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Wedding Traditions Explained
by Marie Voe
http://www.abcmarriage.com
Considering that a wedding is the most important event in a
person's life it is not surprising that most couples want to
make this a unique occasion. Most people these days opt for
exclusive weddings like theme wedding, destination wedding
and so on.
However, there is no denying the importance of the
traditional wedding. This is the white wedding most
Americans think of when they consider what a wedding is
like. Usually there are bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers,
flower girls, ring bearers and so forth. The wedding may
take place in a church or outside. The ceremony can be
Christian or secular. Common wedding customs include the
unity candle lighting, the ring exchange, presentation of
tokens to the mothers, and the throwing of rice or confetti,
rose petals or blowing of bubbles as the couple leaves the
church. At the reception there are usually toasts made, a
cake cutting, dancing and a bouquet toss.
Ironically, the month of May was generally avoided by
ancient Romans as a time for nuptials. It was thought
to be back luck to wed in the same month as the Feast
of the Dead and the Festival of the Goddess of Chastity,
both of which were May events. Given the strong feeling
that something bad would happen to couples who wed then,
most brides and grooms chose other months for their
ceremonies.
It might seem that white gowns and weddings have always
gone hand in hand, but that's not so. Prior to the
reign of Queen Victoria, royal brides wore silver to
walk down the aisle. But Victoria balked tradition,
preferring to wear a gown of pure white. She set the
stage for a huge shift in wedding wear, as many women
followed her example. Soon, white wedding gowns were
the customary uniform for a bride-to-be.
What of the veil that accompanies the dress? Since the
1800s, the fine mesh fabric has been considered a means
of guarding the bride from lewd eyes, symbolizing her
chastity and purity. But even before that, the vein was
symbolic. Centuries ago, the common believe was that
evil spirits were out to pick on brides on their special
days. In order to throw the spirits off their tracks,
brides wore veils to screen their faces.
Is there a connection between veils and tin cans? As
it turns out, yes! Just as the veil was at one point
meant to discourage the presence of evil at a wedding,
so is the practice of tying tin cans to the back bumper
of the wedding vehicle a guard against negative spirits.
The noise of the cans hitting against the road is said
to dispel evil spirits, preventing them from accompanying
the newly wedded couple as they embark on their new life
together.
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