A History of Marriage, Part 1

Did you know that at one time, the father of the bride would throw old shoes at her? This was supposed to symbolize him giving up his possession of his daughter to the groom. During this period, shoes were a symbol of ownership and power over women.

Did you know that the bridal superstition of “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” comes from several different customs? The “something old” represents the bride’s past. The “something new” symbolizes the bride’s future. Moreover, the “something borrowed” is supposed to represent friendship between the bride and groom. These are believed to be customs from Celtic times. The “something blue” comes from ancient Israel. Blue, supposedly, represented purity, love and fidelity.

Did you know that the engagement ring is one of the oldest traditions? It was usually used to seal important or secret agreements. In fourth century BC Greece, a betrotheds engagement ring bore the inscription, “To her who excels not only in virtue and prudence, but also in wisdom.” That phrase would be a magnificent thing to see on marriage announcements. Moreover, the diamond that most people see in engagement rings is supposed to represent the fires of love.

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Did you know that the kiss at the end of the ceremony was originally given by the priest, minister or other religious figure after performing his official duties? The ancient Scottish gave a lot of importance to the bridal kiss. Leave it to the Scottish!

Did you know that the term “the other half” comes from ancient Greek superstition? When a man fell love and married, it was said that he was being reunited with the other half of himself that had been taken from him by supernatural beings or the gods. It was only later that the term was changed to “the better half”. It certainly was not after the baby announcements were sent out.

The History of Marriage, Part 3

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