http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/10/world/what-in-the-world/indian-hindu-wedding.html 2016-09-12 14:12:24 Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Hindu A traditional Indian wedding can last days, and rituals include the bride kicking over a pot of rice and dance competitions between Team Bride and Team Groom. === A bride knocks over a pot of rice. Other women tear the groom’s clothing. Are these newlyweds having a hard time adjusting? Not exactly. These are just a few of the rituals and games that make up a traditional dayslong Indian Hindu wedding. Leading up to the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom put on old clothes and their families cover them in a paste made from turmeric, chickpea flour and water, intended to beautify their skin. Indians sometimes joke that if a groom is ugly, he should receive an extra coat. Still dressed in ratty clothes and yellow from turmeric, the groom’s relatives rip off his clothing to bid goodbye to his single life and to ward off bad luck. A whole night is devoted to dancing. First the bride performs, then the groom. Then uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents and friends all take their turns as a competition forms between Team Groom and Team Bride. Finally, the day of the wedding arrives. The groom removes his shoes before entering the room, only to have them swiped by the bride’s female relatives, who run away in laughter, often tripping over their saris. The groom must hand over some rupees as a “ransom” to get his shoes back. During the ceremony, the bride and groom walk around a fire seven times as a priest recites blessings. Afterward, there is a race to see who can sit down first. It is said that the winner will rule the house. After the wedding, the bride kicks a pot of rice over the threshold of her in-laws’ home. The messy act symbolizes that the new family will have so much wealth that they will have rice to spare.