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Wedding Customs: Food

A consistent theme across many cultures is that of eating or giving sweet foods as gifts, often to represent or wish for the sweetest moments in marriage to be plentiful.

The gift of bread and salt presented to the couple, usually by either the parent or the maid of honour is also commonly seen, and often signifies the wish that the newly married couple never be hungry in their new life together.

As many as 14 courses can be served at an Italian wedding reception. Certain foods, such as twists of fried dough and sweets, symbolise good luck. In fact, the traditional bonbonniere gift of five almonds symbolising health, wealth, fertility, luck and happiness originated as Italian confetti. The sugared almonds are used to represent the bitter and sweet nature of life and were thrown at the bride and groom by the guests as protection against infertility.

An American Indian tradition is to serve a corn mush to the braide and groom made of white and yellow corn mixed together, yellow representing the female and white the male. Just as the colours are mixed together, it symbolises how the couple will be bonded together.