Wedding in Barga Vecchia with added ingredient

A change to tradition this morning in Barga Vecchia when the guests at a wedding in the Comune threw not just the usual handfuls of rice*, to wish the newlyweds good luck but the added ingredient of handfuls of pasta.

Tagliatelli and farfale rained down on the happy couple before they were whisked off to their reception. All in all it was a memorable wedding not least for the mother of the bride would slipped during the ceremony and was unfortunately taken to hospital by ambulance.

*Since early Roman times some grain - usually wheat - has been associated with the wedding ceremony. The basis for the predominant theory as to why rice and other grains, such as wheat, have played a prominent role in marriage ceremonies for centuries, is that they are fraught with symbolism of fertility and of prosperity.

Perhaps the most curious use of rice in the wedding ceremony, was its use in some cultures not to unite the happy couple, but to feed the uninvited evil spirits who always attended the ceremony. The rationale behind this practice was to ward off evil, as well-fed evil spirits would bring no harm to the blissful couple

More images here