The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-09-01
Miscellaneous.
Matrimonial Superstitions.

Matrimonial SuperstitiOns.
Those superstitions which are found
n this country are mostly importations
rom the Old World, where they are
Till rife. Great Britain is not a whit
behind the other nations of Europe In
the variety and absurdity of its super
stitious observances, especially OF those
relating to marriage, the subject which
has most charms for the young. some
active contributors TO Chambers
Journal and to Nytes and Queries"
have recently exercised their patience
In collecting these matrimonial saws
and proverbs, and from the number OF
them it is evident that the schoolmas'
fer will have to work hard and long TO
eradicate them. The greater portion
originated, probably, in the fertile
brains of fortune-tellers, who imposed |
certain observances upon their credu'
Ious customers, on pretence OF bringing
about speedy marriage. Others may
have been derived from the accldentai
coincidence of goo1 or bad luck with
some actual occurrence. Others, again,
are evidently the remains of ancient
religious ceremonies. or the latter
class Is the practice of the women OF
Jarrow, in the county of Durham, who
Immediately after the marriage cere.
mony, seat themselves in an ancient
oak chair, said to have belonged to the
venerable Bede; If they omit doing
this, they will not have children. 80 Is
the abstaining from marrying in Lent,
and upon Innocents' Day and st. JOS
ephs Day. marry in Lent, and you'll
repent" is very old proverb. Per-
haps the belief that certain months and
days are more propitious for marriage
than others, is derived from the Ro-
mans, who observed their dies Jdsti ct
nefasti, lucky and unlucky days..
Juno was their favorite month, and In
the olden time, in England, 1t was con-
sidered the most propitious for mar
rage of all the months in the year but
that prosaic record, the Registrar Gen.
erals report, shows that May is now
the month which boasts of supremacy
in this respect. Anyhow, there is little
heed given to the ungallant reminder,
that no man enters the holy state with
out repenting before the year is out. In
England, among the country lasses,
each day of the week has its good or
bad character; thus, If money be desir-
ed, Monday is tho best day If health,
Tuesday; if happiness, Wednesday
but marriages made on Thursday result
in crosses, those on Friday in losses,
and those on Saturday have no luck at
all. Friday is looked upon as an un'
y lucky day by all classes among the un'
educated. no man will begin building
a house, and no sailor will 60 to sea,
on that day, if he can help 1t. The
Book of Days cites an old manu-
script of the fifteenth century for
the superstition that there are thirty
two days in the year on which 1t Is un'
lucky to marry; these days are Jan
uary /, 2, 4, 7, s, 10, 10; February g. 4
1s; March /, 6, 8; April 6, II; May .,
CT; June 7, 10; July s, 10; August To-
10; September 6, Z; October 6; Novem'
ber Is, l6; and December Is, 26, q. As
1t Is not easy to carry these days in ones
memory, many violations OF this rule
doubtless occur unwittingly, though II
is also to be feared that there are many
persons so regardless of times and sea
sons as to marry whenever it suits them
to do so. 1t is vain to press upon them
"the wisdom Of our ancestors" pu'
there may be others who are open to
conviction, and their attention is invit
cd to the following morsels OF advice
and experience, handed down from sire
to son and from mother to daughter. IL
is unlucky to put off wedding wher
once the day has been fixed to be mar
ricd when the sun is not shining on tht
bride; to marry any one out OF whose
initials and your own word can b'
formed to meet wolf, dog, cat, lizard
serpent, spider, or toad on the way tt
the church. 1t is fatal for a bride Il
hear cat sneeze the day before th'
wedding, and for her to omit throwing
away every one of the pins in her brida
dress; If she retain single one of them
nothing will 60 right. If there be ar
odd number Of wedding guests, one o
them will die before the year Is out.
In Scotland it is customary for tn
bridegroom's mother to welcome hom
the newly. married couple, by meetini
them at the door and breaking cur
rant bun over the BRIDES head Deioi
her foot crosses the threshold; but 1t
"very bad omen" If the bun is broker
over the wrong person, or after tn
bride has crossed the threshold. Form
erly in the Highlands "warlocks an
witches were kept Off" by taking car
that the bridegroom's left shoe bore n
buckle or latchet, or by driving
church with gray horses. In some part
Of England good luck is supposed to b
brought by friend making a he
. cacke il the house of the welded pair
but the breaking of the wedding rim
is an omen that lis wearer will soon b
widow. The custom Of throwing
slipper after the bride for good luck
still kept up.