In researching the question; why do grooms carry the bride over the threshold? I found many interesting reasons.
One reason is it was considered bad luck for a bride to trip over the threshold of her home. This just doesn’t seem romantic enough. Certainly, I could see how this would be bad luck especially for the groom. After all if the bride became injured or mad because she tripped, it could make the honeymoon a not so pleasant one.
Further research shows, a slightly more romantic note. In days of old a woman was not to give up her virginity so easily. Thus the man would sweep her off her feet and assert his manliness over her carrying her off to the honeymoon bed. This way the women even though married would still appear virtuous. However romantic as that might seems, it probably is rooted more in the tradition of kidnapping of women (during Roman times) and making her a bride to her abductor.
In some cultures, it is believed one’s family demons would follow the bride to her new home. To keep them at bay, the groom would carry the bride over his threshold. By carrying the bride over the threshold the demons could not follow or ever enter their new home.
In today’s western countries, the custom of carrying the bride over the threshold is still practiced. I suspect, mostly, because it has been romanticized in TV and movies. Just a little tip for those who want to carry on this tradition – make sure the groom has been working out.
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