In Jewish wedding tradition, the groom traditionally breaks a glass underfoot at the ceremony's conclusion.
The glass is usually wrapped in cloth or placed inside a protective covering before the groom breaks it. Guests commonly respond with the celebratory cry “Mazel tov!” The act is one of the most recognizable elements of a Jewish wedding ceremony, although customs vary among communities and some couples adapt who performs it or how it is done.
One traditional explanation connects the broken glass with remembrance of the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem. In that interpretation, even at a moment of great personal joy, the couple and community remember collective loss. Other explanations connect the fragile object with the vulnerability of relationships or the idea that marriage is an irreversible commitment.
The custom is sometimes mistakenly treated as a universal Jewish commandment with one fixed meaning. In reality, Jewish wedding practices differ by denomination, region and family, and the glass-breaking ritual has accumulated several interpretations over time.