Signs, omens and superstitions

In some countries it is customary to throw money over the heads of the bride and groom as they come out of church,—it insures fortune.

In Scandinavian countries a speech is usually made at the wedding feast or a song is sung, which winds up in an unexpected crash. This sets everybody laughing and is a signal for general congratulations and good wishes.

It was formerly customary in Germany to carry old dishes outside of the door and break them in the street. If a single piece escaped demolition, it was considered a bad sign.

Sprinkling the bride with wheat is a lucky sign. It takes the place of rice in some sections. Both are considered emblems of fruitfulness.

Among the Slavs a can of beer is poured over the horse belonging to the bridegroom.

Flinging the stocking was an old custom on the bridal eve. The young men took the bride’s stockings and the girls those of the groom, and threw them over their heads. If they fell upon the bride or groom to whom they belonged, the thrower was sure to be married soon.

In Yorkshire after the couple have gone away, the cook pours a kettle full of hot water on the stone before the front door in order that another wedding will soon occur from the same house.

It is considered a sign of good luck if the bride does not walk into the groom’s house, but is lifted over the sill by her nearest relatives.

It is lucky for the bridesmaids to throw away a pin on the wedding day, and unlucky to be stuck with one.

In Brittany a girl who can secure the pins used to fasten the bride’s dress, is sure of an early marriage.

It is considered unlucky for a pair to be married in church if there is an open grave in the churchyard.

It is unlucky to be married in green.

The wearing of orange blossoms at a wedding ensures good luck.

In the Middle Ages it was considered a bad omen if the couple met a cat, dog, lizard, serpent or hare; but to meet a wolf, spider or toad was a good sign.

It is unlucky for a bride to look into a mirror after she is completely dressed. Some article must be put on after she is through admiring herself.

The sneezing of a cat on the eve of a wedding is a lucky omen.

A man going to be married, who meets a male acquaintance, rubs his elbow to ensure good luck.

In China, if a betrothal is being arranged, it is postponed in case anything unlucky, such as the breaking of a vase or bowl or the loss of anything, occurs.

Among the Highlanders great care is taken that no dog runs between the couple on their way to be married.

It was formerly considered unlucky if the bride did not weep at her wedding. It portended tears later on.

A storm with thunder and lightning is a bad omen during a wedding ceremony.

To marry a man whose name begins with the same letter as one’s own is sometimes considered unlucky.

If a younger daughter chances to get married before her older sisters, the older girls should dance at her wedding barefoot.

A clot of soot coming down a chimney at a wedding feast is a bad omen.

If the bride accidentally breaks a dish at the wedding feast it is a bad sign.

A bird dying in his cage on the day after a wedding is a bad sign. A bird sitting on the window sill chirping is a good omen.

To meet a funeral either in going or coming from a wedding is always a sign of ill fortune. If the funeral is that of a male, it means an early death for the groom; if of a woman, the bride will soon die.

It is unlucky for a woman to read the marriage service entirely through. She will never get a husband.

Bees should be informed that a wedding is in progress and their hives decorated. It brings good luck.

If at the wedding dinner an unmarried person sits between the bride and groom it means that there will soon be another wedding.

Marriages on the last day of the year are considered lucky.

Easter engagements are said to foretell money, those at Ascension, health, those at Trinity, a big family, those at Whitsuntide, peace and comfort at home.

LUCKY PERIODS FOR MARRIAGES

The notion that certain times of the year are more favorable to marriages than others, had its origin in the days of ancient Rome. The goddess Maia was not propitious to marital happiness, whereas Juno, as a good and virtuous wife of Jupiter, was the patron of happy marriages. Brides, therefore, selected June in preference to May, as their hymeneal month. For similar reasons March being dedicated to the god Mars, was not a favorable month, as disputes were apt to be the rule between the contracting parties. Every month had its good or bad influence.

Even at the present time, May is considered an unlucky month for marriages. In Oriental countries, however, May being the month of flowers, is the proper month for orange blossoms.

June is a popular month for marriages among Americans and Europeans. Some authorities believe that June’s having the longest day of the year is symbolical of a long and happy marriage.

A wedding on St. Valentine’s Day or other popular holiday, indicates a happy union.

Being married during a thunder storm is a sign of bad luck. If the sun shines right after a storm, the auspices are good for a happy union.

Getting married on Sunday is a sure sign of a fortunate union. Friday is a bad day on which to get married. Other days of the week are about equal in their effect upon the destinies of a married pair.

A marriage during a heavy snow-storm is considered lucky; although the contracting parties may never be wealthy, they will be happy.

An old astrological almanac gives the following as lucky days on which to be married:—

BRIDAL CAKES—BRIDESMAIDS

Bride cakes, or wedding cakes, are a survival of an ancient Roman custom. When a wedding was solemnized the bride and groom ate a cake of wheat or barley in the presence of ten witnesses. The crumbs were carefully preserved by the unmarried women present to insure their getting husbands.

Slices of cake passed thru the bride’s wedding ring and eaten by the bridesmaids, will bring a husband within a year.

A piece of wedding cake should be put under the pillow of a maiden and if she dreams of a man, she will marry him within a year.

In some countries a plain gold ring is baked in the wedding cake and the maiden who gets the slice with the ring will have the privilege of proposing to a man of her choice.

Bridesmaids date from Anglo-Saxon times. It was the bridesmaid’s duty to escort the bride to church, and it was believed that the girl on whom this honor fell would be married within a year.

A bridesmaid who stumbles on the way to the altar will die an old maid.

It is a custom for the groom to present his attendants with some gift as a souvenir of the occasion. This must be carefully preserved. If lost, the loser is apt to remain unmarried.

SHOES AND WEDDINGS

Throwing a shoe over or at a newly married couple is a custom in many countries and is supposed to bring good luck. The origin is uncertain but the shoe has been considered a symbol of authority, and as the bride has just broken from her parent’s protection it is probable that the act symbolizes the breaking away from old associates. It has also been explained that it is thrown at the bridegroom in the spirit of retaliation for having carried off the bride.

It is now looked upon as an augury of luck and of long life to the bride. In an old book by Fordham we read, “He would have been content had his neighbors thrown his old shoes after him when he went home, in sign of good luck.” Ben Jonson wrote in a letter, “Would I had Kemp’s shoes to throw after you,—” Kemp being a man remarkable for his good fortune. John Heywood in an old play says: “Now for good luck cast an old shoe after me.” Beaumont and Fletcher say in one of their comedies: “Your shoes are old, pray put ’em off and let one fling ’em after us.”

In Scandinavia a shoe of the bride is thrown among the wedding guests and good luck or a speedy marriage attends the one who catches it.

In Scotland a volley of old shoes or slippers is cast at the couple for luck, but true to Scottish thrift, they are all collected again after the couple has left.

In the Isle of Man a shoe is thrown after the groom as he leaves his home on the way to be married. If by stratagem one of the bride’s shoes can be taken off her feet on the way to church, it has to be ransomed by the bridegroom, who must treat the entire crowd.

Among the ancient Peruvians it used to be the custom for a prospective groom to go to the girl’s house and, after gaining her father’s consent, put a pair of shoes on her feet. If she consented, he led her to his home with the shoes on.

In Russia it is the custom to throw an old shoe or broken crockery for luck at the door of a newly married couple,—crockery being cheaper than leather.

In parts of Hungary it is customary on the wedding night for the groom to drink a toast to his fair lady out of her slipper.

Among the Orthodox Jews the shoe has a different marital function. A childless widow is constrained, according to the Bible, to marry her deceased husband’s brother. If, however, she declines, he may give her a release. In that case she fastens the laces of his shoe and is free to marry whom she pleases.

The shoe as a symbol of a fruitful marriage is celebrated in that well-known Mother Goose rhyme: