Wedding Traditions

Traditions

Many parts of the modern religious wedding ceremony were adopted from pagan rituals practised centuries ago. Here’s how some experts believe the most common ones came into modern use:

Getting “wed.” The word “wed” is derived from the ancient Greek word for “pledge.” To wed is to pledge yourself to another.

June wedding. During the 15^th century, people could bathe thoroughly only once every year and May was usually the month. As a result, June was the only month when the general population could be seen as smelling relatively fresh. Hence, it was a good time to hold a special event like a wedding. In addition, the name of the month of June is derived from the name Juno, the Roman goddess of hearth and home and the patron of wives.

Tossing the bouquet and removing the garter. Centuries ago, when superstition played a much greater role in people’s lives, a bride and groom were associated with good luck. Onlookers who wanted to get some of that luck for themselves would try to appropriate it by taking something from the bride – usually by tearing off pieces of her dress, veil or flowers as she and her new husband left the ceremony. In order to protect herself from this assault, the bride would surrender her flowers to the threatening crowd. To the men she would toss her garter. However, this became problematic. Sometimes the men would get drunk, become impatient and try to remove the garter ahead of time. As a precaution it became the norm for the groom to conduct the removal and toss it to the men. With this change, the bride began to toss the bridal boutique to the unwed girls who were eligible for marriage.

Wearing something old. Often a bride will carry a family heirloom, wear a special piece of jewellery or don a relative’s wedding gown. This is her way of her acknowledging her family and her distant relatives in terms of their contribution to getting her to this important day in her life.

Shoes and honking horns. It used to be the custom to tie old shoes and tin cans to the back of the wedding car as the couple departed the ceremony. Shoes symbolize the transfer of “property” from the bride’s father to the groom – which is no doubt why modern independent women rightly eschew that custom. Rattling tin cans and honking horns create a lot of noise that is meant to drive off evil spirits. The ringing of the church bells also had this goal in mind.

The bouquet. A symbol of fertility, the flowers used therein are themselves have major significant meanings. Roses: passionate love. Daisies: indecisiveness. Lilies: purity. Lilacs: tenderness. Ivy: eternal love. (Avoid carnations, said to attract the evil eye.)

Tossing rice. A pagan tradition that is meant to bestow fertility and prosperity on the couple. Because rice can create a slip hazard, modern brides have replaced it with birdseed and rose petals.

Butterflies and doves. Butterflies are symbols of joy and happiness. They are thought by many cultures to be messengers of the soul. Some say that if you whisper your wish to a butterfly you will make the wish come true. Doves too are powerful symbols, since they mate for life.

The wedding ring. For ancient Egyptians the circular shape represented eternity. Placing the ring on the fourth finger of the left hand arose from the belief that the left hand was directly connected to the heart.

Bridesmaids and the maid of honour. In medieval England, bridesmaids attended to the bride for several days before the wedding ceremony. They were responsible for decorating the table for the wedding feast and dressing the bride on her wedding day. The most senior of the group would be comparable to today’s maid or matron of honour. Superstition also played a part in the need for bridesmaids. The ancients believed that evil spirits would try to wreck any wedding, cursing the wedding couple in the process. To confuse these malevolent spirits, bridesmaids of the time wore gowns identical to that of the bride.

Saving top layer of wedding cake. The tradition has its roots in late 19th century Europe when grand cakes were baked for christenings as well as weddings. Because a christening soon followed a wedding, it evolved that the two ceremonies – as well as the cakes -- often were linked. As wedding cakes became more elaborate, the christening cake became less important. When three-tiered cakes became popular and the top tier was often left over, a christening provided a perfect opportunity to finish off this layer. As the time between the weddings and the christenings widened, the two events became disassociated, with the result that the top tier now is kept for the first anniversary celebration.

A white wedding gowns. The tradition, which began in the 16th century, symbolized the bride's purity. It was hammered home by Queen Victoria who preferred the symbolism of white over the custom for royal brides of her time to wear silver. Commoners quickly emulated the queen and the tradition has continued to this day.

The veil. In modern times a symbol of modesty and chastity, before the 1800s the veil was worn in the belief that it would disguise the bride and fool the evil spirits.

Something blue. The ancient Egyptians used lapis lazuli, a semi-precious stone prized for its intense blue color, to represent heaven. In addition, blue symbolizes the Virgin Mary. As a result blue has become the colour of inspiration, sincerity and spirituality.

Carrying the bride across the threshold. Going back to Roman times, this was designed to prevent her from tripping. A stumble at this stage meant the marriage was doomed to failure.

Best man. Among 2nd-century Germanic Goths it was customary for a man to marry a woman who lived in his town or village. But if there was a shortage of women the man would steal one from a neighbouring village. To support him in this dangerous endeavour, the person he would most likely take along would be his best friend, his “best man.” During the marriage ceremony this best man remained at the groom’s side, fully armed in case the bride's family had ideas about trying to take her back.

Bride standing on groom’s left. Also from ancient times when prospective brides sometimes were abducted, her position on his left enabled him to keep his sword hand free to defend himself against enemies and family members who would try to steal her back.

The Honeymoon. In ancient Germany and Scandinavia, when a groom was forced to abduct his bride they would have to hide out for a time until the bride’s family tired of looking for her and returned home. The “honey” in the word honeymoon comes from the tradition that the bride and groom would share a cup of honey mead every day for the first month. “Moon” is the origin of the word month.

The marriage kiss. Originating with the Romans and later adopted by the Christians, it symbolizes a couple’s union and signifies the commitment they have made to one another.