Vanessa Landin, age 11, of San Diego, Calif., for her question:

WHY DO THEY THROW RICE AT WEDDINGS?

Lots of interesting customs are observed when two people get married. Several especially common events happen after the ceremony has been completed: wedding guests toss rice and old shoes as a wish for prosperity and children.

Both the tossing of rice and old shoes are customs with ancient origins. The ancient Assyrians, Hebrews and Egyptians gave or traded sandals as a symbol of good faith in making a bargain.

Rice was an emblem of fruitfulness among many people in olden times. It was at first thrown at the completion of a wedding to symbolize the wish for children.

Other ancient people believed that the throwing of rice was part of an offering to the evil spirits, asking them to stay away fromthe just married couple.