Fun Wedding Facts and Superstitions
Whether you are soon to be married or have been married for years, it can be great fun to dig into wedding facts from all over the world. Where do the traditional wedding superstitions come from and are they still practiced today? We are going to take a look at some interesting facts about weddings as well as some pretty off-the-wall wedding superstitions and beliefs from around the world. So let’s dive right in with real live facts about wedding history.
Our first of several wedding facts explains the reasoning behind the engagement ring and wedding ring. Back in 860 A.D. it was declared by Pope Nicholas I that a ring was to be given by the man to the woman as a declaration of their intent to marry. What’s really interesting is that he actually recommended that the ring be made of gold as a way for the future husband to show his “sacrifice” (financially, of course) to his future wife. Later, in the 1200’s, Pope Innocent III (no joke) declared that a formal waiting period should be acknowledged between the time of engagement and the actual wedding, and that an additional ring should be given at the time of the wedding to “seal the deal”, so to speak. The reason these rings are traditionally worn on the third finger of the left hand is purely a Greek belief that a vein in that finger runs directly to the heart—which, in essence, places the rings and their meaning as close to your heart as possible.
So, what’s the deal with the bride walking down an aisle and standing on the left side at the altar? The idea of the aisle is complete symbolism for the bride leaving the arms of her father’s family. The husband-to-be traditionally waits at the end of the aisle to welcome the bride into his family and his protection. The bride takes the left side at the altar because it frees the groom’s fighting arm for a duel. No, this isn’t a joke. Think back to the days of old when everyone in the village (including travelers just passing through) would turn up at a wedding. It wasn’t unheard of for a bandit or drunkard to make trouble during the confusion and merriment. The romantic in us also likes to picture a brawny hero bursting through the church doors to fight for his love. In any case, the groom needed to be prepared for any circumstance that might warrant drawing his sword while his bride stood safely to the left side.
The story behind catching the garter and the bouquet is quite an interesting one. Back in the 1300’s, when people were particularly superstitious, it was believed that taking a piece of the bride’s clothing would grant the guests good luck. As you can imagine, through the excitement of the ceremony many guests would become driven to literally tear cloth from the bride’s dress—which made for a very peeved bride! So, in an attempt to stave off greedy luck-seekers, many brides began to throw items to guests that could be easily removed from her person—and that included her garter. Eventually, grooms began to remove the garter and toss it to the men as a means to prevent tipsy male guests from becoming impatient and trying to do the deed themselves. In an effort to help the women feel included, it eventually became customary for the bride to throw her bouquet at the female guests.
And don’t think that these traditional Christian superstitions take all the glory for silliness—there’s plenty to go around! The Greeks believed that placing a sugar cube inside the bride’s glove would “sweeten” the marriage. Ancient Romans used to believe that they could determine the best time to marry by studying pig innards. Yuck! In the olden days of Finnish culture it was customary for an older married man to escort the bride around town to collect gifts from friends—which would be put in a pillowcase! The Japanese were the first to make a white wedding dress the traditional attire for brides.
As you can see, there are quite a lot of odd wedding facts and superstitions out there, and most of which are still practiced today! About 70% of brides wear their wedding and engagement rings on the “traditional” finger and many couples still do the garter/bouquet toss at the reception. Isn’t it funny how traditions come about?