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Wedding Traditions and Their Origins
Oh, how far we’ve come…
Everyone loves the joy and celebration that a wedding brings, not just for the bride and the groom, but also for the family and friends. Many of the customs and traditions that have been associated with weddings are centuries old, and have their roots in ancient beliefs and superstitions. They may not be relevant today, but are followed enthusiastically nonetheless. Let’s take a look at some of the wedding traditions that we follow and examine the ancient customs and superstitions that they’re based on.
The White Bridal Dress
Symbolizing purity and virginity, the while bridal gown is a tradition that almost all brides follow today. This tradition started in the 16th century. Before that, the bride was free to wear the color of her choice, although certain colors were frowned upon. For instance, green was supposed to imply a girl of loose morals while red and black were symbolic of witchcraft. The tradition of wearing white to a wedding was further boosted when Queen Victoria chose white as the color of her bridal dress over the traditional silver. Even in these modern times, where many traditions and customs have fallen by the wayside, this is one tradition that refuses to go away.
Bernie Lundy
I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Well written!
Joanne Samonte
I used to hear wedding guests (and wedding planners / coordinators) jokingly say that a veil covers the bride’s face especially if she is a virgin (well, I guess, sex after marriage is their issue here). And they would add, so if you’re no longer a virgin, do not be a hypocrite by covering your face with a veil during your wedding day.
Through this really INFORMATIVE article I was informed of how different wedding traditions came about, and now if I hear people joke around different wedding traditions especially the tradition of wedding a veil, I can inform them by saying, ‘No! Wedding veils were used in the ancient times so as not to disappoint the groom………”
And I can also share other wedding traditions’ origins I found here 🙂 Thanks Urbanette! Really a great one!