Rice Throwing ritual, how it got started
Throwing rice and old shoes at the end of the wedding ceremony customarily has its origin with the ancient Assyrians and Egyptians. They gave or traded sandals as a symbol of good faith when striking a bargain. In the case of marriage, the bargain was the transfer of a father's authority over his daughter to her new husband. The bride's father would then give the groom one of her old shoes and the groom would tap the bride over the head with it. This act symbolized the groom's acceptance of his new responsibility.
For the Assyrians and Egyptians rice was symbol of fruitfulness, so throwing it over the new couple was graciously intended as a sign of good wishes. Throwing confetti over newlyweds has its origins in the pagan rite of showering the couple with grain, a symbol of fruitfulness. In Morocco, newlyweds are struck with figs, dates and raisins, thought to bring a “fruitful” union to the couple. In general, throwing anything over the newly married couple is representational of fertility. In Italy this includes sweets, and it’s even rumored that in some European countries they throw eggs.
Throwing rice has primarily been replaced by throwing birdseed due to a wild but untrue rumor that injesting the rice could cause birds serious damage. To date not a single bird death has been reported as a result of ingesting rice.
In Morocco, newlyweds are struck with figs, dates and raisins, thought to bring a “fruitful” union to the couple. For the most part, the throwing of anything is meant to represent fertility. In Italy this includes sweets, and it’s even rumored that in some European countries they throw eggs.