Formerly, they used to sacrifice animals on such occasions, with the belief that the sacrifice averted evil from the marrying couple. To emphasize that belief, they applied the blood of the sacrificed animal upon the forehead of the couple. So, when the custom of animal sacrifice ceased to exist, the red pigment seems to have been substituted as a symbol. The long vertical mark symbolized a ray of the sun, who is the fructifying agent in nature. The mark on the forehead of the bride is round, and it symbolizes the moon, which shines by the absorbed rays of the sun, and which therefore is represented as a conceiving agent.
Man is in relation to woman, what the sun is in relation to the moon.
Garlands play a prominent part in the marriage customs of many nations. They were common among the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Jews. In old Anglo-Saxon churches, the priests blessed the pair and put garlands of flowers round their necks. For the particular occasion, the bridegroom's position is taken to be elevated. In ancient times, among several nations, the marrying couple put on crowns.