Wedding Traditions and Superstitions
(Reprinted from www.giftypedia.com/ with photography by Hawaiian Island Weddings)
Wedding Traditions and Superstitions
There are many traditions and superstitions that have become a part of wedding ceremonies. Many are so old that their origins are not easily traced and the interpretation has been altered over the centuries to work with the times. Some of these wedding traditions are related to culture and beliefs, and many, if not all, are related to luck in the marriage, health, wealth and happiness. In fact, these traditions are so well-known that popular bridal shower games have been derived from them. As the traditional wedding vows say…
Wedding Ring and
Engagement Ring Superstitions
The
Engagement Ring
The
Wedding Ring
Superstitions about
Wedding Attire
The
Wedding Dress
The Wedding Veil Tradition
Other Bridal Wear Traditions
The Wedding Ceremony
Before
the Ceremony
The Wedding Reception
History of the Wedding Cake
History of Throwing Things at Weddings
Gift Giving for a Wedding
Carrying the Bride Over the Threshold
Wedding Traditions and Superstitions
There are many traditions and superstitions that have become a part of wedding ceremonies. Many are so old that their origins are not easily traced and the interpretation has been altered over the centuries to work with the times. Some of these wedding traditions are related to culture and beliefs, and many, if not all, are related to luck in the marriage, health, wealth and happiness. In fact, these traditions are so well-known that popular bridal shower games have been derived from them. As the traditional wedding vows say…
‘’…to have and to hold from this day
forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in
health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.’’
Keep in mind these wedding superstitions are just that, superstitions. Superstitions are defined as a belief or notion not based on reason or
knowledge. Do what you will with these wedding superstitions, although they do
make for some interesting reading.
Wedding Ring and
Engagement Ring Superstitions
From the time the couple gets engaged and
the ring is placed on her finger, the superstitions and traditions begin.
The
Engagement Ring
The superstitions
of the engagement ring start
with the ring should never be fully removed from the bride’s hand. The ring
should be moved from the left hand to the right hand by placing the two fingers
end to end and sliding the ring to the other finger.
With that the future bride should not allow
anyone to try on her ring, especially a "female friend." Superstition
has it that she will steal your fiancé if you allow her to try on your ring.
During the Middle Ages, an exchange of rings and a promise constituted a legal
marriage. This custom was manipulated by monarchs to their advantage to remove
themselves of an unwanted spouse. This led to the custom of two rings - one for
the engagement and one for the wedding.
It is said that the engagement ring and
the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger from on the left hand because it
was once believed that a vein in that finger lead directly to the heart.
A diamond
engagement ring was given by
Medieval Italians in the belief that the diamond was created in the Flames of
Love.
The
Wedding Ring
The earliest evidence of wedding rings
dates back to around 2800 B.C. in Egypt. In 860 the Roman Catholic pope
(Nicholas I) declared that an engagement ring was required of all those who
intended to marry.
The never-ending circle of a wedding band
symbolizes eternity because it has no beginning or end. This tradition grew out
of an ancient tribal custom of using circlets of grass to decorate a bride's
wrist and ankles.
Early Celtic
wedding rings were made of
hair. The bride and groom would weave locks of their hair together into a braid
and the bride would wear the ring as a token of their commitment.
The Claddagh ring is considered the
traditional Irish wedding band.
It was originally a puzzle ring in three parts. The first part of the ring was
given to the bride as her engagement ring. The second and third parts of the
ring were kept by the groom-to-be and the witness of the engagement ceremony.
At the marriage ceremony, all three parts would be reunited on the bride's
finger.
The Puritans renounced wedding bands because they considered jewelry
frivolous. Colonial Americans often exchanged thimbles during the wedding
ceremony because they were considered practical.. Later, the woman could slice off
the bottom of the thimble to create a wedding band.
Superstitions about
Wedding Attire
The
Wedding Dress
Traditionally, the wedding dress has not
always been white. Anne of Brittany made the white wedding dress a popular to
the upper social classes in 1499. Before that, a woman just wore her best
dress.
The modern
wedding dress tradition says
that the white dress symbolizes the purity of the bride. Queen Victoria started
the modern tradition of wearing white in 1840 when she married her cousin,
Albert of Saxe-Coburg.
There is an interesting old poem about the superstitions surrounding the color of a wedding dress...
There is an interesting old poem about the superstitions surrounding the color of a wedding dress...
Today however, the color of the wedding
dress is more dictated by what the bride will be happy with and the color scheme of the wedding. Though, wearing
white is still a tradition that many brides choose to honor.
It is considered bad luck if the wedding dress is torn on the
day of or the day before the wedding. Any bride can understand why this is
would be considered bad luck, it just adds to the stress of all that is going
on and just not something that needs to happen right before the wedding.
The superstition of the bride making or
helps in making her wedding dress is considered bad luck by some and others say
it is good luck. We guess this superstition depends on if the bride is good at
sewing or not.
The Wedding Veil Tradition
Wearing a veil to cover the face is said to
confuse any evil spirits that may be lurking around on this day. As with the
bridesmaids, they are to surround the bride as to confuse the evil spirits as to
who is the actual bride. Lifting
the veil is symbolic of the
bride leaving her father's household and officially joining her husband's home.
Other Bridal Wear Traditions
The old rhyme...
Something old, something
new, something borrowed,
something blue and a
sixpence in your shoe.
... is a tradition that is commonly
practiced today[5].
§
"Something old" is
traditionally given by a relative. This signifies the continuity from
generation to generation.
§
"Something new" symbolizes
home for the future.
§
"Something borrowed" is
to make your marriage a happy one. Borrow an item from a happily married woman.
§
"Something blue" symbolizes
fidelity, love and good fortune. Blue has been connected to weddings for
centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue.
§
"A sixpence in her shoe" to
wish the bride wealth. The coin should be worn in the bride's left shoe. A
sixpence is a coin that was minted in Britain. Another coin may be substituted.
In a Swedish variation of this custom, the bride
wears a silver coin from her father placed in her left shoe, while a gold coin
from her mother is placed in the right shoe, ensuring she will never go
without.
The Wedding Ceremony
The superstitions
surrounding the date on which
the wedding ceremony takes place is related to the full moon. It is said that a
wedding should take place the day of a full moon. Many weddings take place in
June. It is said that in June on the day of the full moon is most prosperous
and long lasting union of all.
What day of week should you be
married? The most common day of the week for weddings is Saturday, as it's more
convenient for guests, but there is a superstition that stems from English
folklore about what day to get married.
The old rhyme goes...
|
Monday
brides will be healthy.
Tuesday brides will be wealthy. Wednesday brides do best of all. Thursday brides will suffer losses. Friday brides will suffer crosses. Saturday brides will have no luck at all. |
There are also superstitions about
the month you choose for a wedding, certain months were believed to be better
than others.
The old rhyme goes...
|
Married
when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind & true,
When February birds do mate, You wed nor dread your fate. If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know. Marry in April when you can, Joy for Maiden & for Man. Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day. Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you'll go. Those who in July do wed, must labor for their daily bred. Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine. If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry. If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember. When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last. |
Should you marry on a sunny or rainy day? This superstition has several
different interpretations. A sunny day wedding means good luck for the bride
and groom. However, it is said that rain on your wedding day means that your
marriage with be blessed with fertility and good fortune and it is said that
rain on your wedding day means bad luck and a short marriage. This is a coin
toss; Mother Nature ultimately has the upper hand on deciding what the weather
is going to be.
The bride is on the left and the
groom on the right is from weddings of long ago. In the event the groom needed
to protect his bride from intruders (today they are called wedding crashers) he
needed his right side to be free so that he could grab his sword.
The first
kiss between the bride and
groom at the end of the ceremony symbolizes the swapping of souls.
The tradition of throwing rice at the couple as they leave the church is to bestow
prosperity and fertility on the couple. It has recently been thought that the
rice posed a danger to wildlife, so some couples replace the rice with bird
seed or other types of eco-friendly substances like confetti.
Before
the Ceremony
Below are a few superstitions related
to the day of the wedding, before the wedding ceremony...
§
It is commonly believed that the groom
should not see the bride-to-be on the day of the wedding before she starts her
walk down the aisle.
§
It is considered to be good luck for the
bride to take once last look in the mirror before going to the ceremony.
Though, many say that she should not be in her full wedding attire when doing
so. Many recommend that she leaves off something minor, like a flower or a pin,
while taking the one last look. Then, she can put that on on her way out.
§
Once she has taken the last look in the
mirror, it is said to be very bad luck for her to come back and recheck
herself.
The Wedding Reception
History of the Wedding Cake
The wedding
cake tradition is almost 2
thousand years old. The Romans baked a small loaf of bread. The groom would eat
part of a loaf and break the rest over the bride's head.
In Medieval England, guests would
bring small loaves of bread that were piled in front of the couple, who then
attempted to kiss each other over the pile.
The tradition of the couple making
the first cut into the wedding cake symbolizes their shared futures.
A fairly recent tradition, dating
back to the early 19th century, is to save the top tier of
the wedding cake and eat it on the first wedding anniversary. Originally the
newlyweds ate the top tier to celebrate the christening of their first-born,
not their first anniversary.History of Throwing Things at Weddings
The throwing
of the garter comes from
France where it is believed that pieces of the bridal attire were considered
lucky. Today, the groom removes the garter from the bride’s leg and it is
tossed to single men. The man who catches the garter is believed to be the next
to marry.
There is a similar superstition
regarding the bridal bouquet
toss. The woman who catches the bouquet is believed to be the next to
marry.
Gift Giving for a Wedding
The giving of wedding gifts has been
a long tradition in the history of marriage. Originally, couples were showered
with symbols of fidelity, fertility, and prosperity. This superstition has
evolved into today's commonplace practice of creating a bridal registry complete with a list of items wanted
by the bride and groom.
Carrying the Bride Over the Threshold
There are several superstitions that
involve the custom of the bride being carried over the threshold by the groom.
One of these superstitions was started by the Romans, the as they believed it
was to make sure that the bride didn't stumble and bring the newlyweds bad
luck. Another derives from an ancient belief that the newly married couple was
very susceptible to evil spirits, and the groom carrying the bride over the
threshold would protect her from evil spirits lurking below. Another variation
is that in the past it was considered lady-like for the new bride to be
resistant, or at least appear to be resistant to "give herself away"
to her new husband. When the newly married couple would reach the threshold to
their bridal chamber, the groom would carry the bride over the threshold to
encourage her to go in.
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