Since our last blog touched on a few wedding traditions, we thought why not enlighten our readers a little more and discuss some other well-known and not so well-known traditions. For instance, we’ve all heard the old adage, ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…’ but, did you know there is a final line to this phrase? It reads… ‘And a silver sixpence in her shoe.’ Now, before we get into what the heck a sixpence even is, let’s start from the beginning.
Wedding traditions such as that are believed to have gotten their start during the Victorian Era, a time when a girl knew no other purpose in life but to marry. It was a day where little was left to chance. Even the chosen month and day were not something to be decided upon hastily. June was believed to be the most popular month for young brides to wed because of its connection with the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno. Brides believed that if they were to wed on this day, Juno would guarantee prosperity and happiness to their marriage. The remaining months share various reasons for their favor, mostly concerning whether they conflict with peak farming months. May however was not a month to be fooled with. As the saying goes..‘Marry in May and rue the day’.
Brides carried as much superstition about the month of marriage as they did with the chosen day.
A well-know rhyme explains,
Marry on Monday for health
Tuesday for wealth,
Wednesday the best day of all,
Thursday for crosses,
Friday for losses, and
Saturday for no luck at all.
Sunday was absolutely out of the question!
Now on to the dress! Would you believe that white hasn’t always been believed to symbolize purity and that in the 18th century it was actually a sign of poverty? For the modern bride, white has obviously developed a new meaning but once again, during those times it was nothing to fool with!
A bride’s gown color was believed to carry a strong influence on one’s future.
White-chosen right
Blue- love will be true
Yellow- ashamed of her fellow
Red- wish herself dead
Black- wish herself back
Grey- travel far away
Pink- of you he’ll always think
Green- ashamed to be seen
Finally, the all knowing rhyme:
‘Something old’ signified a bride’s link with her past and a tie with her future family since it was regularly given by a family member. ‘Something new’ was a symbol of optimism and hope for the future, generally shown with a new dress, shoes, or gift from the groom. ‘Something borrowed’ was meant to be a small token given to the bride by a happily married woman. By wearing this, the bride carried with her a transfer of happiness from one couple to the next. ‘Something blue’ has many meanings, most commonly it was believed to signify love, modesty and fidelity. It can be represented by a small pin on the dress or in the hair, and even with flowers or shoes. Lastly, ‘And a silver sixpence in her shoe’. A sixpence was a British coin made from 1551-1967. It was made of silver and was meant to be placed inside the bride’s shoe to represent wealth and security. Obviously these are no longer in circulation so these days brides can opt for a penny or lucky coin instead!
Now, if there happens to be a reader out there who’s perfect May wedding falls on a Sunday and has just made the finishing touches on their pale green wedding dress, take a breather! Your wedding day is not doomed! Flaunt that green dress and make your own traditions! After all, what is a modern bride if not one to break tradition?!
