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Wedding Traditions & Myths |
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Today's popular wedding traditions have evolved over hundreds, even thousands of years of people joining together in some form of matrimony. Some wedding traditions that have endured are based on blessing the couple with good luck; others are a means for the couple to convey their feelings for one another. Regardless of the tradition itself, all wedding traditions share the same essential symbols of unity, happiness and prosperity; messages that stand the test of time.
Wedding Traditions
The saying, "Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue" is a popular rhyme that has been used since Victorian times. The "something old" represents the bond to the bride's family and her old life; "something new" represents the couple's new life together and their future hope for happiness, prosperity and success; "something borrowed" from a happily married woman is meant to impart similar happiness to the bride; and "something blue" represents fidelity and constancy.
Wearing white also dates back to Victorian times when Queen Victoria abandoned the usual royal tradition of wearing a silver gown, instead choosing to wear white. Before that time brides simply wore their best gown, rather than a special wedding dress . The popularity of white can also be attributed to it symbolizing purity and virginity. White was also thought to ward off evil spirits.
Showering the couple with rice is an ancient tradition. As rice is considered a "life giving" seed it is thought that by throwing in on the couple they will be bestowed with fertility and have many children. Many churches now forbid it on their property but there are some safe alternatives to throwing rice .
Sharing the first piece of wedding cake is a wedding tradition with Roman roots. The Romans believed that by eating the wedding cake together a special bond was created between the couple. The wheat used to bake the cake was symbolic of fertility and a "fruitful union", while the cake's sweetness was thought to bring sweetness to all areas of the couple's new life.
The ceremonial kiss that concludes the wedding ceremony is said to represent the couple sharing and joining their souls. In Roman times the kiss "sealed" the couple's agreement to join in a life-long commitment.
The groom wearing a boutonniere originates in medieval times when a knight wore his lady's colors (through flowers) as a statement of his love. Flowers and bouquets have long been used in weddings. In addition to adorning the bride with flowers to promote good luck and good health, flowers allow the bride to express her feelings for the groom. Orange blossoms signify purity, daisies loyalty, violets modesty and red roses signify true love.
Placing the wedding ring on the third finger of the left hand has two possible origins. The ancient Egyptians believed the "vein of love" ran directly from the ring finger to the heart, therefore the ring was placed there to denote eternal love. In Europe, during the 17th century, the groom would slide the wedding ring part way up the bride's thumb, index finger and middle finger as the priest said "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit". The ring was then placed on the first free finger - the ring finger.
Wedding Myths
There are many wedding myths and superstitions. Most are based on events or omens that were said to foretell either good luck or bad luck. Ironically, some myths have both positive and negative connotations. Like all superstitions, wedding myths have no scientific basis. However, it never hurts to keep them in mind just in case!
Wearing pearls is one of those wedding myths with both bad luck and good luck meanings. The ominous version of this myth holds that pearls represent future tears; thus wearing them will bring many tears and heartache in the marriage. The luckier version of this implies that the pearls take the place of the bride's real tears, thus she'll have a happy, tear-free wedding.
It is considered good luck for the bride to cry during her wedding. She will have cried all her tears away leaving none for the marriage. Another theory holds that a bride's tears are good luck as they bring rain for the crops.
Rain on the wedding day is another good luck - bad luck wedding myth. In the good luck version, rain is said to foretell the coming of children, just as rain promotes growth in the fields. In the unlucky version, rain drops represent the many tears a bride will cry throughout her marriage.
It is considered bad luck for the bride to sign her married name before the wedding, as it tempts fate. For the same reason, the bride should avoid wearing her entire bridal outfit (wedding dress, bridal veil, shoes and jewelry) prior to her wedding day.
Dropping the wedding ring is another contradictory wedding myth. On the one hand, dropping the wedding ring during the wedding ceremony was seen as lucky as it would shake out evil spirits hiding in the ring. On the other hand, dropping the ring was considered the most ominous of events; whoever dropped the ring was said to be the first to die.
The bride shouldn't make her own dress. This wedding myth states that for every stitch of the wedding dress the bride sews herself she'll shed one tear during her marriage.
The couple should exchange their vows as the clock's minute hand is moving upwards, therefore any time half past the hour, for example 2:30 or 4:45. This myth says that the upward movement is said to bring blessings upon the couple as the minute hand is "ascending towards heaven."
It is considered unlucky for the bride to marry a man with a surname that begins with the same first letter as hers. This wedding myth is summarized in the following Victorian rhyme: "To change the name and not the letter; is to change for the worst and not the better."
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