Wedding Superstitions and Traditions that Remain Popular Today
There are many traditions and superstitions surrounding weddings, some stranger than others. Some are rather sweet and make everyone feel good. Several of these wedding traditions have been around so long that they are literally considered part of the occasion.
Have you ever stopped and wondered where and when some of these traditions and superstitions began? Surely they haveoriginsof some kind and they must be rather important or they would not still be around today. They do have origins and some are pretty interesting.
Bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the ceremony
This superstitious tradition began in the days when arranged marriages were commonplace. Most father's wanted their daughters to marry into wealthy families back then. Marriages were more like business deals in those days. If the groom saw his bride and thought she was unattractive, he might back out of the marriage, bringing shame on the bride and her family. This is also why brides wore veils, to hide their faces until the very last moment.
Today, arranged marriages are not as common, but the "no peek" tradition continues. In fact, it is quite the task to find the perfect veil to go with the beautiful dress. Imagine if most brides knew the origin of that veil! Many couples today feel that seeing each other at all, the night before the wedding, is bad luck. It could be that not seeing each other somehow makes the wedding more exciting or perhaps they need to calm their own nerves!
Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue
This tradition dates back to Victorian times. There is actually an ending to the rhyme that most people don't know: "...and a silver sixpence in her shoe". According to tradition wearing something old means a garter from a happily married woman. This garter is thought to bring a long and happy marriage. Wearing something new signifies that the new union will last forever and the couple can look forward to a happy, healthy and successful future. Wearing something borrowed is the opportunity for loved ones to loan the bride some cherished item as a symbol of their love for her. Wearing something blue refers to the bride pledging fidelity and loyalty to her new husband. Oh and the sixpence, tradition states that if a bride puts a penny in her shoe, she will have a life of good fortune.
Many brides follow this tradition because it is just that, a tradition and it is fun. Brides can borrow items from loved ones and of course buy something new and special for their big day. Many times, the new item purchased is the item borrowed when a loved one gets married in the future. This action keeps the tradition alive.
Tossing the bouquet and garter
The grand tradition of the bride turning around and tossing her bouquet over her head to the crowd of single women had rather a rough beginning. During medieval times, it was considered good luck to acquire a piece of the bride's dress. This led to throngs of guests following the couple to their chamber. They would actually tear the bride's dress to obtain this piece of good luck! Brides began searching for a way to save their dresses from this destruction and began tossing their bouquet into the crowd. When the crowd was distracted by the bouquet, the couple would escape to their chamber. The groom would remove the garter from the bride and toss it out of the chamber to the crowd gathered there.
Today the tradition continues with a bit of a twist. The bride tosses her bouquet into the crowd of single women and the groom tosses the garter into the crowd of single men. The man that catches the garter places it on the leg of the woman that caught the bouquet. It is believed that these two will be the next to get married, but not necessarily to each other. Some couples elect to leave this tradition out of their wedding festivities for fear that someone will get hurt.
Wedding cake top tier
Tradition states that the happy couple take the top tier of their wedding cake and save it in their freezer for a year. On their first anniversary, they are to eat that top layer. This tradition came about in the 19th century. Generally, soon after a wedding, came the christening ceremony for the coming bundle of joy (baby). The two ceremonies became linked and the wedding cake evolved into a three tiered cake. The bottom tier was for the reception, the middle tier for distributing to guests and the top tier saved for the christening.
Through the years, christening ceremonies grew farther away from the wedding and soon faded from the cake tradition altogether. In more modern times, the top tier was saved in the freezer for a year. The happy couple then eats the cake on their first anniversary to remember their special wedding day. It sounds wonderful in theory, but in reality no one wants to eat a cake that has been in a freezer for a year. Nowadays, couples often have the top of their wedding cake recreated, from a photograph, and celebrate their first anniversary with fresh cake.
Groom carries bride across threshold of new home
Many reasons exist for this tradition, it just depends on which one you follow. In medieval times, it was considered taboo for the bride to be too eager to consummate the marriage, so the groom carried her over the threshold. In Western Europe, the bride tripping over the threshold was considered to bring bad luck into the home and marriage. In many ancient cultures, the threshold was considered to be a gathering spot for evil spirits. Brides were vulnerable to these evil spirits, especially through their feet. Grooms carried their brides over the threshold to protect them from all of this evil.
Today, grooms carry their brides over the threshold as a romantic symbol, welcoming her into his life. Some couples have abandoned this tradition altogether and some consider it romantic and continue doing it.
Although some of these traditions are rather silly and really have no place in the modern world, it can be fun to carry on with them. In a strange sort of way, traditions and superstitions help link people to the past and give them a glimpse into life in those days.
One thing has remained the same over the decades and centuries, weddings are an event to be shared with loved ones. Incorporating a few traditions into your wedding can help make it even more memorable. Besides, it never hurts to follow certain traditions, just in case some sort of bad luck were to befall the festivities, right?
Couples today like to think that they are not superstitious anymore. You may, however, hide and watch what happens if a groom tries to take a peek at his blushing bride before the ceremony!
