Wedding Traditions and Superstitions
Hey there! It's been a little while! It's been a busy time for me with life and finals, but we're back!! Bright Star hosted their first wedding this past weekend (YAY!!!) and we can't wait to tell you all about it, but that's not what this post is for.
Today we're going to look at some wedding traditions and where they came from. When my sister was planning her wedding last year, we got pretty into finding out where the more odd traditions came from, like not seeing the bride before the wedding, veils, and the Bridal Chorus. So I'm going to bestow some of that knowledge on you all so that you can decide if you want to take part in these traditions!!
Not seeing each other before the wedding dates back to arranged marriages. It was believed that if the couple saw each other before the ceremony, there would be too much of a risk of the groom disapproving of his bride and backing out of the wedding.
Wearing a veil comes from the brief that evil spirits who were jealous of the bride's happiness would target her. To avoid the spirits, the bride would wear a veil down the aisle to disguise herself from them and avoid any grief they would bring to her.
The groom carries the bride across the threshold to bravely protect her from evil spirits lurking below. It was believed that the bride was more susceptible to the spirits reaching her through her feet, so the groom would lift her.
Wedding dresses were originally in white as a symbol of youth and purity. I found this little rhyme while I was researching these and thought I would share:
“Married in white, you have chosen alright.
Married in green, ashamed to be seen.
Married in red, you will wish yourself dead.
Married in blue, you will always be true
Married in yellow, ashamed of your fellow.
Married in black, you will wish yourself back.
Married in pink, of you he’ll think.”
I also found some rhymes for the month and day you should get married, check them out!
“Marry when the year is new, always loving, always true,
When February Birds do mate, you may wed or 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 and for man,
Marry in the month of May, you will surely rue the day,
Marry when June roses blow, over land and sea you’ll go,
They who in July do wed, must labour always for their bread,
Whoever wed in August be, many a change are sure to see,
Marry in September’s shine, 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 Joy will, remember,
When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last.”
“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.”