Weddings.
When this word has been said most people think of the big white gown, flowers, and over all opulence.
The problem with this? Most people feel they are required and must have their wedding a specific way, with out ever having any idea why they are doing it that way. Many people find their wedding to be a miserable experience because they felt they “had” to have their wedding following these “rules”.
There seem to be very few people who actually understand or even have a small idea of the rituals they feel are mandatory, I would like to expand on each ritual. Before my husband and I were married, I wished to see how we would go about it. Hearing all of these things a couple “must do” was not acceptable to me, I wished to truly understand every facet. They seemed to be misunderstood rituals that had lost any meaning over the course of time. I was correct.
What has happened? Simply put Superstition Confusion.
What does Bridal mean?
The term “Bridal” came from the brew the bride and groom would drink, and was referred to as “bryd ealu” or “bride’s ale,” which evolved into “bridal“.
What does Wedding mean?
“Wedding” literally meant the purchase of a bride for breeding purposes.
The word wedding comes from the root meaning to gamble or wager. The Anglo-Saxon word “wedd” meant that the groom would vow to marry the woman, but it also meant the money or barter that the groom paid the bride’s father. This is believed why it is still customary for the father-of-the-bride to “give away” his daughter.
“Tie the Knot”
To “Tie the Knot”, came from the Roman times when the bride wore a girdle that was tied into knots which the groom had the fun of untying.
You may Kiss the Bride…
The kiss that seals the wedding is much more than a sign of affection. It has long been a token of bonding and the exchange of spirits as each partner sends a part of their self into the new spouse’s soul, there to abide ever after.
The Threshold…
Several thoughts are found on this tradition:
- To protect the bride from evil spirits that were thought to be lying in wait under the threshold.
- Roman times when it was believed that if the bride stumbled when entering the newlywed’s home for the first time, it would bring bad luck and harm to their marriage. Carrying the bride across the threshold was thought to prevent this from happening.
- Tradition dictates the new wife must enter he home by the main door and, to avoid bad luck, she must never trip or fall–hence the custom that a bride should be carried over the threshold.
Tidbits:
The Custom of carrying the bride over the threshold stems from the same belief that aroused the idea of the runway carpet and strewing the aisle with flowers and petals. It was an ancient belief that the newly married couple was very susceptible to evil spirits. A protective layer between the bride and the ground were provided by carrying her, and thus protecting her from the “ground monster”.
Bride’s side/Groom’s side
In ancient days, fathers would offer daughters as peace offerings to warring tribes. Because of the hostility, the families were placed on opposite sides of the church so the ceremony could go on without bloodshed. The ceremony united the two warring factions into one family, and danger of war was resolved.
Bride on the Left…
The origin of the bride standing on the left goes back to the days when the groom would capture his bride by kidnapping her. If the groom had to fight off other suitors, the groom would hold his bride-to-be with his left hand allowing his right hand to be free to use his sword.
The Attendants…
The tradition of bridesmaids evolved from the custom of surrounding the Bride with other richly dressed women, in order to confuse the evil spirits.
The first marriages were by capture. The best man would help the groom fight off other men who wanted the chosen woman, and prevent her family from finding them. The “best warrior” would stand for the groom, thus the “best man”.
Honeymoon
After the successful capture of the bride, was “the hiding” (Honeymoon), and by the time the bride’s family would find them, the bride would already be pregnant.
The word honey is from “meala” in Irish. The word for honeymoon is “mi na meala“, the “month of honey” and refers to how the bride and groom would spend that period of time.
Irish monks first produced the fermented honey brew called mead for medicinal purposes; then found it could make well people feel even better. Following the wedding a sufficient amount of mead was given to the bride and groom, along with special goblets, so they could share the unique brew for one full moon after the wedding–and thus the term honeymoon was coined. It was believed that this delicate yet potent drink was the best way to ensure a good beginning for a new marriage and it was also believed to endow powers of virility and fertility.