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[Pete Richards]

7. The ritual of marrying animals to exorcise ghosts



In some parts of India it is believed that if a baby girl has a tooth rooted to her upper gum, it's the obvious sign that she will be eaten by a tiger or something in the near future, because ghosts hate her. Therefore, she must marry an animal.
 
The good news is that this is nothing but a mock ceremony and the couple don't have to consummate the wedding. It's just to ward off the evil spirits so the girl can marry a real boy some time later.

[Pete Richards]

8. The ritual of blackening the bride



It's part of a hazing ritual that actually happens before the wedding. The bride is taken by surprise, by hands down the crummiest friends you could have, and covered from head to toe with foul substances such as eggs, various sauces, feathers, and, well, you name it….The ritual of covering brides and grooms in treacle, soot and flour used to be carried out to ward off evil spirits. It still happens in parts of Scotland.

[Pete Richards]

9. The ritual where grooms jumps over a broom



Jumping the broom is a time-honored wedding tradition in which the bride and groom jump over a broom during the ceremony. The act symbolizes a new beginning and a sweeping away of the past, and can also signify the joining of two families or offer a respectful nod to family ancestors.

[Pete Richards]

10. The ritual of beating the groom's feet



Most men look forward to the conclusion of their weddings, but in South Korea the groom has to endure a beating before he can retire with his bride. After the wedding ceremony, friends of the groom take off his socks, tie a rope around the ankles, and start beating the soles of his feet with dried yellow corvina. Yellow corvina is a kind of fish! It is done to make the groom stronger before the first wedding night.