I’m not trying to knock weddings or marriage, but I’m endlessly amused and baffled by how many things people engage in while having no idea where the tradition comes from or what the implications are.

A lot of wedding traditions seem to revolve around fear of evil spirits and the belief that sex is dirty and women who aren’t virgins at the time of marriage are whores. Cool! (sarcasm)

Here’s one interesting excerpt:

“The tradition of the groom selecting a best man to he lp him carry out the wedding traces its lineage back to Germanic tribes. Rather than helping carry out the wedding, the best man originally was tapped to help carry off an unwilling bride-elect, if necessary. The best man’s position beside the groom during the ceremony was meant to situate him as a shield between the groom and angry members of the bride’s family [source: World Wedding Traditions].”

How Stuff Works Article on Wedding Traditions

From the video’s author:
“The Pale Blue Dot: The picture of Earth from 4 billion miles away. As told by Carl Sagan through some my favorite films set to the music of Mogwai.”

From the website:
Playwright Eve Ensler explores our modern craving for security — and why it makes us less secure. Listen for inspiring, heartbreaking stories of women making change.