新郎不可见新娘？

　　It has long been considered bad luck for a groom to see his bride before the wedding day. One explanation f or this superstition is that waiting at the altar, wond ering how she will look, heightens the sudden appearanc e of his beloved, decked out like a vision in white, so astonishes the man that he is a husband before he knows what has hit him. The surprise factor thus ensures groo mly compliance.

　　A more substantial historical explanation is that t he prohibition is the remains from primitive seclusion rites, which stipulate that nobody should see an engage d girl before she has passed fully into womanhood. As o ne of the most significant rites of passage, marriage i nvolves a period of separation from old ways, a period of transition, and a period of incorporation into the n ew. The middle period is filled with confusion and imag ined dangers. In many cultures brides-to-be are conside red unclean and are secluded for a period of time befor e the ceremony so that they will not contaminate others . Whether or not this attitude plays a role in the mode rn superstition, it's clear that keeping the bride at a distance until the critical moment reflects the primiti ve anxiety about transition—the cocern that, until the incorporation ceremonies are completed, something can a lways go wrong.