Customs & Traditions

For gifts given on birthdays, anniversaries, religious celebrations, showers and weddings,

Debunking The Rice Throwing Myth . . . It Really is Okay for the Birds
courtesy of HudsonValleyWeddings.com

Somehow an Urban Legend has been created that claims that rice is dangerous
when ingested by birds. Proponents of this myth suggest throwing seeds as
an alternatives to rice. No doubt the birds will appreciate the seeds far
better than the rice, but it will not harm them. An Urban Legend is a myth
or story that is propagated and expanded upon because it is passed from
person to person, via Email, or appears in a "recognized" media source.
Along the way it gains credibility.

In researching this myth, several authoritative sources helped to debunk
it. For those who are interested here are the sources . . .
This was the response to a 1996 Ann Landers column in which she "informed"
readers about the danger rice poses to birds. The USA Rice Federation in
Houston's message for advice columnist Ann Landers was " straighten up and
fly right when you talk about birds." In a column, Landers had warned
readers that throwing rice at weddings is unhealthy for our feathered friends.

The Federation added "This silly myth pops up periodically, and it is
absolutely unfounded . . . Many migrating ducks and geese depend on
winterflooded rice fields each year to fatten up and build strength for
their return trek to northern nesting grounds. Uncooked, milled rice is no
more harmful to birds than rice in the field." Another authority, the
Curator of Ornithology at the University of California at Berkeley, agrees.
Ned Johnson, a professor of biology at Berkeley who lectures frequently on
the food and feeding of birds, added, "It's a myth. There is no reason why
birds, including small songbirds, can't eat rice."

The National Wildlife Federation
(http://www.nwf.org/rangerrick/1999/jun99/mythb.html)
presents this MYTHBUSTER."You may have heard that, when birds eat rice
thrown at a wedding, the rice swells so much inside their bellies that they
pop. Sounds awful, doesn't it? But have you ever seen any exploding birds
after a wedding? It never happens. In fact, birds are often big pests in
rice fields. Some rice farmers may wish the pesky birds would explode, but
they never do!"

(http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/FAQsBirdFeeding.htm)
comment: "Lots of birds eat uncooked rice in the wild. Bobolinks, sometimes
called 'rice birds,' are a good example. While rice is okay for birds, many
wedding parties now throw bird seed instead."

So, thrown rice if you're a traditionalist and substitute bubbles or bird
seed or petals if you're not!

 

Hudson Valley Weddings
http://www.hudsonvalleyweddings.com
http://www.hvweddings.com
The Only Resource You Need to Plan a Hudson Valley Wedding
* Hundreds of Regional Wedding Service Providers
* FREE, Extensive, On-line Wedding Guide & Planner
  . . . and much more

judy@hudsonvalleyweddings.com
120 Morey Hill Road - Kingston, NY 12401
845-336-4705 - Fax: 845-336-6677

Whether you’re of Eastern European, African, Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, or Irish heritage, or a combination of many backgrounds, if you’re looking to incorporate tradition into your wedding look, brides today have more options than ever before.

While some religions like are very strict when it comes to bridal wear, you can still bend the rules and honor tradition. All it takes is a little creativity…and research. For example, when Tina, a recent bride from Norway living in New York, decided to find a headpiece, she went with the traditional herb wreath but wore a modern up do. Michelle, a Chinese bride, decided to add a modern spin to her wedding by wearing red and gold crystal hairpins to match her ceremonial red bridal dress.

“I knew I wanted to incorporate the colors from the tartan kilt my fiancé was wearing,” said Jennifer, a Scottish bride, “so I used blue and green flowers along with those colors in my tiara.” Catherine, a Spanish bride, wanted to remember her heritage by wearing a tiara with colored stones to match the embroidery to her Flamenco-style gown. “I wanted a different twist on the white dress and veil thing.”

If you’re looking for inspiration, first try looking at old wedding photographs of grandparents and great grandparents and think of ways to add your personal touch. Some other ideas to jump-start your creativity:
  Use traditional colors or patterns in non-traditional ways, like using flowers or colored stones in your headpiece or tiara. Use accents of jade if want to include some green, or rose quartz to capture the look of cherry blossoms, or tanzanite stones to capture the look of African violets.
  Look at old magazines from your grandparent’s era for beading and accessory ideas. Add Art Deco beading to your tiara or the front of your dress, and match it with an antique beaded handbag from a flea market or beaded shoe clips. 

The point is to have fun mixing the old with new, and create your own tradition. Think of your wedding look as a marriage between the past with the present. Someday, a woman will look at your picture and try to capture her grandmother’s look.

Catherine Siroka is a headpiece and tiara designer, and the owner of Princessbands.
She can be reached at www.princessbands.com or via email at info@princessbands.com.