After the wedding the bride must enter the new marital home through the main
entrance. It is traditional for the groom to carry the bride over the threshold
when they enter for the first time. The reason for this is uncertain. One
explanation is that the bride will be visited by bad luck if she falls when
entering. An alternative is that the bride will be unlucky if she steps into the
new home with the left foot first. The bride can avoid both mishaps by being
carried. A third explanation is that it symbolizes the old Anglo-Saxon custom of
the groom stealing his bride and carrying her off.
Hindu's have a similar tradition. The bride is carried by her new husband so
that she does not touch the threshold when entering her new home.
