Most of the wedding traditions or wedding myths can be traced to Ancient Egypt and European customs. Many of them were often based on symbolism, superstition, folklore religion and also the belief that evil spirits could bring disease and death to newlyweds and agriculture crops which were of vital importance in many farm – based early cultures. The exact origin and usefulness of many of these many early wedding traditions are not clear. Nevertheless through generations the popular acceptance has allowed them to flourish.
As a wedding tradition, many brides wear something old, new, borrowed and blue as part of their bridal outfit on their wedding day. This tradition dates back to the Victorian Era and is believed to bring good luck to the marriage because of what the items symbolizes:
- Something Old – symbolizes the continuity between the family of the bride and the past. The bride often chooses to wear her mother’s or grandmother’s wedding dress or jewelry.
- Something New – represents success, hope and optimism in the bride’s new life ahead. The new item is commonly the wedding dress.
- Something Borrowed – is a reminder to the bride that she can always depend on her family and friends. This tradition symbolized that borrowing something from a happily married couples, good fortune would follow the newlyweds.
- Something Blue – represent purity, love and modesty. A popular choice of blue item newlyweds is the bride’s garter.
- A Silver Sixpence in her shoe (which is no longer common nowadays) serves as a good luck charm wishing the bride wealth, happiness and financial security.
The above tradition can be traced back from the Jewish practice that the bride and groom stop seeing each other for one week in order to enhance the joy of their wedding.
Marriage is undoubtedly the most important occasions in anyone’s life. Thus selecting the date for your wedding day is as much about protecting you from bad influences.
According to Feng Shui, numbers related to 8 and 9 are the auspicious days for wedding. This means that the numbers ending with 8 and 9 to wit: 8th, 9th, 18th, 19th, 28th, 29th, are ideal wedding dates. Also, the numbers adding up to 8 or 9 are considered very lucky by experts. The number 8 is a representation of love while the number 9 represents eternity.
As a wedding tradition, it is a belief that choosing the day of the week can affect the marriage based on this rhyme:
Monday brings Health
Tuesday brings Wealth
Wednesday the Best of All
Thursday brings crosses
Friday brings losses. but
Saturday no luck at all.
Getting married on a particular month also affect the marriage based on the poem below:
Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind & 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 & 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 bread.
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.
Do you know that the couple should exchange their vows as the clock's minute hand is moving upwards. This myth follow the belief that the upward movement brings blessings upon the couple because the minute hand is ascending towards heaven.
- Rain on the wedding Day
Rain on the wedding day can either bring good luck and bad luck according to the superstitions:
The luckier version is that rain foretell the coming of children just as the rain helps growth in the farmer's field. On the other side of the coin, rains represents the many tears a bride will cry throughout her married life.
- Dropping the wedding ring
It is considered good luck to drop the wedding ring on the wedding day because all the evil spirits hiding in the ring will be shaken out. On the other hand, it is believed that whoever dropped the ring would be the first to die.
- Why does the bride has to cry on her wedding day?
It is believed that the bride's tear will bring rain for the crops.
- On wearing pearls on the wedding day
She will have a happy tear free marriage because the pearls take the place of her real tears.
- On signing married name before the wedding
You know, one should never sign her married name until after the wedding because it is seen as tempting fate and a bad luck .
- Marrying a man whose surname's first letter is the same as the woman's surname and to change the surname is even worst.
This myth is summarized in the Victorian rhyme:
To change the name and not the letter, is to change for the worst and not the better."
- Dropping the wedding ring
Dropping the wedding ring during the wedding ceremony will bring bad luck to whoever drops it. Others believe that dropping it will expel any bad luck or evil spirits that may have been present in the ring.
- Removing the wedding ring
In is the belief that wedding ring should not be removed from the bride’s or groom’s finger to ensure long-lasting relationship. In case the wedding ring is removed from the bride’s finger, the groom should be the one to return to her finger so that the good luck will continue.
- Having others wear your wedding ring
The wedding ring is sacred. It should not be lent to anybody to try on as doing so will surely bring bad luck to the marriage and the big possibility of unfaithfulness.
- Why the bride should not make her own wedding dress
The myth states that for every stitch of the Wedding Dress the bride sews herself will equate the tears she will shed during her married life.
- Wearing white dress
The color white is associated with purity and modesty; hence it is associated with virginity. In the the ancient times only a virgin can wear a white Wedding Dress; however, in the 1840’s, white bridal gowns became popular because Queen Victoria of England wore white instead of the traditional Royal silver dress in her wedding.
- Wearing wedding Veil
This wedding tradition, the wedding veil is used to conceal the bride from evil spirits. Wearing veils is also common during the times of fixed marriages to cover the bride’s face, to prevent the groom to cancel the wedding ceremony in case he does not like the appearance or the aura of the bride.
- Father of the bride and a shoe
In this wedding tradition, the father of the bride will pass on one of the bride’s shoe to the groom to signify that the former is giving his daughter in marriage.
- Mother of the bride and a shoe
Before the newlyweds leave the wedding reception, the mother of the groom will throw a shoe at the bride. This tradition is done to invite good luck coupled with the belief that by doing so , the mother-in-law and the bride would be the best of friends forever.
- Sixpence silver in the bride’s shoe
Sixpence silver represents abundance and financial security. In this modern times, sixpence is not common anymore so the bride put a penny as replacement
