As we fast approach our granddaughter’s wedding, I’ve thought about wedding traditions and wondered about some of those special traditions. Are these traditions still practiced anymore?
At the bridal shower, given by her friends, no one thought of making a rehearsal bouquet with gift ribbons; except the older generation. The younger gals had never heard of such a thing. She didn’t have many gifts with bows, so I did the best I could.
But, they did know that all special events have a balloon arch!! Lots and lots of balloons decorate the stairway railing—how on earth do you get rid of all those balloons ( some filled with confetti)? You can’t pop them! So, the “arch” still rests on our stairway. A suggestion was to leave it up through Christmas and New Year!
Anyway, back to traditions—the bride to be is gathering something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue—where did that come from?
Something old represents continuity; something new means a positive outlook on the future; something borrowed is a symbol of borrowed happiness; and something blue symbolizes fidelity, purity, and love. A sixpence in your shoe is of British influence. This timeless saying is a tradition where small charms are given and carried before walking down the aisle.
In the 17th century, wedding desserts were made in pairs — a bride’s cake and a groom’s cake, which was typically a small fruitcake. Instead of being served at the reception, the groom’s cake was cut up, packaged and given to guests as favors. The tradition of groom’s cakes actually died out for a while, but recently resurged in the U.S. "
What about the exchange of rings: The circle represents eternity, because it doesn’t have a beginning or an end. During ancient times, women would wear rings made of papyrus around their wrists and ankles. Romans then began to substitute the material with iron, which ultimately led to the use of gold to make the first betrothal rings. The tradition of a diamond engagement ring was started by Archduke Maximilian of Austria when he proposed to Mary of Burgundy. Like circles, diamonds have long been considered as symbols of eternity because they are the hardest gems on earth. The placement of the ring on the fourth finger came from the Egyptians who believed that it was the finger that contained the vein that connects to the heart.
When doing research on this topic, more tradtions popped up; some I never even thought about. Go HERE to learn about other traditions in other countries.
- The bitterness of the almonds represents life, and the sweet coating represents marriage. Jordan almonds should only be distributed in odd numbers at weddings, as this represents the couple's indivisible bond and shared life together. Italians call Jordan almonds 'confetti.' Greeks call the same treats 'koufeta.'
- The Ring Bearer, nephew of the bride, will carry the rings on a pillow that was first used in the wedding of the bride's great grandmother in 1940.
- Traditions, either new or old, carry through generations. Most don’t stop to think—why are we doing this? There are reasons for what traditions we do.
