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Ethnic Dances Submitted by: Loretta of Windsor, Ontario Canada POLKA! POLKA! POLKA! As the maid of honor for an upcoming Croatian/Polish wedding, I know the families are expecting a lot of polka music to be played at the reception. So, at the bridal shower, the moms and grandmothers will be teaching all the Canadian-through-and-through ladies how to polka. We hope this will entice them to grab their dates and join in the two-stepping when the time comes! If there are traditions that you'll be observing at your wedding, the shower might be the perfect opportunity to fill your guests in on the details so they can take part as well!

Confetti at Italian Weddings Submitted by: Heather of North Plainfield, NJ Italian weddings always have "confetti" which are sugared almonds. This signifies the bitter-sweetness of marriage (the almond being bitter and the sugar sweet). There is always an odd number given for luck.

Welsh Love Spoons Submitted by: Heather of North Plainfield, NJ Welsh men spent a great deal of time at sea. Traditionally they would carve a "love spoon" from a single piece of wood. The images he carved into the spoon meant different things and the spoons were sometimes created with incredible skill (for instance carving a ball that could rock back and forth in it's chamber). When the youn man came home from sea, he would present the spoon to the woman he wanted to marry, the images showing what he promised: love, wealth, devotion, etc. Today love spoons are still a symbol of love, although they are now given for births, anniversaries and other occasions.

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