Meaning Of Breaking Glass At Jewish Wedding. During a Jewish marriage ceremony the couple crushes a glass. The glass also has several symbolic meanings associated with the wedding.
The word marriage is said to symbolize sorrow as well as joy and it is also a sign of commitment to stand by one another when things are tough. As MyJewishLearning notes for many Jews the breaking of the glass symbolizes the fall of the Temple of Jerusalem which was the beginning of the Jewish peoples exile to Babylonia a fulfillment of prophecy that ultimately strengthened the Jewish faith. The glass symbolizes change transformation rebirth and eternity.
But it is actually a traditional symbol with much more of a religious significance.
Breaking the glass also has sexual connotations as it prefigures the release of sexual union which is not only permitted to married couples but also required of them. In Jerusalem the Jewish temple was destroyed by the breaking of the glass. One tradition is it reminds us of the destruction of the Holy Temple. The breaking of the glass signifies that the couple has been successfully wed and that the party celebrating their nuptials is about to begin.