Superstitions

Superstitions and Traditions

The following folklore and superstitions are given soley for your information and entertainment. They are not to be taken seriously.

A bride should never bake her own wedding cake. A bad luck omen.

If you look under the bed, you will never marry.

If anyone sweeps around you, you will never marry.

Walk around a wheat field on the first day of May and you will meet your mate.

Any bridesmaid that carries a piece of the wedding cake in her pocket until the bride and groom's honeymoon is over will marry very soon.

If a bride tastes the wedding cake before it is cut, she will forfeit her husbands love. If she saves a piece of the cake, it ensures his fidelity.

June is a lucky month for love and marriage.

The white spots on your nails tell how many lovers you will have.

Married on Monday, married for health / Married on Sunday, hitched for wealth.

If a bride puts on her left shoe first, her married life will be unhappy.

For a bride to put her bare feet on the floor on the night of the wedding is unlucky.

If it rains on your wedding day, it is a sign that you will shed many tears during your married life.

Marry while the hands of the clock go up and you will succeed in life.

Marry in June and your husband will treat you well.

Marry in lent / You'll live to repent

Marrying on your birthday will bring you bad luck.

To be lucky, marry during the full moon.

Put three holly leaves under your pillow at night and name each leaf. The one that is turned over in the morning will be your husband.

It's good luck for the bride to be kissed by a chimney sweep on her wedding day.

Rain on your wedding day means you will have many children.

Hold the bride's dress on your lap for ten minutes, and you will be a bride within the year.

If there is a full moon 1 to 2 days before the wedding, then your married life will be filled with luck and good fortune.

Only the bride should wear white on the day of the wedding. The bride should be the center of attention and guests should refrain from wearing the same color.

Go fishing on the first day of May. A bite means a beau; a catch means you will get a husband within the year.

If you cannot make a good fire, you will not get a good husband.

If you splash water on yourself while washing clothes, you will get a drunken husband.

On Halloween if you can eat an apple that is suspended on a string from the ceiling, you will marry within the year.

He who is needy when married, will be rich when buried.

If a kettle of hot water is poured over the doorstep which the bride crosses, there will be another wedding in that house within the year.

As many candles as are left on the birthcake after you blow once, that many years it will be till you are married.

On the first day of May, look in a well and you will see the face of your future husband.

Hang a wishbone over the front door, and the first man who passes under it is the man you will marry.

Burn the match to the end, and it will make the initial of the first name of the man you are to marry.

If you take the last piece of bread off the plate when it is not offered, you will never be married, but if you take it when it is offered, you will marry well.

If your thumbs turn back at the end, you will be a good housekeeper.

If two forks are at a place setting on a table, the one who sits there will get married.

It is unlucky to throw a gift away.

It is unlucky to marry a person born in the same month.

If a woman tears her wedding shoes, she will be beaten by her husband.

The three lucky months for weddings are June, October and December.

If you look at the moon through a knothole, you will never be married.

If you take the last piece of anything, you will be an old maid unless you kiss the cook.

If the bridesmaid is older than the bride, she should wear something green, or else she may never marry.

Two lovers will never agree after their marriage if both wipe their faces on the same towel.

If you fall upstairs, you will not be married within the year.

If a bride wears another girl's garter when she is married, the girl will be married within the year.

The number of nails in the horseshoe which you pick up will be the number of years until you are married.

If a black cat takes up it's home at a house, the unmarried daughters will have a good chance to marry.

If you sweep a circle around a boy or girl, he or she will never marry.

When you find a hair pin, press it together. If the ends are even you will meet a boy, if uneven you will meet a girl.

It is bad luck to postpone a wedding.

If a bride breaks her wedding ring, she will be a widow soon.

If a wedding ring be lost, the couple will separate.

Put the letters of the alphabet in a pan of water under your bed. The next morning the letter of your future husband will be turned over.

If you go into a vacant house, throw a ball of yarn and say "I pull, who winds?", The one you are to marry will answer you.

To awaken the bride on her wedding morning is bad luck. Let her sleep as long as she will.

If anyone should see the bride's veil before the wedding, her married life will be unhappy.

Put a four-leaf clover in the Bible. The man you meet while you are carrying it will be your husband.

Kiss a baby on the ninth day after its birth, and the next man you kiss will be your future husband.

Put a pea pod with nine peas over the door. If a married man comes under it first, you will not be married within the year; if a single man, you will be married.

Put a slice of wedding cake under your pillow for seven nights, and the seventh night you will dream of your future husband.

Sleep with the Bible under your head for three nights in a row, and you will dream of your future husband.

As long as you keep some of the bread of your first wedded meal, you will never be in want.

On the first day of May before sunrise, if you see a snail within a shell, your future husband will have a house. If the snail is outside the shell, he will have none. Sprinkle meal in front of the snail and it will form the initial of the man you are to marry.

It is bad luck for two persons to make a bed.

When two people meet on the stairsteps, it is a sign of a wedding.

If a boy and girl meet by chance at a stile, they will be lovers.

Walk backwards nine steps, and you see a hair the color of the person's hair you will marry.

Eat the point of a pie first and you will be an old maid.

It is held that a final look in the mirror right before the bride leaves her home for the ceremony will bring good luck. However, if she looks in a mirror once again before the ceremony, her luck will tarnish to bad!

Seeing a lamb, frog, spider, black cat, or rainbows on the way to the ceremony is believed to be a sign of good luck!

Seeing an open grave, pig, or lizard on the way to the ceremony, or hearing a crow after dawn on the morning of the wedding are all thought to be omens of bad luck.

Catching a glimpse of a monk or a nun is also thought to be a omen of misfortune because of their association with poverty and chastity.

Walking is thought to be the best way of getting to the Church, because there's more of a chance of spotting lucky omens. Seeing a rainbow, having sunshine on the bride, and meeting a black cat or a chimney sweep are all lucky. Of course you could run into some bad omens as well. Bad omens are considered seeing a pig, hare or lizard running across the road (not something we usually have to worry about) or seeing an open grave. Make sure you don't run into any Monks or Nuns either, because they foretell a life of barrenness and a life dependent on charity. Coming home from the church can be equally hazardous.

"To change the name and not the letter, is to expect the worst and not the better!" This little riddle conveys the notion that it is thought to be unlucky to marry a man whose last name begins with the same first letter as your own.

A week before the wedding, it is considered good luck to have a cat eat out of your left shoe.

It is lucky if the bride finds a spider in her wedding gown.

If candles are lit on your wedding day, and they sputter out, it means an evil spirit is nearby.

The bride should step with her right foot first into the church to ensure good luck

The Brides age. The bride's age was computed from the day of their marriage, not from their day of birth in ancient Greece

The reception. The celebration to honor and rejoice with the bride and groom.

The wedding cake. By sharing their wedding cake with the guests, the bride and groom are said to be "breaking bread in kinship". The bride's knife means that she is ready to take on the responsibilities of keeping her own household. The wedding cake was originally lots of little wheat cakes that were broken over the brides head to bestow good luck and fertility.

The honeymoon or "sweet month". Honeymoons were a month in hiding from the bride's family after her "capture" and this length of time was considered sufficent for the family to give up the chase. While in hiding the couple drank honey based wine to help calm down the captive bride. "honey" for the drink and "moon" for one complete cycle of the moon.

The origination of the groomsmen. They helped "kidnap" the bride and at the ceremony, dressed like the groom, served as decoys to confuse evil spirits. After the ceremony they kept the honeymoon location a secret from the bride's family.

The groom's cake. Single women would take a piece of this cake home and put it under their pillows in the belief they would dream of the man they would marry.

Where did the engagement ring originate. Old Roman law dictated that with the promise to marry, some form of collateral had to be provided. This became a valuable ring.

The garter is considered a good luck charm. It's origination was in fourteenth century France, and was thought that the person catching it after thrown by the groom would have good luck for life.

The bride and groom feeding each other the first piece of cake symbolizes a lifetime of sharing ahead.

The receiving line. It connects the ceremony with the reception. It allows the newlyweds to greet all the guests and to allow the guests to wish the couple well. Old beliefs had it that the new bride was lucky and touching or kissing her brought good luck.

The best man. The groom's "best man". His duties include seeing the groom gets to church on time, makes sure that he has the ring and to help the groom to overcome prenuptial jitters.

The wedding announcment. It was required to publish the wedding intentions to insure there were no legal objections to the marriage.

The wedding kiss. It was once the custom that the bride and groom kissed first and then placed a ring on the bride's finger. The kiss was the legal bond. If one of the engaged pair died before the wedding, the other could keep the presents only if they had already kissed.

The bridal veil dates back to the 1800's in America. It symbolizes purity and virginity and made of the finest lace. It was worn short and on the back of the head and remained there until removed by the groom on the wedding night. The veil is now longer and worn as a blusher covering the face. For a second marriage the veil is usually not worn.

The third finger on the left hand was believed to be connected directly to the heart by the vein of love "vena amoris", and why the wedding ring is worn there.

The maid of honor. The honor attendant who is not married. If she is married then she is the matron of honor. If she dislikes "matron", she may be called the "best woman". Their duties include holding the bride's bouquet.

The bridesmaid origination. Dressed similar to the bride, they confused the evil spirits to keep the bride from harm.

The toast. Given to express good wishes. The first toast is given by the best man and can be followed by any member of the bridal party or guest. The touching of the glasses creates a bell like noise to repel the devil so our ancestors thought.

Some tips to making the perfect toast; Don't be long-winded; Stand to give a toast, remain seated to receive one; Prepare, know what you are going to say; Mention those you are toasting by name; Speak slowly and loudly for all to hear; Don't forget to cap off the toast with a hearty "Cheers".

The top layer of the wedding cake is frozen and thawed for the couples first anniversary.

Tapping on glasses at the reception is a signal for the bride and groom to kiss. This tapping, creating a bell like noise, was thought to chase the devil away.

Brides are carried over the threshold because of early beliefs that the devil lurked around thresholds.

The tossing of the bouquet and garter carries back to 16th. century England when the bride was considered lucky and guests tore pieces of her clothing off. These pieces of her costume are now thrown to single friends.

The bride's bouquet, dating back to medieval times, was a nosegay of pungent herbs to help cover up unsanitary odors because of unsanitary conditions and later evolving to the present bouquet of flowers representing life, growth and fertility.

The Groom is supposed to wear a flower that appears in the bridal bouquet in his buttonhole. This stems from the medieval tradition of a Knight wearing his ladys colours as a declaration of love.

The honeymoon getaway vehicle was decorated with cans tied on in the belief that the noise would keep the evil spirits away. Tying shoes onto the vehicle symbolizes property exchange from an old tradition of when the father gave the bride away, he gave the groom one of her shoes.

You may notice that the Devil and Evil Spirits played a big part in wedding traditions. In early days our ancestors blamed these guys for everything.

Wedding guests shower the couple with rice wishing the couple fertility. Rice was used because it was considered a grain of plenty.

The white wedding gown does not symbolize purity and virginity as many believe. The veil makes that statement. The white for the gown is simply a fashion statement. The choice of white dates back to the 1800's where the fabrics used for gown making were mostly white. In 1840 white became the official color after Queen Victoria broke tradition of wearing royal robes and chose a white dress for her wedding.

Something old; An old family bible, antique lace, old jewelry.

Something new; The gown is usually new or most of her clothes.

Something borrowed; From a friend or relative, possibly jewelry.

Something blue; Denotes love and fidelity. A piece of blue ribbon on your slip or blue on your garter.

A Sixpence in your shoe; To ensure a life of fortune.

While the ring may be considered a symbol of unbroken and eternal love, the diamond that sits atop it has it's own background. The diamond, starting out as a rough crystal, ending up as a polished gem, is said to be enduring and full of surprises. That speaks well for the marriage it symbolizes.

The origination of the bridal shower. By legend it was given for a Dutch bride who's father had refused to give her a dowery because she intended to marry a poor miller. The pair married anyway and the groom's friends pitched in and "showered" the bride with gifts of household necessities for their new home. It is now a wedding tradition.

Credit the Italians for this wedding favor. They tulle wrap bundles of sugar and almonds representing the bitterness and sweetness of married life for guests to take home from their Italian weddings.

Make-Up. A 1775 law stated that a wedding was not legal if the bride wore any make-up during the ceremony. Make-up was considered an ensnarement and so the groom would have been trapped by the illusion of make-up.

Honking Car Horns. Tradition goes back to banging pots and pans after the ceremony to ward off evil spirits. Today, car horns are used to announce the marriage during the bridal procession to the reception.

Wedding Bells. More noise makers to drive off evil spirits that might be lingering around the couple.

The bride is on the groom's left during the ceremony. In old times, a jealous suitor would try to take the bride away from the groom. The groom would keep his bride off to his left side, leaving his right hand free to fight with his sword which was kept on his right side. Today's brides still stand to the groom's left while marrying. After the ceremony is over, she will be on his right side on the recessional and remain there during the reception activities.

Tying the knot. In ancient times, the bride wore a girdle fastened with many knots. The groom had to untie these knots to remove the garment.

Tradition says that the first member of the newlywed couple to purchase a new item following the wedding will be the dominant force in the relationship. As such, to this day some superstitious brides will pre-arrange to buy a small item from one of the bridesmaids immediately following the ceremony!

Early farmers thought a bride's wedding day tears were lucky and brought rains for their crops. Later, a crying bride meant that she'd never shed another tear about her marriage. Today, we carry a handkerchief to dab away the tears of happiness and joy.

For centuries, the matchmaker enjoyed the honored, if occasionally ridiculed, position of ensuring ethnic identity and compatibility. Groups that wanted this assurance regularly employed the services of a matchmaker, whose commission was a certain percentage of the dowries. Today, the modern version of the matchmaker is found as easily as turning on your computer.

Beginning in early Roman times, the cake has been a special part of the wedding celebration. A thin loaf was broken over the bride's head at the close of the ceremony to symbolize fertility. The wheat from which it was made, symbolized fertility and the guests eagerly picked up the crumbs as good luck charms. During the Middle Ages, it became traditional for the couple to kiss over a small cluster of cakes.Later, a clever baker decided to amass all these small cakes together, covering them with frosting. Thus, the modern tiered cake was born.

In times when women were granted few privileges and even fewer personal rights, the bride was literally given away to the groom by the father, usually in exchange for monetary gain. Today, it is seen as symbolic of the blessings and support of her union as a promise of continued trust and affection.

In old England it was traditional to bake a ring into the wedding cake as a symbol of bliss and happiness. The guest whose piece of cake contained the ring, it was said, could look forward to a full year of uninterrupted happiness.

Breaking of Glass - A Jewish tradition that represents the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. Many times couple save the pieces of glass from the ceremony in a symbolic box.

Jumping the Broom...Jumping the broom originated during the time of slavery in the United States. Slaves, not having rights as citizens, were denied the legal or religious rite of marriage. The tradition of jumping the broom was the slaves' way to recognize the commitment of marriage. It was a commonly accepted by both the slaves and the slave owners, who would sometimes participate in this celebration. Jumping the broom signified leaving single life and the transition into a new life together.

During Elizabethan times a "kissing knot", an ornament concocted of gaily-colored ribbons, leaves and rosemary, dangled above the bride and groom's table during the wedding feast.

During Medieval times in Brittany the man proposed by leaving a hawthorn branch at the door of his beloved on the first of May. By leaving the branch at the door she accepted his proposal. She made known her refusal by replacing the hawthorn branch with a cauliflower.