"Newlyweds typically feed each other the first slice of wedding cake as a symbol of their commitment to provide for one another," says Rachel Sylvester, associate Real Weddings editor with The Knot in an email. "However, the symbolism is often lost and replaced with the tradition of smashing cake in each other's faces."

Weddings are by their very nature fraught² with tradition, from the serious (swapping rings) to the playful. And at some point, couples decided³ to up the tradition of feeding the cake to each other by opting⁴ instead to smash the confection in each other's faces.

婚礼本来就有各种各样的习俗，严肃点的有互换戒指，也有调皮的(各国习俗不同)。(西式婚礼)有个习俗便是新人互相给对方喂婚礼蛋糕，但这种习俗后来却演变成了往对方脸上砸蛋糕。

爱结》杂志婚礼实况版的副主编瑞秋·西尔维斯特在电子邮件中说：“新婚夫妇通常都会喂对方吃的第一块婚礼蛋糕，象征着愿意和对方共度终生。但是，这层象征意义往往被遗忘，取而代之的传统是往对方脸上砸蛋糕。”

This messy tradition is just the latest evolution of the wedding cake's role in nuptials⁵. As far back as ancient Rome, the bride could expect to conclude the festivities by having a barley⁶ cake smashed upside her head. This tradition was done to symbolize⁷ male dominance and encourage fertility, according to Renée Strauss, wedding expert and founder⁸ of WEDAWAYS.

这种捣乱的传统只是婚礼蛋糕角色的最新演化。早在古罗马时期，新郎在婚礼的最后会将一块大麦蛋糕拍到新娘头上。WEDAWAYS创始人、婚礼专家蕾妮·施特劳斯说，这一传统象征的是男权至上与多子多孙。

"Crumbs⁹ would fall and the guests would rush in to scoop¹⁰ up what they could for their own good fortune and fertility," she explains in an email. "In the days of King Charles, II of England, icing was added and the modern wedding cake was born. This is when slicing the cake on the table became the practical way of sharing the slices."

她在电邮中解释道：“蛋糕碎块掉到地上之后，宾客便会冲过去把它们捧起来，以祈求自己的好运和多子多孙。到了英王查理二世时期，人们在蛋糕上加入了糖衣，现代蛋糕诞生了。从这个时候起人们开始在桌上切蛋糕分给客人。”

It's tough to pinpoint¹¹ when cake smashing began, but it has been around for several decades. The practice was lamented¹² in a 2011 Dear Abby column, in which she referred to it as "demeaning to women" and referenced a 1987 book, "Curious Customs," which said it was a "comedic ritual that sustains masculine prerogatives¹³ in the very act of supposedly subverting¹⁴ them."

至于现代砸蛋糕的传统是从什么时候开始的，这很难回答。不过可以肯定的是，它至少已经存在了几十年。施特劳斯在2011年的“亲爱的艾比”专栏中为这种做法叹息，将其称为“对女性的侮辱”。她提到，1987年的一本书《奇怪的习俗》中写道，这是一种“搞笑传统，以故意挑战男权的方式维护男权”。

In other words, the groom¹⁵ is supposed to hold the bride's hand as she cuts the cake; she then attempts to feed him but smashes the cake in his face. The next step is to wipe off the goo "apologetically" which then "brings the play back to the beginning, as she is once again obedient to his wiser judgment," according to the book.

书上说，新娘切蛋糕的时候，新郎需要握住她的手。切完之后，新娘做出要喂新郎的姿势，但却将蛋糕砸到他脸上。接着，新娘需要“满怀歉意地”将蛋糕清理掉，以表示“一切又回到起点，新娘再度臣服于新郎”。

Most people are probably unaware¹⁶ of what the ritual is supposed to signify, seeing it either as a fun riff on the typical cake-cutting ceremony or else a silly custom that needs to go away.

不过，多数人很可能并不知道这种仪式所代表的含义，要么以为这是切蛋糕仪式的一个乐子，要么认为这是需要摒弃的愚蠢习俗。

"Like the bouquet¹⁷ and garter toss, cake smashing is a so-called 'tradition' that's been in decline," Sylvester says. "This could be because more and more couples realize that it's not worth ruining a bespoke¹⁸ suit or covering your gown in buttercream simply for a dramatic photo op."

西尔维斯特说道，“跟抛花束和袜带一样，砸蛋糕这一所谓的‘习俗’也越来越少见了。这可能是因为越来越多的新人发觉，为了拍张抢眼的照片而毁掉一身定制礼服，让婚纱沾满奶油，实在是很不值得。”

Cake smashing can actually be risky¹⁹ on other levels, as well. First, it's a waste of perfectly²⁰ good cake, which checks in at anywhere between $1.50 and $12 per slice, depending on how elaborate it is. Cake smashing also comes with unsubstantiated, but rampant²¹ rumors²² that the practice is a predictor of future divorce.

事实上，砸蛋糕还有其他方面的风险。首先，这是一种浪费。根据蛋糕的精致程度，每一块的价格大概在1.5至12美元之间(9元至76元人民币之间)。另外，也有人迷信地认为，这样做预示着将来会离婚，尽管这种流言没什么根据。

Sometimes, it can even be downright painful, as evidenced by some videos of cake-smashing gone wrong.

从一些弄巧成拙的砸蛋糕视频中可以看到，有时候，如果蛋糕砸得太用力，甚至会很痛。

Courtney Geigle, co-owner of the online wedding marketplace My Wed¹ Style, and former wedding DJ, says most of the brides he's worked with don't like the cake smash. "Once the cake starts flying, there is no control over where it may fall, including on the white dress she's been trying so hard to keep spotless, her hair which took hours to style, or even her eyes," he emails. "I've even seen a bride lose a contact lens in battle."

婚礼网店“我的婚礼风格”的共同所有人考特尼·盖格勒曾是个婚礼DJ。他说，之前跟他合作过的新娘大多数不喜欢砸蛋糕环节。他在电邮中写道：“一旦蛋糕飞了起来，便无法控制它会落到哪里。辛辛苦苦保持着干净洁白的婚纱会被弄脏，做了好几个小时的发型也有可能弄乱，有时甚至会砸到眼睛。我甚至见过有新娘在砸蛋糕时丢了隐形眼镜。”

Despite the potential problems, lots of people defend cake smashing as a way to add humor to a celebratory occasion. "Some guests think it is disrespectful and demeaning, while others see the fun and excitement of it all," says DiCianni. "They can't wait for that last second to see what the couple will do. The suspense²³ gets the guests every time. We love it either way because the smiles and laughter it brings is still what we want at the end of the day."

虽然存在这些问题，但很多人还是觉得砸蛋糕可以让婚庆现场更有趣。迪西安尼说：“有些客人觉得这种做法不敬又侮辱人，而其他一些人则觉得又好玩又刺激。他们等不及要看到新人会怎么做。每一次这种悬念都会吸引宾客。不管砸不砸蛋糕，我们都高兴，因为砸蛋糕带来的笑容和欢乐是我们在婚礼的最后想看到的。”

To ensure those smiles, both members of the bridal couple need to be on board with the ritual before it begins. "Overall, weddings should be a display of love and affection, not a battle for dominance over 'who takes the cake.'" says Geigle.

当然了，为了保证大家都感到开心，新郎新娘需要在仪式开始前达成共识才行。盖格勒说：“毕竟婚礼是为了在众人面前表达对彼此的爱意，而不是为了让两个人争个高低。”