A lot of traditions in weddings these days have emerged from ancient myths and superstitions. To ensure that they have all the luck in the world in their marriage, a number of people subscribe to a good many superstitions. Here are just a few of the beliefs surrounding the wedding ceremony:
- Ancient Greeks and Romans thought the veil protects brides from evil spirits. It was also used to conceal the bride till the ring was on her finger so the groom didn't have an opportunity to change his mind.
- Muslim brides wear Henna on their hands and feet to protect themselves from the evil eye.
- The British believe a bride should wear, something old for continuity, something new for the future, something borrowed to ward off the evil eye which can cause barrenness and something blue for love, purity and fidelity. This belief comes from a good luck rhyme for brides that ends with 'and a silver sixpence in her shoe'. The sixpence is supposed to ensure she doesn't lack through out her married life.
- The wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand because it was believed to have a vein that runs directly to the heart.
- A bride must never make her own wedding dress as it is believed that she will shed a tear for every stitch she sews. It is also believed to be bad luck for the groom to see the dress or see his bride in her dress before the wedding.
- Rain on the wedding day either means fertility or represents the many tears the bride will cry. The same belief goes for wearing pearls, where the pearls either represent the tears to be cried or takes the place of the tears.
- It is supposed to be good luck for a bride to cry at her wedding as this means she has shed all her tears before her marriage.
- Supposedly, to pick Monday as your wedding day signifies good health, Tuesday is for wealth, Wednesday is the best day of all, Thursday brings crosses and Friday brings losses while Saturday has no luck at all.
- White wedding dresses signify virginity and purity and had been worn in Japan for years before Queen Victoria made it popular in 1840. Koreans wear shades of yellow and red instead.
- The bride throwing her bouquet into the crowd was originally to distract people from tearing off parts of her wedding dress. With time, the belief became that if a single lady caught the bouquet, it meant she was the next to get married. Likewise the groom is supposed to throw the bride's garter to the single men and the single man who catches it will also be the next to get married. They don't necessarily have to marry each other of course.
Would you do any of these towards the success of your marriage?