Read the text about wedding traditions.

Weddings are celebrated in many different ways. The celebrations are full of traditions that have been passed down over time. In many cultures, guests traditionally give money as a wedding gift. Sometimes money is used as a part of the celebration. Other times, money is a symbol of good fortune to the new couple.

Different countries and cultures often have their own ways of giving money to couples. In Italy, a bride will often carry a bag for guests to place envelopes of money in. In China, guests usually put money inside a red envelope instead of a white one. This is supposed to bring the couple good fortune. Other cultures have more playful ways of giving money. For example, wedding guests in Cuba and Poland often pay to do a dance with the bride or groom. It is called the money dance. Often guests pin money on the couple’s clothes as part of the fun. People in Nigeria also give the couple money while dancing. Guests throw money in the air, and it showers down on the bride and groom.

In some cultures, money is not just for gift giving. Coins can have special meanings when used in the wedding ceremony. For example, there is a custom in Sweden for the bride to put coins in her shoes. She places a silver coin from her father in her left shoe and a gold coin from her mother in her right shoe. The coins represent the parents’ wish for the couple to have a good life. In Mexico, couples exchange thirteen gold coins during the ceremony. This shows that they agree to support one another.

Though these money traditions are different from culture to culture, they all share the same desire to convey love and support to a newly married couple.