Howdy, readers! I guess most of us have been to weddings and we’ve seen the setup, the traditions, costumes and yet quite a good number of us do not even know the meanings of them all … listed below are 8 truths about wedding traditions that would definitely wow you. Read on…
1.Why do brides usually stand on the left?
The popular theory points back to ancient Greece and the days of marriage by capture, when a groom literally stole his bride from her family home. The groom typically holds the bride with his left hand, keeping his right hand free to draw his sword. Even today, “bride-napping” remains a problem in some countries.
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2.Why is he called the best man?
The groom had help in his escapades. Some grooms purportedly assembled raiding parties, often composed of fellow bachelors and their trusted best pals to take charge of the abduction.
The best man was literally the best man with a sword, whose sole purpose was to aid and defend the groom during the risky capture attempt.
3.Why do bridesmaids dress alike?
In Roman times, bridesmaids reportedly dressed not only like one another but also like the bride. The goal was to camouflage the bride among her maids to better protect her from being captured on her wedding day – or from evil spirits attempting to crash the party and poison her union.
4.Why do brides wear veils?
If an evil spirit did come looking to curse the couple, a veil helped hide the bride’s identity. It also hid her face from her husband.
In cultures in which arranged marriages were standard, it didn’t hurt to conceal a bride’s identity from her betrothed until the deal was sealed, just in case he had second thoughts at the altar.
5.Why do brides hold bouquets?
What’s more romantic than roses and lilies? How about garlic and dill? Bridal bouquets used to be all herbal, likely originating in the time of the Great Plague, when daily health rituals included clutching garlic-scented cloths over one’s nose and washing one’s clothes in garlic vinegar to repel disease. Over time, as hygiene improved, brides added better-smelling blooms to their arrangements.
6.Why do brides wear white?
Queen Victoria can be thanked for popularizing the Christmas tree, the catchphrase “We are not amused,” and, yes, the white wedding dress. It had long been a tradition among British nobility to wear fabric embroidered in silver and gold on one’s wedding day. Victoria bucked the trend by commissioning an extravagant white gown ornamented with flowers, probably to stand out in the crowd and show off her intricate lace embellishments. Her bridesmaids followed suit, and an engraved portrait of the ceremony, helped spread the queen’s fabulous image far and wide.
7.Why does the father “give away” the bride?
Once upon a time, women were considered chattel, or human property. In some societies, like Sierra Leone a prospective groom paid a price to the lucky lady’s parents in order to ‘liberate’ her from their ownership. The custom of the father walking the bride down the aisle symbolized the transfer of authority from father to husband.
8.Why did the fourth digit come to be the “ring finger”?
Egyptian rings of love were worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, which was believed to have a vein, later named vena amoris, which ran directly to the heart. (This is no great achievement; all veins in the hand connect to the heart.) Other names for this finger throughout history: heart finger, annular finger, and leech finger. Dearly beloved, take your pick.
Howdy, readers! I guess most of us have been to weddings and we’ve seen the setup, the traditions, costumes and yet quite a good number of us do not even know the meanings of them all … listed below are 8 truths about wedding traditions that would definitely wow you. Read on…
1.Why do brides usually stand on the left?
The popular theory points back to ancient Greece and the days of marriage by capture, when a groom literally stole his bride from her family home. The groom typically holds the bride with his left hand, keeping his right hand free to draw his sword. Even today, “bride-napping” remains a problem in some countries.
2.Why is he called the best man?
The groom had help in his escapades. Some grooms purportedly assembled raiding parties, often composed of fellow bachelors and their trusted best pals to take charge of the abduction.
The best man was literally the best man with a sword, whose sole purpose was to aid and defend the groom during the risky capture attempt.
3.Why do bridesmaids dress alike?
In Roman times, bridesmaids reportedly dressed not only like one another but also like the bride. The goal was to camouflage the bride among her maids to better protect her from being captured on her wedding day – or from evil spirits attempting to crash the party and poison her union.
4.Why do brides wear veils?
If an evil spirit did come looking to curse the couple, a veil helped hide the bride’s identity. It also hid her face from her husband.
In cultures in which arranged marriages were standard, it didn’t hurt to conceal a bride’s identity from her betrothed until the deal was sealed, just in case he had second thoughts at the altar.
5.Why do brides hold bouquets?
What’s more romantic than roses and lilies? How about garlic and dill? Bridal bouquets used to be all herbal, likely originating in the time of the Great Plague, when daily health rituals included clutching garlic-scented cloths over one’s nose and washing one’s clothes in garlic vinegar to repel disease. Over time, as hygiene improved, brides added better-smelling blooms to their arrangements.
6.Why do brides wear white?
Queen Victoria can be thanked for popularizing the Christmas tree, the catchphrase “We are not amused,” and, yes, the white wedding dress. It had long been a tradition among British nobility to wear fabric embroidered in silver and gold on one’s wedding day. Victoria bucked the trend by commissioning an extravagant white gown ornamented with flowers, probably to stand out in the crowd and show off her intricate lace embellishments. Her bridesmaids followed suit, and an engraved portrait of the ceremony, helped spread the queen’s fabulous image far and wide.
7.Why does the father “give away” the bride?
Once upon a time, women were considered chattel, or human property. In some societies, like Sierra Leone a prospective groom paid a price to the lucky lady’s parents in order to ‘liberate’ her from their ownership. The custom of the father walking the bride down the aisle symbolized the transfer of authority from father to husband.
8.Why did the fourth digit come to be the “ring finger”?
Egyptian rings of love were worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, which was believed to have a vein, later named vena amoris, which ran directly to the heart. (This is no great achievement; all veins in the hand connect to the heart.) Other names for this finger throughout history: heart finger, annular finger, and leech finger. Dearly beloved, take your pick.
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