tribes that relate to the first wedding night will seem completely crazy to many!
Wedding night in a communal apartment
Among the Arikan Berber tribes, the bride and groom rarely manage to stay alone the night after the wedding. They usually spend their wedding night as a group, for which several newly married couples settle down together in one large bedroom. This is considered a session of learning love games, and in addition, according to the Berbers, it relieves stress before important event. The bride and groom have not always known each other for a long time, but it is still more fun to engage in indecency in the company of peers.
Assistant under the bed
In Swahili culture, marriages are arranged by parents, and often the bride and groom do not know each other at all before the wedding. In order for them to cope with the difficulties of the wedding night, from ancient times to the present day, an older relative of the bride - an assistant, or somo - has been placed in the bedroom, under the bed. If necessary, she gives advice to the newlyweds during the process, and in the morning she testifies that everything went as expected and presents her fellow villagers with a sheet with traces of blood.
Virgin swing
Among the Zulu people, at a wedding, before the newlyweds leave for the first wedding night, the families of the bride and groom arrange a kind of dance competition. The culmination of the competition is the bride's dance, during which she must raise her leg as high as possible and remain in this position for as long as possible in front of her mother, who in the meantime must look under her skirt and make sure that she is still a virgin. If you think about it, this moment is a pure formality - unless the mother is an experienced gynecologist. But the guests are probably satisfied.
Fat night
In the Himba tribe living in Namibia, before going to the groom's house for the wedding night, the bride comes to the house of her father, who tells her about her upcoming marital duties, after which her relatives grease the girl's head with cow fat. Fortunately, usually a special headdress made of cow skin is first put on the bride’s head - it can be seen in the photo. I would like to hope that this structure can be easily removed, and the newlyweds do not have to struggle with it throughout their wedding night.
Unexpectedly
In the African Shona tribe, the first wedding night occurs even before the wedding, and it becomes a surprise for the groom. After the engagement is concluded, the bride herself chooses the day - or rather, the night - on which she, in a white wedding robe and accompanied by numerous relatives, comes to the groom's house with songs and dances. Neither the groom nor his family know this date, and this is not an accident: among the Shona, it is believed that in this way the girl tests her beloved and his family’s ability to cope with unexpected problems. The groom's unsuspecting relatives must notice the procession in time and, in turn, greet it with a joyful dance. After mutual expression of joy, the bride remains in her mother-in-law's house, where she will finally be left alone with the groom. Well, the wedding ceremonies will begin in the morning.
The third one is not superfluous
The Banyankole tribe, living in northwestern Uganda, has a strange tradition. Before the bride gets married, her aunt must sleep with her groom. An experienced woman in this way checks that a man’s potency is okay, and at the same time evaluates his talents in bed. Then, on the wedding night, the aunt is also present in the newlyweds’ room - but this time in the role of a trainer: she tells inexperienced young people what and how to do. I wonder how they even cope in such an environment?
The candle was burning on the table, the candle was burning
In the villages of Tunisia, the groom, having fulfilled his marital duty, must immediately light a candle and place it on the window. So he informs the whole village, carefully watching through the windows, that everything went as it should, and the bride was a virgin. It is not known whether the newlyweds feel awkward that the entire village is immediately privy to their intimate life?
Among friends
In Morocco, virginity is treated strictly. During the bachelorette party before the wedding, the bridesmaids are required to check to see if she is a virgin and report their findings to all interested parties. And in the most traditional families girlfriends also come for their wedding night. Probably in this big company Things are going hard for the newlyweds!
Let there be blood!
In Ethiopia, the main concern on the wedding night is also the bride's virginity. She must take her white head cover with her to the bedroom - this is where she should leave traces of blood. While the newlyweds indulge in pleasures, the newly-made mother-in-law and the groom's witness are waiting outside the door. Immediately after the end of the process, the girl must take out the scarf stained with blood. If for some reason there is no blood, the young husband has the right to flog his wife with a whip and even abandon her, sending her back to her parents and demanding full compensation for the ransom.
In bed with a stranger
There are many countries where the bride meets the groom for the first time only at the wedding. But in Tanzania, things are even worse: a girl sees her betrothed for the first time only in the bedroom, during her wedding night. Marriages there are carried out exclusively by agreement with the parents, and the bride and groom do not meet before the wedding. The whole celebration also takes place without her: while the groom and relatives are having fun, the girl, dressed up and made up, sits at home and waits young husband. When he arrives, the girl is escorted to the bedroom - and here she first meets the one with whom she will share a bed today - and always.
Listen up everyone!
For Libyan Muslims, a wedding is a long affair, usually lasting at least five days. The bride and groom spend the first three days each in their own home. On the fourth day, the bride throws a friendly party at her home, where the groom comes to pick her up in the evening, taking his friends with him for courage. Then the couple, accompanied by the whole crowd of friends, goes on foot to the house of the young spouse. At this time, it is customary among the friends of the newlyweds to make as much noise as possible and joke publicly about what is about to happen behind a closed door. True, the bride and groom are still left alone in the house, which distinguishes Libyans from other African peoples.
Virginity sacrificed
In a traditional Egyptian wedding, it is not the groom who deflowers the bride. This is done by a specially called midwife, wrapping her fingers in a white scarf. The blood on the handkerchief, which is immediately shown to the groom’s relatives, is undeniable evidence of innocence, which the groom himself, alas, is never destined to fully enjoy.
extramarital night
In Namibia they are preparing for a wedding whole year, it is accompanied by mass celebrations, a feast for the whole world, music, dancing and other fun. However, after the celebration, the bride and groom each go to their own home and spend the night separately from each other. They have to wait another whole day - only on the second night after the wedding are they allowed to lie in the same bed. But, by the way, a woman is not considered an official wife until she gives birth to a second child.
Under the typewriter
In the Sudanese Nuer tribe, after the wedding feast, friends take the bride to the groom’s village, where they first shave her head bald, and only then take her to her husband. The meaning of this custom is unclear, but the fact remains: a girl with hair does not have the right to go to bed with her lawful young husband.
Practice is the path to mastery
In Zambia, traditions are extremely liberal: there the bride and groom have their wedding night on the eve of the wedding. On the pre-wedding day, the bride's older relatives give her a master class on sex, telling her everything they know, right down to how to properly wash each other in the bath. After this, the bride is taken to the groom’s house and the newlyweds are told to practice sex until they lose all strength. And the next day, all the girls in the village ask the bride how everything went, expecting detailed answers.
Different countries, different cultures and customs. This applies to many aspects, including wedding traditions. Even the celebration of the first wedding night is completely different among many nations. There are such customs that it is not enough to imagine them!
First wedding night in different countries peace
Africa.
African countries have always been distinguished by their exoticism in everything, and this also applies to their wedding night. Eat African tribes, where on the first wedding night the young husband knocks out his chosen one’s two upper teeth, probably out of love and passion. For some, the symbol of married life is wedding ring, and married women of these tribes is the absence of front teeth. Toothless women are happy to show off their smiles, but unmarried women do not smile again.
Again, everything is in the same Africa, only in Central ( Rwanda), newlyweds from the Bahutu tribe practice abstinence on the first night after the wedding (and even more, sometimes for several weeks). Maybe that's why (out of desperation) they are allowed to beat each other up. Instead of love and affection, there are fights, so much so that sometimes they can’t even stand it and the walls of the family nest-hut collapse. Fights between the newlyweds continue all night, with the young wife showing particular activity, who does not hesitate in her means, scratching and biting her chosen one. During the day, the spouses sleep, each in their parents' house, and at night everything repeats all over again. Their relatives do not interfere and sleep peacefully, what can you do, such is the tradition! When strength runs out and aggression disappears, the wife completely moves into her husband’s house, and the young people continue to live in love and harmony.
Samoa
In the independent state of Samoa, which is located on the islands in the South Pacific Ocean, newlyweds stay on their wedding night in the bride's house, and all the bride's relatives sleep next to them. Custom does not require the groom to refuse sex, but everything must happen silently so as not to disturb those sleeping. If the silence of the night is disturbed, then the relatives have the right to mercilessly beat the young spouse, so he, just in case, lubricates his body with oil, which can help him escape more easily.
Philippines
On the Philippine Islands, which are part of the Malay Archipelago, the bride and groom are not limited in drinking, and you can celebrate with guests all night, as local wedding customs require abstaining from intimacy on the first wedding day. This allows you not only to have a lot of fun own wedding, but also protects before conceiving a child in a state of intoxication.
By the way, a similar tradition exists among some peoples Mexico, Peru and Brazil, where the time of abstinence (for the same purposes) can last for a couple of weeks - until the new moon.
India
And in India today the custom of prohibiting intimate relationships between the newlyweds during the first three first nights after wedding ceremony. This ban was introduced because it is believed that the guardian gods of the young wife may be angry with her. A special stick made of udumbara wood, which is considered a symbol of female fertility, is placed between the bride and groom. For three days a stick separates their bed.
Macedonia
In Macedonia, which was once part of Yugoslavia and is located in the Balkans, the bride and groom spend their wedding night quite excitingly. They fight for the main wedding trophies, which are the hat and boots. The winner who takes possession of them will become the main one in the family.
Germany
In such a civilized European country as Germany, in some places a medieval custom has been preserved to this day, which requires the groom, during the first wedding night, to go out to the guests and publicly show a sheet with stains, confirming the innocence of the bride. Many people do not like such a demonstration, so they prefer to register their marriage in other places in Germany, where such a tradition is not observed.
In some cultures, customs surrounding the first wedding night involved more than just the bride and groom. Below are the most awkward, strange and hilarious traditions regarding the first wedding night.
French soup served in a toilet bowl
This tradition arose at a time when people relieved their natural needs in chamber pots. Relatives of the bride and groom filled the chamber pot with leftover alcohol and food from festive table, after which they gave it to the newlyweds as “fuel” for their wedding night. They did not leave the bedroom until the bride and groom had completely drunk the contents of the pot.
This tradition continues to this day, albeit in a slightly improved form. Today, instead of a pot, relatives of the newlyweds use a toilet-shaped bowl, which is filled with chocolate fondue and champagne.
In the 18th century, royal families practiced a ritual according to which a group of sullen priests, court ladies and gentlemen would gather at the bedside of the newlyweds on their wedding night.
Scotch cheese joke
According to the book " Wedding customs world: from henna to honeymoon”, in Scotland there was once a custom of taking a piece of cheese with you to bed for good luck. The newlyweds had to put about 500 grams of Limburg cheese between a couple of towels and crush it.
Indian bedspreads
In India, on her wedding night, the bride hides under a blanket on a bed surrounded by her family members. The groom enters the room with his relatives and tries to determine which side the bride's head is facing. At this time, members of her family strive to confuse him with false clues and mocking jokes. If the groom accurately guesses which side his bride’s head is on, they will live on equal terms in marriage, if not, then he is doomed to serve (fall at her feet) her for the rest of his life.Chinese tradition "Nao Dongfang"
The Chinese tradition of Nao Dongfang, which originated during the Han Dynasty, is still practiced today. She promotes intimacy between the bride and groom through a series of dirty jokes and games played by the newlyweds' relatives. During one of these games, a friend or family member holds an apple tied to a string. The newlyweds must try to bite him, which ultimately leads to a kiss. Very often, a friend or family member puts the apple away at the very last moment.
Comic serenades under the windows of newlyweds
Previously, in France, townspeople, in order to shame marriages between adulterers and other disapproved unions, made a fuss under the windows of the newlyweds on their wedding night. This tradition was subsequently adopted by residents of the United States and Canada during French colonization.Today, relatives of newlyweds gather outside their home and create noise by banging pots and pans and singing songs loudly, mostly as a joke.
Korean tradition using fish
In Wedding Bells and Chimney Sweeps, Bruce Montague describes a Korean tradition in which the groom's friends remove his socks, tie his feet, and hit his feet with a fish, usually dried corvina, which can sometimes be up to 90 centimeters long.During this action, the groom is interrogated. If his answers are unsatisfactory, the beating with the fish becomes more severe. According to some sources, it acts like Viagra on the groom. They do this so that he doesn’t mess up in bed on his wedding night.
In some cultures, customs surrounding the first wedding night involved more than just the bride and groom. Below are the most awkward, strange and hilarious traditions regarding the first wedding night.
French soup served in a toilet bowl
This tradition arose at a time when people relieved their natural needs in chamber pots. Relatives of the bride and groom filled the chamber pot with leftover alcohol and food from the festive table, and then gave it to the newlyweds as “fuel” for their wedding night. They did not leave the bedroom until the bride and groom had completely drunk the contents of the pot.
This tradition continues to this day, albeit in a slightly improved form. Today, instead of a pot, relatives of the newlyweds use a toilet-shaped bowl, which is filled with chocolate fondue and champagne.
In the 18th century, royal families practiced a ritual according to which a group of sullen priests, court ladies and gentlemen would gather at the bedside of the newlyweds on their wedding night.
Scotch cheese joke
According to the book Wedding Customs of the World: From Henna to the Honeymoon, in Scotland there was once a custom of taking a piece of cheese to bed for good luck. The newlyweds had to put about 500 grams of Limburg cheese between a couple of towels and crush it. 
Indian bedspreads
In India, on her wedding night, the bride hides under a blanket on a bed surrounded by her family members. The groom enters the room with his relatives and tries to determine which side the bride's head is facing. At this time, members of her family strive to confuse him with false clues and mocking jokes. If the groom accurately guesses which side his bride’s head is on, they will live on equal terms in marriage, if not, then he is doomed to serve (fall at her feet) her for the rest of his life.
Chinese tradition "Nao Dongfang"
The Chinese tradition of Nao Dongfang, which originated during the Han Dynasty, is still practiced today. She promotes intimacy between the bride and groom through a series of dirty jokes and games played by the newlyweds' relatives. During one of these games, a friend or family member holds an apple tied to a string. The newlyweds must try to bite him, which ultimately leads to a kiss. Very often, a friend or family member puts the apple away at the very last moment. 
Comic serenades under the windows of newlyweds
Previously, in France, townspeople, in order to shame marriages between adulterers and other disapproved unions, made a fuss under the windows of the newlyweds on their wedding night. This tradition was subsequently adopted by residents of the United States and Canada during French colonization.
Today, relatives of newlyweds gather outside their home and create noise by banging pots and pans and singing songs loudly, mostly as a joke.
Korean tradition using fish
In Wedding Bells and Chimney Sweeps, Bruce Montague describes a Korean tradition in which the groom's friends remove his socks, tie his feet, and hit his feet with a fish, usually dried corvina, which can sometimes be up to 90 centimeters long. 
During this action, the groom is interrogated. If his answers are unsatisfactory, the beating with the fish becomes more severe. According to some sources, it acts like Viagra on the groom. They do this so that he doesn’t mess up in bed on his wedding night.
