The Myths and Truths about Throwing Rice at weddings

The throwing of rice on a wedded couple has always been symbolic of wishing prosperity and minimizing wants. From Roman times grain, like wheat has been associated with the wedding ceremony. While expensive wheat bouquets later became flower bouquets, and the crumbling of wheat cakes morphed into consumable wedding cakes, throwing of wheat grains were substituted with the cheaper rice as the grain of choice to wish plenty upon the newlywed couple.

However the past decade has seen more and more couples refrain from this tradition considering rice to be harmful to birds that try to eat it later.

Urban Legends
This has now been revealed to be a false, urban legend. According to urbanlegends on about.com, wild rice is a dietary staple for many birds, as are other grains that expand in moisture such as wheat and barley. Snopes.com states that this myth began with a 1996 reply by Ann Landers in her column, in which she informed readers about the dangers rice has on birds.

What the Bird Experts say
“This silly myth pops up periodically and is completely unfounded,” says rice expert Mary Jo Cheesman at the USA Rice Federation. “Many migrating ducks and geese depend on winter-flooded 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”, Chessman said.

The curator of Ornithology at the University of California, Berkeley agrees. “It’s a myth. There is no reason why birds, including small songbirds, can’t eat rice,” says Ned Johnson, a professor of biology at Berkeley who lectures frequently on the food and feeding of birds.

Other issues with rice
Many also feel that rice presents another hazard aside from the bird issue, as being round in shape it could cause guests to slip especially if scattered on a cemented or hard surface. However the wedding location should help you decide if this is a hazard or not. Rice at outdoor weddings for example would pose no issue and would be more environmentally friendly than throwing confetti and more useful to birds than rose petals. One of the reasons many wedding venues prohibit rice and confetti throwing is simply because it can present a big mess to clean up after your party leaves.

New Age Alternatives
But if you’re still not sure, you aren’t alone. The need to stay eco friendly and traditional has resulted in the development of some very unique products like Ecofetti, a water soluble confetti that’s fully biodegradable. Ecofetti comes in  “rice cuts” that give you the traditional feel of throwing rice. Another new age product is “compressed wedding rice” which are compressed rice grains that take a designer shape, like hearts. Compressed rice lies flat on the ground will be crushed when trod upon, reducing accidents due to slippage. It also degrades faster than regular rice and will dissolve on its own.

Not to mention it’s safe for the birds to eat.

Image Credit: spaceodissey