Wedding Traditions

Monday January 11, 2010

Wedding traditions are found across almost every aspect of any wedding from the engagement to the wedding to the honeymoon. The traditions that are associated with a wedding are often sourced from ancient superstitions, with many traditions still part of the average wedding ceremony despite the loss of superstition in many cultures. So what are some of the craziest and most common ones still being practiced today?

Rings - The ring is wore on the fourth finger or index finger for several reasons including that Christian priests would count the first three fingers (including the thumb ) as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit with the fourth finger for the partner. However, other sources of the rings tradition include the old belief that the main vein to the heart stemmed through the index finger. Also that it is bad luck for the engagement ring to be removed before the wedding day as this will break the commitment of the ring.

Additionally, the use of gold rings is meant to represent that the groom trusts the bride with his property and fortune.

Names - an old saying of "To change the name and not the letter, Is to change for the worst and not the better" comes from the old belief that if a woman's initials did not change when she married that she was only receiving the bad parts of marriage and not the benefits.

Gift/Parties - when it comes to the hen's night and gift-giving it was widely believed that the very first gift that a bride would open would be the very first gift she uses while the giver of the third gift would be the next to give birth.

Wedding Dress - the advent of bridesmaid comes from old pagan rituals with the bridesmaid used to distract and confuse any evil spirits that may be after the bride during the ceremony. The hiding from evil spirits was also one of the reasoning behind the veil tradition although there are several sources of the veil tradition including evil spirits such as:

• In the time of arranged marriages a veil was used to hide the appearance of a bride until the wedding ceremony was complete so the groom could not leave if he didn't find her attractive. During this time the veils were made so thick that the bride would not be able to see through it, therefore her father would have to walk her down the aisle and give her away.
• A mythological source of the veil tradition whereby Ishtar, ancient Goddess of Love, wore vapours like a veil to her betrothed
• The veil simply symbolises virginity, youth and modesty

The white dress is also used to represent the purity and virginal nature of the bride.

Bridal Bouquet - When it comes to the bouquet there are several reasons behind the floral arrangements and the need for flowers to begin with.

In some cultures the need for flowers was so that the bride would then have a sweet aroma to surround her, which was especially important in times when bathing was not a regular occurrence. Of course, since that time the bridal bouquet has taken on a deeper meaning with symbolism ranging from life, growth, and fertility with different flowers meaning different things for the marriage. Some popular flowers include:

• Acacia = Elegance
• Baby's breath = Pure Heart
• Chrysanthemum (red) = I love you
• Chrysanthemum (white) = Truth
• Forget-me-not = True love and remembrance
• Gardenia = Joy
• Honeysuckle = Generosity
• Irises = Wisdom
• Lily = Majesty
• Orange Blossom = Purity and virginity
• Orchids = Fertility
• Roses = Love
• Tulip = Love
• Violet = Faithfulness

Wedding Ceremony - the ceremony itself is rife with traditions such as the previously mentioned "giving away of the bride" and wedding dress but there are many small behaviours that are steeped in traditions. Such as the need for the groom to be at the church before the bride for good luck, while the bride must not walk down the aisle on time and must lead with her right foot. Flower girls and the petals they spread are used to represent the fertility of the couple and the children they will have. The tradition of the Best Man is thought to have come from Germanic history where brides were often "taken" from neighbouring villages, with the Best Man having helped the groom capture his bride.

Wedding Cake - is used to represent the bride's virginity and purity while the couple making the first cut together is to ensure that they will conceive.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue - perhaps one of the oldest and most popular wedding traditions, the four elements are used to bring different positive aspects to the marriage.

Something Old: Continuity and a link to the bride's past and family
Something New: Optimism and Hope for the future of the marriage and its success
Something Borrowed: Happiness shared from happily married couple
Something Blue: Faithfulness, loyalty and fidelity with the blue item usually being the garter belt of the bride

Post Wedding - there are several traditions that take place after the wedding with most having to do with the success of the marriage. For example throwing rice or confetti was meant to represent the wishes of fertility for the couple by the guests while the groom carrying the bride over the threshold of their new home was to prevent her tripping, which meant bad luck.

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