For the Tujia people of Zhangjiajie, China, brides traditionally cry for an hour a day the month before the wedding, according to Zhangjiajie Tour Club. In the final days leading up to the wedding, a bride's mother, grandmother, and sisters join in the crying too.
Why such sorrow? It dates back to the Warring States Period in which a Zhao State princess's mother fell to her daughter's feet in tears when the girl left home to be married, according to China Daily. Later, other brides copied the practice as a way to express their sorrow at leaving home for marriage — and perhaps imitate a princess' bridal customs. (Hey, people have pretty much always looked to the rich and famous for wedding inspiration.) In this way, the practice of crying before a wedding is an expression of a bride's love and gratitude for her family of origin.
But a different explanation for the pre-marriage crying exists as well. Because arranged marriages were the norm in China for a long time, young girls approached marriage with a tremendous sense of fear. "Girls cried for their destiny because they cannot freely choose their husband," reporter Jiangli Tian told Skedline.com. The idea of marrying a stranger, and having no say about your future, is scary stuff indeed.
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