We have all these traditions that half the society doesn't even know the history of! Here's some cool facts about traditions.
1. Designating a ring finger.
The traditional belief is that the "love vein" runs directly from the heart to the tip of the second to last finger on the left hand. The earliest use of jewelry to signify a bonding was often chains and bracelets. This evolved to the use of the symbolic ring. In ancient Egypt, the Sun and the Moon gods were feared and worshiped. A ring was a symbol of these spirits, both of whom were also related to the home and hearth. The endless circle showed the eternal nature of the bond, while the open center was meant to be a doorway to things unkown.
2. The Bride wears a veil.
The veil "proves" the bride's worthiness. By hiding her face it symbolizes she has let no one near her save her husband.
3. The bride wears a white gown.
Wearing white in the older days symbolized royalty and money. Poor people could not afford a white dress as it could not be cleaned as well as we do in these modern days. So they generally used a blue gown that they could use later in the future. It has become a tradition to wear white to symbolize the strength and richness of one's bond to their significant other.
4. Serving wedding cake to guests.
The crumbs symbolize tokens of good luck. It could be a crumb path towards good fortune.
5. Cutting wedding cake together.
This symbolizes the couples shared future. Originally it was because it was tradition for the woman to serve, but wedding cakes were too hard and the knives too heavy for her to cut alone so the husband helped her.
6. Bride stands to the left of the groom.
Most grooms are right handed, and it is so that his right hand is free to protect his bride at all costs necessary.
7. Groom wears a boutonniere.
This is to show the bride has claimed him. Wearing his lady's color on his chest displays his love.
8. Bride carries a bouquet.
The smells of the flowers can ward off evil spirits.
9. Wedding party dresses a like.
If everyone looks alike, the spirits who come to penetrate good fortune with evil may become confused as to who is being married. In the very oldest of times, all the women and men in the line up were unmarried so that if the spirits came looking and chose one of them, they would save others from the fate of unhappy marital status.
10. Ties cans to the wedding car.
Once again, to ward off the evil spirits who wish to follow the happy couple.
11. Bride wears something blue.
Blue symbolizes purity.
12. Men has a stag party.
To kiss the bachelor days goodbye. A last party free of judgement from the spouse.
13. Carrying bride over the threshold.
The bride tripping means bad luck
14. Honeymoon
To give the bride's family time to cool off
15. Ring bearer
Marriage can be doomed if the groom drops the ring
16. Why the flower girl drops petals
Flower petals symbolize fertility
17. Bride throws the bouquet.
To pass on her good fortune to the unmarried girls attending
18. Groom throws garter.
This
is one of the oldest surviving wedding traditions and has evolved from the
Middle Ages to the fun activity that it is today. It started in the 14th
century in England, when wedding guests considered it lucky to get a piece of
the bride's clothing. In order to preserve her dress, the bride started
throwing her garter at the male guests. As the male guests became rowdier, they
tried to tear the garter off of the bride's leg themselves. In an attempt to
preserve his new wife's dignity, the groom started to remove the garter himself
and toss it to the single men. Another old English tradition surrounding the
garter had the wedding guests following the bride and groom into their bridal
chamber. They would throw discarded stocking at the couple and the one that
hung on either the bride's or the groom's nose was thought to be the next to
get married. Today most brides wear two garters. They have one that they keep
and one to throw away. They usually wear them on the right leg. It was popular
for the groom to remove the garter with his teeth, but in recent years, it has
been viewed as more appropriate for the groom to remove the garter with his
hands. He then tosses the garter to all of the single men in attendance. The
man that catches the garter is thought to be the next to get married.
Something
old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe.
A sixpence is a coin made of silver and worth six pennies. So this wedding
tradition is definitely English, and many sources say that it began in theVictorian era.
Each item in this poem represents a good-luck token for the bride. If she
carries all of them on her wedding day, her marriage will be happy.
"Something old" symbolizes continuity with the bride's family and the
past. "Something new" means optimism and hope for the bride's new
life ahead. "Something borrowed" is usually an item from a happily
married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to
carry over to the new bride. The borrowed item also reminds the bride that she
can depend on her friends and family.
As for the colorful item, blue has been connected to weddings for centuries. In
ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity.
Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated
with the color. Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for
wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, "Marry in blue, lover be
true."
And finally, a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe represents wealth and
financial security. It may date back to a Scottish custom of a groom putting a
silver coin under his foot for good luck. For optimum fortune, the sixpence
should be in the left shoe. These days, a dime or a copper penny is sometimes
substituted, and many companies sell keepsake sixpences for weddings.
