Have you ever made jello in someone’s sink?

My family has a very specific tradition surrounding weddings that, until recently, I assumed was wide-spread in North American culture. Shocked and slightly appalled looks from the boyfriend’s family have stirred me from this quiet complacence.

This, apparently questionable, tradition involves making sure the newlyweds are welcomed home in an appropriate manner after the wedding. Typically, the following activities take place while the happy couple is away on their honeymoon.

Historically, family members raid the house of the newlyweds while they are away (presumably aided and abetted by whichever family member they entrusted the key to their house with) and do all sorts of aweful things inside.

As it turns out, my cousin was married this past summer. He escaped the joys of experiencing this right of passage as he was married out of the country and there wasn’t an opportune time while he was away honeymooning.

But fortunately, my family has a long memory and the troops were rallied while the happy couple was visiting the in-laws in the US. Unfortunately, I was not a troop that was rallied. I was busy visiting my boyfriend’s family and missed out on the debauchery. Some other family members, who shall not be named for fear of dramatic and violent retribution, filled me in on all the goings on.

Black ski masks were donned, a key was procured and the party began.

There are 2 main types of pranks pulled in an activity such as this. The first is the pranks seen most immediately. They get the initial reaction. Among the immediate pranks enacted at my cousins house were the following:

• Jello was made in all the sinks
• Photos were turned in their frames
• Beds were short-sheeted
• A lipsticked Merry Christmas messgae on the windows
• Underwear was soaked and then placed in the freezer
• Toilets were saran wrapped
• Doorknobs were vaselined

The second type of prank doesn’t grant such a dramatic and immediate reaction. This is the type of prank that may not be noticed at first but causes on-going heartache, discomfort and/or irritation for days, weeks or months. In my opinion, the drawn out consequences of these pranks make it all the more hilarious. Of this second type of prank, the following represents most of those carried out at my cousins house:

• Socks were sewn shut
• The mayonnaise in the fridge was swapped with hand lotion
• Hockey gloves were filled with moisturizer
• Labels were ripped off all can goods
• Blue hair glitter gel was placed in my cousin’s hockey helmut
• Tupperwear lids were either stolen or hidden throughout the house
• The heads of garden tools were loosened from their wooden handels
• Volume was cranked to max on every electronic devise

These lists may be incomplete but, I think you get the picture.

So, my question is this: Do you think this is awesome or aweful?

I think this is a great tradition that I will enjoy at other cousin’s weddings in the future. However, I do hope that the tradition dies before I get married!