Are you superstitious about weddings?
SOMETHING old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…we’ve all heard it and if you ask any woman who’s been married, chances are she made sure she had all four as she walked up the aisle. For some people, traditions, superstitions and wedding customs are very important to the modern bride and groom - so it won’t do any harm to reacquaint yourself with some of the more interesting ones in preparation for the big day:
In the 18th and 19th centuries, people believed if the sun shone on the bride, it would bring good luck to the couple.
After the wedding ceremony, it was important that a man, and not a woman, be the first to wish joy to the new bride.
The right of every woman to propose on February 29 goes back hundreds of years to when the leap year day had no recognition in law. It was considered, therefore, that as the day had no legal status, it was reasonable to assume that traditions also had no status
It’s good luck to have your birthstone in your engagement ring, even if that stone is otherwise thought to be an unlucky gem.
The earrings you wear on your wedding day will bring you luck and happiness ever after.
It’s lucky to tear your wedding dress accidentally on your wedding day.
It’s good luck if a happily married woman puts the veil on you, but bad luck to put it on yourself.
It’s lucky to be awakened by birds singing on your wedding morning.
If you look at the sun when you leave for your wedding, your children will be beautiful.
In the popular wedding rhyme, the something old represents a link with the bride’s family and her old life; something new represents good fortune and success in the bride’s new life; something borrowed, is meant to bring good luck to the marriage, while something blue dates back to biblical times when the colour blue was considered to represent purity and fidelity.
The bridal party has many origins, one of which comes from Anglo Saxon days. When the groom was about to capture his bride, he needed the help of his friends, the ‘ bridesmen’ or ‘ brideknights.’ They would make sure the bride got to the church and to the groom’s house afterwards. The bride also had women to help her, the bridesmaids or brideswomen.