Weddings - Superstitions and Trivia

(Page 6)

Wedding Bands
The ancient Egyptians began the practice of wearing a wedding band. It was a symbol of unending love, since the ring has no beginning and no end. Giving a wedding band of gold represented purity. In medieval England, the practice of wearing the ring on the third finger of the left hand was because of the belief that the veins in the left hand led directly to the heart. By wearing the ring on this finger, the couple were "joined at the heart."

Best Man.....
It was in ancient Germany that the Western European tradition of a Best Man began. In olden days it was sometimes necessary for a man to kidnap his bride from a neighboring village and he needed his strongest friend (his Best Man) to help with the kidnapping and to stand by him at the wedding ceremony to fight off any relatives that might try to take her back.

Engagement Rings
The giving of an "engagement" ring was first practiced when the groom "purchased" his bride. By giving a token, such as a ring, he pledged to marry her in return for her dowry and social status, among other things. The tradition of giving a diamond began with the Italians. It was believed that diamonds were created from the "flames of love" and represented everlasting love.

Boutonnière
It was the knights of yore who gave us the Western European tradition of the groom wearing a single flower. It was customary for a knight to wear a flower or a colorful handkerchief belonging to their lady fair when they entered a tournament. The tradition later evolved to the groom wearing a flower from his bride's wedding bouquet.

Superstitions Abound
Believe it or not, there were also superstitions on the day and month that a couple wed on

Monday for wealth
Tuesday for health
Wednesday the best day of all
Thursday for losses
Friday for crosses
Saturday for no luck at all

Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind and 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 and 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 labour 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.

Something old
something new
something borrowed
something blue


The white wedding gown was not a symbol of purity, but rather a symbol of joy.
What wedding today would be complete without the white wedding gown? Prior to the 16th century, however, this most important Western European Wedding tradition was not common. It wasn't until Ann of Brittany popularized the white wedding dress in 1499 that the tradition became part of Western European wedding culture.

And finally it is time for the groom to carry his new bride across the threshold
And finally, what wedding tradition would be complete without the groom carrying his new bride over the threshold of their home? This Western European tradition began with two beliefs. The first one was that if the bride were to trip or stumble as she entered her new home (as she crossed her new threshold for the first time) bad luck would plague the marriage. The second belief was that evil spirits inhabited the threshold of a new couple's home and that if the bride stepped on the threshold the evil spirits would enter through her feet and the marriage would be doomed. The romantic answer, of course, was for the groom to carry his new bride across the threshold.