The false bride
There's a custom in continental Croatia where the groom comes to the bride's home to pick her up and go to church together to get married. So the bride waits inside her house and doesn't go outside before the groom comes to pick her up.
Usually, when the groom finally comes to pick his bride up, the bride's family first sends the false bride out. The false bride is usually a guy who is obviously not a woman and is not very feminine. Of course, the bride's family pretends that they don't know what is going on and they insist it's the real bride, not the false one, and it depends on the family how long are they going to joke and provoke the groom with the false bride. After the family "discovers" it really is the false bride, they bring the real bride out and then the bride and the groom can happily go to church and get married.
A few months ago, I had the "pleasure" to be the false bride. I have to say, it was an interesting experience. If nothing else, I learned to be thankful to be a guy, because, as a woman, I don't stand a chance of getting married...
Is there a similar custom in some other country? Let me know in the comments below. :)
That's all from me for today. See you soon! I'll be back.
Pero
P.S. Here are a few more pictures of the false bride:
Ahahaha Cool @k5ar that was unique 😅
Thanks! :)
In intriguing tradition. Do you know the history of what gave rise to such a tradition?
Before, when our grandfathers and grandmothers were young (and before), there was a custom for the bride to bring something material to the family she's marrying into. In Croatia it's called "miraz", and in English, the term is translated into "dowry". Also, it was the custom for the groom to "buy out" the bride from her family, and the bargaining was made when the groom would come to get the bride before they go to church together. Usually, the bride's family would try to get as much as possible, so the joke was to bring him the false bride because, that's the bride he can get for the offered value. Of course, after some time, the groom would offer a bit more and the family would bring the real bride and then they could go to church and get married.
Nowadays, the bargaining and the dowry part are not common anymore, but the false bride is still a very popular custom. :)
Interesting. Thanks for sharing that info.
No problem. :)