Junior Rasmussen
In some cultures, a crimson wedding dress is considered bold, passionate, and full of desire. In an ancient Chinese myth, a princess bride wears a bright red dress made of phoenix feathers to signify luck and happiness. Similarly, in Indian, Pakistani, and Chinese cultures, red symbolizes love, commitment, and prosperity, and is often worn by the bride or groom. Modern Pagan couples may also choose red for their wedding attire to welcome love, romance, and desire into their union. However, in Western societies, wearing red as a wedding guest is sometimes frowned upon due to beliefs that it embodies lust and seduction or indicates a past relationship with the groom.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Crimson wedding dress in Western culture | |
| Boldness | Eye-catching, standing out |
| Romance | Passion, lust, seduction |
| Individuality | Unconventional, unique |
| Crimson wedding dress in Chinese culture | |
| Symbol of luck and happiness | Brings luck in marriage, blesses the union with happiness |
| Symbol of wealth | Red clothing dye was expensive |
| Crimson wedding dress in Indian culture | |
| Symbol of passion and success | Honouring the Hindu Goddess Durga |
| Symbol of love, commitment and prosperity |
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What You'll Learn
The colour red in Chinese weddings
The colour red is a very important colour in Chinese culture and plays a significant role in wedding ceremonies. It is believed to bring luck, joy, and prosperity, and is worn by the bride to bless her union with happiness, good health, love, and abundant energy.
One of the earliest stories of a red wedding dress comes from ancient Chinese mythology. The tale goes that a princess bride wore a bright red dress made of phoenix feathers when she married Panhu, a part dragon, part dog warrior. The emperor dressed the princess in red to bless the couple with luck and happiness, and the two lived happily ever after. This ancient story is believed to be one of the reasons why Chinese brides still wear red today.
In Southern China, brides wear a Long Feng Gua, a two-piece red dress adorned with a dragon and a phoenix, symbolising the groom and bride respectively. The Chinese also believe that red drives away evil spirits, so it is considered a sacred colour. It is also a sign of honour, success, loyalty, fertility, and love.
Chinese brides might also wear a red silk veil, symbolising the vow that when the groom removes the veil, it marks the start of a life of cherishing each other. Red shoes are also a popular choice, as well as gold accessories, as gold represents wealth and fortune.
While red is an important colour for the bride in Chinese weddings, it is considered disrespectful for guests to wear red as it could be seen as trying to overshadow the bride or confuse vendors such as the wedding photographer. Warmer colours such as purple, pink, and peach are more acceptable for guests as they symbolise new life and happiness in Chinese culture.
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Red wedding dresses in India
Red wedding dresses are a bold and fashionable statement, inspiring feelings of excitement, individuality, passion, and romance. While they are a break from tradition in the US, red wedding dresses have been worn for centuries in other cultures, including India.
In India, red is a sacred colour, and it is common for brides to wear red saris or lehengas on their wedding day. Red symbolises love, commitment, and prosperity, and brings luck and happiness to the newlywed couple. The colour also represents the Hindu Goddess Durga and the divine shakti, an ancient cosmic feminine energy that protects against evil and fights destruction. By wearing red, brides are invoking Durga's blessings of integrity, loyalty, forgiveness, strength, courage, and happiness for their marriage.
The colour red has played a significant role in Indian wedding ceremonies for centuries, dating back to before the time it became customary to wear white. This tradition is not unique to India, with red wedding dresses also being popular in China, Sudan, Taiwan, and within modern Pagan and Native American communities.
While red is generally considered an acceptable colour to wear to most weddings, some cultures and individuals may have different interpretations and beliefs surrounding the colour. In some instances, wearing red as a guest may be seen as trying to overshadow the couple or as an indication of a past relationship with the groom. It is always important to respect the couple's wishes and cultural norms when deciding on attire for a wedding.
Overall, the red wedding dress is a powerful symbol of love, passion, and happiness, especially within Indian wedding traditions, where it holds deep cultural and religious significance.
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Viking brides and grooms in red
Red wedding attire is having a moment, and it's not hard to see why. With its cascading folds of crimson silk and vermillion velvet, a red wedding outfit inspires excitement, individuality, passion, and bold romance.
In ancient times and modern ceremonies, red wedding attire has held various symbolic meanings across different cultures. In China, brides have worn red for centuries to bring luck in marriage and bless the union with happiness, good health, love, and abundant energy. This tradition stems from an ancient Chinese myth about a princess and a part-dragon, part-dog warrior named Panhu. The emperor dresses the princess in a bright red dress made of phoenix feathers to bless the couple with luck and happiness.
In India, red is also a popular colour for brides, symbolising passion, success, love, commitment, and prosperity. It is worn to honour the Hindu Goddess Durga, who is usually depicted wearing a flowing red sari and represents the divine Shakti—an ancient cosmic feminine energy that protects against evil and fights destruction.
In Viking culture, brides and grooms wore red on their wedding day as a sign of wealth. Red dye was expensive, so a bright red outfit symbolised success in trade and battle. Red was also associated with love and passion in Norse mythology. While there was no specific "wedding suit" for Viking grooms, they would commonly wear a tunic and trousers, often made of wool, linen, or hemp and dyed in bright colours. A cloak, typically made of wool and dyed bright red, was an essential part of the Viking groom's outfit, providing warmth and protection from the elements.
Today, some modern Asatru and Heathen couples continue the Viking tradition of wearing red at their weddings to honour their heritage.
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Pagan and Heathen couples in crimson
For Pagan and Heathen couples, the colour crimson holds a lot of significance. In modern Paganism, colours are imbued with special meanings and powers, making them an integral part of spiritual rites such as marriage.
Crimson is a shade that symbolises passion, success, physical health, and bold romance. It is also believed to bring luck and happiness to the newlyweds. For these reasons, modern Pagan couples may choose a crimson handfasting cord, include red stones and flowers in their ceremonies, and light a red candle on their wedding altar.
In the context of Viking weddings, crimson takes on a different meaning. Historically, red dye was expensive to obtain, so wearing red on your wedding day was a sign of wealth and success in trade and battle. Asatru and Heathen couples who host Viking-themed weddings may choose to wear crimson to honour this ancient tradition.
While the colour red is often worn by brides and grooms in some cultures, such as in India, China, and within Pagan communities, it is also sometimes considered controversial for guests to wear to weddings. In some cultures, a female guest wearing red implies that she has had a romantic or sexual relationship with the groom, while in others, it is believed that wearing a bold colour like crimson may be an attempt to overshadow or take attention away from the couple. However, these beliefs are considered by some to be nothing more than superstitions or wives' tales.
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Red as a guest at a wedding
Red wedding dresses are a bold statement, with ancient roots in Chinese, Viking, and Hindu cultures. In these cultures, red is a symbol of love, prosperity, passion, success, and health. In modern times, red wedding attire is also popular in India, Pakistan, Sudan, Taiwan, and within Pagan and Native American communities.
However, wearing red as a guest at a wedding is a different matter. While red is typically considered appropriate for most weddings, there are some instances where it may be best avoided. For example, in some cultures, wearing red is believed to indicate that you have had a past romantic relationship with the groom. This belief is mentioned by people from the Deep South of the US, Sweden, and Italy.
In other cultures, red is considered a lucky colour, so wearing it as a guest might be seen as trying to take the spotlight from the couple, especially in cultures where the bride traditionally wears red. However, this is becoming less of a concern as modern couples, even within these cultures, are choosing less traditional attire.
If you are unsure about wearing red as a guest, it is best to refer to the couple's wedding website or ask them directly. It is also important to consider the formality of the event. While red is not off-limits for formal weddings, such as black-tie or white-tie events, darker shades like black and navy are recommended. An exception is burgundy, which is a rich red hue that fits well with formal affairs.
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Frequently asked questions
The colour red symbolizes love, commitment, and prosperity and is considered a bold statement for a bride to make on her wedding day.
For modern Pagans, the colour red symbolizes love, romance, and desire. Pagan couples may also choose a crimson handfasting cord to represent passion and physical health.
In these cultures, it is considered scandalous to wear red to a wedding as it is believed that wearing red means you have slept with the groom.
