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Not Just Calligraphy-Event
Planning
by Mayra Etayo
There are many
traditions that are honored during wedding ceremonies.
But do you know what some of them mean or how they originated?
Here are some of our most loved traditions, and how
they came to be.
The
Bride’s Bouquet
(You may opt to have the band announce this as the bride
tosses her bouquet)
Bridal bouquets have evolved
through the ages. Saracen brides carried bouquets of
orange blossoms to symbolize fertility, and Roman brides
carried sheaves of wheat to symbolize prosperity for
their husbands. In the eighteenth century, the practice
of carrying a bouquet of flowers or herbs became a popular
tradition, which symbolized fragility, purity, and new
life. Bouquets of dill were among the most popular herb
carried. Today bridal bouquets are tossed to assembled
single women to symbolize new life and to pass on the
bride’s good fortune.
White
Aisle Runner
A white aisle runner symbolizes walking on holy ground.
A marriage covenant is not made merely between two people
and their witnesses. It is made in the presence of God
and He is actively involved in the agreement.
Kissing
the Bride
During the Roman Empire, the kiss symbolized a legal
bond. Continued use of the kiss to seal the marriage
bond is based on the deeply rooted idea of the kiss
as a vehicle for transference of power and souls.
The
Bride and Groom Feeding Each Other the Cake
This represents the sharing of the body to become one.
Arras
(Coins)
During Catholic ceremonies in Spain, Panama, and Mexico,
the groom presents the bride with 13 gold coins, known
as Arras, to represent his ability to support the bride.
The coins are blessed by the priest and passed through
the hands of the newlyweds several times, ending up
with the bride. Want to make the ritual a little more
balanced? Consider giving each other coins, to symbolize
shared responsibility.
“Something
Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue”
Old and new items jointly symbolize the passage from
the old unmarried state to that of the new married one.
The wearing of a borrowed belonging demonstrates community
participation in and approval of the wedding. Blue is
worn because it is the color that signifies purity,
love, and fidelity.
Groom's
Cake
The tradition of the wedding cake was brought to the
New World by the Pilgrims-and it was fruit cake! It
was not until the 1800s, with the advent of white flour,
baking powder, and baking soda, that the white cake
remained and became known as the groom's cake. It was
placed beside the bride's cake at the reception, boxed,
and given to guest as a favor. Legend has it that single
guests who placed the boxed cake under their pillow
would dream of their intended; hence, it became known
as dreaming bread.
Jumping
the Broom
This African tradition is one that's become a part of
many African-American weddings. At the end of the ceremony,
the couple jumps over the broom that's placed at their
feet. The broom, in many regions of Africa, symbolized
beginning life with a clean slate, of sweeping away
evil spirit, and starting a new home with its many responsibilities.
In the United States, when slavery prevented couples
from legally marrying, they jumped the broom to seal
their vows.
"Bridal"
In the ancient world, there was no marriage, If a man
wanted a wife, he simply raided the nearest village
and captured her. In Israel, when a man raided a village
and escaped with a wife, he spent the night (or moon)
with her in seclusion drinking mead, a liquor made from
fermented honey. The drink was called bride ale (the
origin of the world bridal) and the night of liquor-drinking
seclusion became as the honeymoon.
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