Difference between Jewish Wedding and Christian Wedding
A wedding ceremony is one of those events that people look forward to all of their lives. However, within each religious practice the wedding ceremony is celebrated in a different way. A Jewish wedding and a Christian wedding, though both may be referred to as weddings in their own cultures, are very different from one another. They are different in how the wedding party enters the building, the place in which the wedding is held and the ways that vows are exchanged.
Wedding Party
During a typical Jewish wedding, the wedding party is going to descend down the aisle to the center of the room. The groom, rabbi and everyone will take turns walking down the aisle. However, during a Christian wedding, the groom, preacher and groomsmen are going to be already standing at the front of the room before the ceremony begins. The bride, bridesmaids, ring bearer and flower girls are the only ones that walk down the aisle. However, there have been those times in which people forgo the original Jewish wedding plan and have just the bride walk down the aisle, though this is rare.
When To Marry
A Jewish or a Christian wedding is going to be held in a place of worship, which is their place of worship or be performed by a religious figure from their own religious tradition at an alternate location. Christian weddings can be held on any day though traditionally they are held on a weekend when a church is available or in a popular month such as June is possible.
Jewish weddings have a few guidelines to follow. The wedding should be held on the first part of a lunar month when the moon is growing in the sky rather than waning. The wedding should not be performed on the Sabbath, during Jewish holidays, festivals, or on fast days. Finally, traditionally Tuesday is considered to be the most auspicious day of the week and the most popular day for weddings in this faith.
Sharing Vows
The vows are probably the biggest difference between these two types of weddings. Those who have a Jewish wedding are going to have a recording that will recite their lines. However, there is an alternative in which the groom cites a few vows, while the woman does not recite anything. The most visible difference will be in the tradition of breaking a glass on the floor by stomping on it. This tradition is often linked to removing an evil eye from the newlyweds through the glass.
The Christian wedding is going to have both the groom and the bride stating vows that include the love, cherish and stay together until death do them part. They are also going to be accompanies by the phrase 'I Do' at some point during the ceremony. This is probably the biggest difference that people are going to see between a Jewish wedding and a Christian wedding.
Summary
Jewish weddings and Christian weddings are the most memorable days in a person's life. However, though they are both weddings symbolically tying two souls together, they are notably different in how each wedding is held.
- Jewish weddings will have the entire wedding part walking down the aisle.
- Christian wedding parties will have the groom, groomsmen, and the preacher up front, while the bride, bridesmaids, ring bearer and flower girls walk down the aisle.
- Jewish weddings are held in synagogues or outdoor venues, while Christian weddings are held in churches or outdoor venues.
- Jewish weddings do not involve both parties saying vows, many times the groom will be the only one saying vows, or a recording will play during that time.
- Both the groom and bride at a Christian wedding are going to say vows.
- Jewish tradition leads to more weddings on Tuesdays, while weddings are discouraged during religious festivals, holidays, the Sabbath or when the moon is waning.
