Tradition & Custom - To ward off Evil Spirits

What has been done or we still do to chase away and distract evil spirits from the bridal couple:

• Poltern (colloquially: making a lot of noise) - On the night before the wedding the guests break porcelain (no glass!!!) to chase away evil spirits.
• Böllerschiessen (gun salute) - To chase the evil spirits - celebrated in early wedding day morning in front of the groom's house.
• Bridal Veil - Protects the bride against dark looks and spirits.
• Bridal Lingerie - Wearing lingerie backwards puts the evil spirits to flight.
• Bridesmaids - Unmarried girls wear similar dresses as the bride to distract the evil spirits.
• Carrying the bride over the threshold - this tricks spirits into thinking that only one person has entered the house, throwing them off the track of the bridal couple
• Bridal Pennies (because of the introduction of the Euro we now say bridal cents) - Young girls collect cents to pay for their bridal shoes. It should bring the marriage luck. "Collecting cents" represents the bride's economical ability.
• Polterabend (wedding-eve-party) - In the past it meant to disperse evil spirits, who resent the bridal couple's happiness, by making lots of noise. today the bridal couple and friends celebrate a fare-well to the couple's single life and wish them a good luck and a happy life together.
• Toll - friends or neighbors block the bride and groom's way to the church. the bridal couple has to solve some tasks, usually related to their hobbies or profession to win passage to the church.
• Rice throwing – Originates from Asia, where rice is the symbol of fertility. The rice represents the woman, the grain the seed and together they represent the couple's offsprings.
• Flower petals - Throwing flower petals in the path of or onto the bridal couple after the wedding ceremony represents fertility, luck and wealth - to pacify the evil spirits.
• Log sawing - After the wedding ceremony the bridal couple must saw through a log, potentially with the bluntest saw that could be found. Since the saw only works if both coordinate their pushing and pulling, the necessary teamwork symbolizes how future adversities will be overcome together.
• Wedding cake - Whoever's hand is on top while cutting the wedding cake is said to wear the pants in the relationship.
• Throwing the bridal bouquet - The bride turns her back to the group of unmarried women and throws her bridal bouquet. Whoever catches it will be the next bride.
• Throwing the garter - Similar to the bridal bouquet the bride throws her garter to the group of single men. Whoever catches it will be the next groom.
• Auctioning of the bridal shoe - The best man auctions off the bridal shoe. Each bidder pays the difference from the previous bidder and puts the money in a hat. the last bidder is the groom so that his bride gets her shoe back. She also gets the hat with the money.
• Bride stealing - It usually takes place after the dinner. The groom and his best man are distracted. Meanwhile other friends steal the bride and proceed to a nearby restaurant. The groom and his best man have to find her and pay ransom (usually the bill at the restaurant). The only way to avoid paying the bill is if the bride was stolen without her bridal bouquet. In this case, the "abductors" have to pay their bill.
• Kranzltanz - The mother of the bride takes the veil off her daughter. The bride's unmarried friends form a circle where she will stand in the middle. Her veil serves as a roof. The girls dance around the bride. after the dance the bride takes the veil and hands it over to the girl she thinks will be the next bride.
• Just married - Friends put a "Just married" sign on the back of the car with lots of cans. The noise should keep away forever poverty and the evil spirits.