The Tradition

As part of the Jewish wedding ceremony, it is tradition for the groom to step on the wedding glass. The guests joyously shout "Mazel Tov" which means congratulations and good luck. There is much clapping and cheering as the couple celebrates their marriage moment. It is a hope that the couple's happiness will be as plentiful as the shards of glass.

The breaking of the wedding glass has many interpretations. It is a reminder of the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem; its fragility symbolizes that the couple's love must be cared for. It is a metaphor for the vulnerability of human relationships. It is a reminder of sorrow and expression of hope for a future free of violence. It symbolizes the break between single and married life. Some say it is the last time the groom gets to "put his foot down."