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Why do Jews Break Glass at Weddings?

As Judith Seid explains in God-Optional Judaism, “If you are having a Jewish wedding, you probably have to break a glass. You can forgo almost every other element, but if you aren’t breaking the glass, folks will not believe you are really married.”

Progressive or traditional, religious or secular, Jewish weddings almost always include a breaking of glass at the end of the ceremony. Traditionally, the man alone broke the glass; today, some couples break the glass together or break two glasses. The glass-breaking is typically followed by a communal “Mazel tov!”, which means “good fortune” in Yiddish and is the equivalent of “Congratulations!” In addition to the communal congratulations, Siman Tov u’Mazel Tov is usually sung after the breaking of the glass. Watch this video to learn the words.

To avoid injury, the glass is typically covered in cloth. Some people use a wineglass, others a lightbulb–which breaks very easily.

There are countless interpretations for the tradition of breaking glass. Some see it as a reminder of the destruction of the First Temple of Jerusalem. Others say it is meant to remind us that marriage is as fragile as glass. It also has been interpreted to demonstrate how life is so fragile that the couple should enjoy every day as if it were their last together.

If you’d like to incorporate this ritual into your wedding, you can visit our custom wedding ceremony script builder to choose language for your officiant about breaking the glass as well as several other Jewish rituals.

Sample Program Definitions

• This symbolizes the breaking down of barriers between people of different cultures and faiths. After the glass is broken everyone yells “Mazel Tov,” which means good luck.
• The fragility of the glass suggests the frailty of human relationships. The glass is broken to protect this marriage with the implied prayer: “As this glass shatters, so may your marriage never break.”
• Shattered glass symbolizes the fragility of our relationship and reminds us that we must treat our relationship with special care. This custom was also incorporated into the ceremony to remind everyone that even at the height of personal joy, we must, nevertheless, remember the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. On a lighter note, thought by some to be the last time the groom ever gets to put his foot down.
• It teaches us that in times of joy we must also realize life brings sadness and sorrow. The sound of the breaking glass is said to frighten away evil spirits who might spoil this joyous occasion with their mischief. It also warns us that love, like glass, is fragile and must be protected. The promises made by the bride and groom, like the broken glass, are irrevocable. The breaking of the glass also serves as a reminder of the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE and all subsequent sufferings of the Jewish people. Even in a moment of such great joy, we are asked to remember that there is still pain and suffering in the world and that we have a responsibility to help relieve some of that suffering.
• It reminds us that love, like glass, is fragile and must be protected. The glass is broken to protect the marriage with an implied prayer: “May your marriage last as long as it would take to repair this glass.” The shattering of the glass concludes the ceremony on a high note.
• At the conclusion of the ceremony, we are breaking the glass together–as a reminder that working through the challenges and celebrating the successes of life is best done together. One interpretation of the custom is that even in the happiest times, we must remember there is still much suffering in the world. For the bride and the groom, the shattering of this glass also symbolizes the breaking down of barriers between people of different cultures and faiths.

Examples

We conclude the ceremony with the traditional breaking of the glass. The breaking of the glass, like the commitment you make today, is irrevocable and permanent. As the groom breaks the glass, I invite everyone to shout, “Mazel Tov” which means “Congratulations and Good Luck!”

Combined Chinese-Jewish Ritual

We have come to the final act of this service, which will actually be observed with two final scenes each a link to your different heritages.

First, you will enact an age-old Chinese ritual of bowing, first to your ancestors, then to your parents and friends, and finally to yourselves.

[Bow to candles, parents, each other.]

Now, in keeping with the Jewish custom, we will end the service with the ritual breaking of the glass. This ceremony seems to have as many explanations as there are rabbis officiating at weddings.

For some, the glass is supposed to remind us of all the tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people over the centuries, starting principally with the destruction of the temple.

For others, it is a reminder of the fragility of life and all human relationships.

For the romantics among us, and surely there are still a few left, it is supposed to be as difficult to put the glass back together as it is to break the newly married couple apart.

Anthropologists offer the appealing idea that the sound of the breaking glass is intended to scare away the evil spirits which prey on couples and try to wreak havoc in their relationship. Since we’re inclined to look for the repressed, core explanation underlying our modern rituals, this answer is appealing, but since the only demons we’re afraid of resides deep within us, we doubt the loud noise will do much to scare them away.

The bride and groom also think the ritual is just plain fun, and that is reason enough to perpetuate it. Fun is good. Breaking the tension is also good. Breaking things and not getting punished for it, is good too.

So now, if for nothing more than the sake of tradition, the groom will break the glass. Let it signify, once and for all, that he and the bride are husband and wife and that it is time to begin the celebration of their marriage.

[The glass is stepped on.]

There are several meanings of breaking the glass at the conclusion of the wedding ceremony. Symbolically, the breaking of the glass reminds us of the fragile nature of life. The custom has also come to symbolize the shattering of the old and the beginning of the new. The breaking of the glass ensures the uniqueness of the moment that arises and passes away, a letting go of the past and looking toward the future. Since this is an intermarriage ceremony, that brings together two people from different religious and cultural backgrounds, let us, with this symbol, become especially mindful of the barriers that people erect between one another, and hope that with the breaking of the glass, we will see a breaking down of the barriers between people and help create a world based on love, unity, peace, and understanding. The breaking of the glass is irrevocable and permanent; so, too, may this marriage last an infinity of time–as long as it would take to reassemble the broken pieces of this glass. The breaking glass meaning represents a turning point in your lives as you pledge your love today and make a new commitment to one another. This is the time when you turn from living your separate lives to creating a new family together.
-by Rabbi Miriam Jerris

Just as church bells are sometimes rung at the end of a Christian marriage, people of the Jewish faith smash a wine glass. Among the many interpretations of these two customs, one is that the loud noise of both the church bells and the breaking of the glass scares away evil spirits wishing harm to the newly married couple.

Breaking a glass summons the Jewish culture’s notion that sweetness can only exist alongside bitterness–breaking the glass reminds us that although this wedding has provided joy, the world is still in turmoil, and requires our care and love. Its breaking is not only a reminder of sorrow, but also an expression of hope for a future free from all violence. Frailty of the glass also suggests the frailty of human relationships. The glass, then is broken to “protect” the marriage with the implied prayer, “As this glass shatters, so may your marriage never break.”
-by Rabbi Lawrence M. Schuval

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