www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Throwing Rice at Weddings . . .

Okay, I know this has absolutely nothing to do with Eastern Catholicism, but . . .

What is the Latin Church's official position on throwing rice at weddings?

I'm told that, supposedly, throwing rice is harmful for birds, so churches only allow you to use Bubbles or bird-seed.

Is this true? Is it licit to throw rice, in a Church or right outside, in a Latin Catholic church?

And what about the Eastern Catholics?

Wasn't rice thrown as the wedding party exited St. Theodosius R.O. Cathedral in the famous Deer Hunter scene? If that wasn't "our kind" of wedding, then nothing is.

My guess is that it is more a matter of preference. My pastor when my wife and I got married in an R.C. church only allowed bubbles, balloons, or doves--anything that didn't require clean up. My guess is that it comes down to practical matters more than anything. But this is all conjecture.

That's ridiculous. Here we throw rice at every wedding and the churches are always crowded with birds, gulls, and so on.

Though I don't doubt there are some ecologist priests who dislike that practice. Maybe you should start throwing birdseed in weddings.

I've actually been to weddings where they throw birdseed!

The church I was married in asked that people refrain from throwing anything, especially near the steps. (It is a very old church w/ lotsa marble. Slippery when wet.) I was happy to comply.

You see some funny mixed modes at weddings - I think it is a merry function of "ye old melting pot." My friends were married at an Orthodox cathedral and had a kilted bagpiper greeting people out on the lawn. (I can tell you from experience that this is exactly hat happens when the Irish and the Slavs marry.) The groom waited until the reception party to don his kilt, which was a good thing.

Slava Isusu Christu!

Since this isn't an issue involving faith or morals, I don't think the Roman Catholic Church has any "official" position. Any pastor who tells you he doesn't want it thrown on the steps of his church is probably exercising his option as caretaker of the property and doesn't want to clean up or have to deal with a scene for Hitchcock's "The Birds" (or the aftermath...yuck!).

In Christ,
mikey.

All these people have ecological concerns about rice. Fine. I'm no ecologist, so I'm not going to argue. No rice.

Join my cause to throw Rice Crispies at weddings!!!

(Puffed Rice could also work, but probably even less leverage than Rice Crispies.)

Dave

I was about to ask what the groom was wearing before donning the kilt - but on second thought, I don't think I want to know! Icognitus

Have you heard the one, "She's been married so many times she has pit marks in her face"
Stephanos I

He was wearing a tux, dear I.!

Somehow Crowning + the kilt would have made him look a leeeeeettle bit too much like he was trying to pass for the Bruce! (And he is a Scottish looking fellow, too.)