The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-09-01
Matrimonial snpergtitiona=

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Those superstitions which ar
found in this country are mostly in
portations from the old world, wher
they are still rife. Great Britain j
not a whit behind the other nation
Of Europe in the variety and absui
ldity of its superstitious obserYan
ces, especially of those relating t,
marriage, the subject which has mos
charms for the young. Some activ
contributors to Chambers Journa
and to "Notes and Queries" hav,
recently exercised their patience il
collecting these matrimonial saws
and proverbs, and from the number
of them it is evident that the school
master will have to work hard and
long to eradicate them. The great
er portion originated, probably, in
the fertile brains of fortune tellers
who imposed certain observances
upon their credulous customers on
pretense of bringing about speedy
marriage. Others may have been
derived from the accidental coinci-
dence Of good or bad luck with some
actual occurrence. Others again, are
evidently the remains of ancientreli.
gious ceremonies. OF the latter class
is the practice of the women of Jar
row, IN the county of Durham, who,
Immediately after the marriage GER
emOny, seat themselves in an ancient
oak chair, said to have belonged to
the venderable Bede; if they omit
doing this they will not have chill
dren. So is the abstaining from mar
rying in Lent, and upon nnocents'
Day and st. Joseph's Day. MARRY
in Lent, and you'll repent" is very
old proverb. Perhaps the belief that
certain mOnts and days are more pro-
pitious for marriage than others, is
derived from the Romans, who OBJ
served their dis .fastj ct aefasti
lucky and unlucky days). June
was their favorite month, and in the
olden time, in England, in was con-
sidered the most propitious of all
the months in the year; but that
prosaic record, the registrar general s
report, shows that May is now the
month which boats of supremacy in
this respect. Anyhow there is little
heed given to the ungallant remind
er, that no man enters the holy state
without repent1Dg before the year is
out. In England, among the coun-
try lasses, each day of the week has
its good or bad character; thus if
money is desired, Monday is the best
day; if health, Tuesday; if happi-
ness, 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 unlucky
day by all classes among the unedu-
Gated; no man will begin building a
house, and no sailor will go to sea
on that day, if he can help it. The
Book Of days citis an old manu-
script of the fifteenth century for the
superstition that there are thirty-two
davs in the year on which it is un-
lucky to marry; these days are:
January l, 2 4, 8, Z, 10, 10; Febru-
ary 6, Z, Is; March l, 6, 8; April 6,
IL; May 5, 6, Z; June 6, Is; July 3
10; August 10, 10; September 6, Z
October 6; November 15, Is, and
December 3, 26, q. As it is not easy
to carry these days in ones memory,
many violations of this rule doubt
less occur unwittingly, though it is
also to be feared that there are many
persons so regardless of times and
seasons as to marry whenever it suits
them to do so. 1t is vain to press
upon them "the wisdom of our an
cestors," but there may be others
who are open to conviction, and their
attention is invited to the following
morsels of advice and experience
handed down from sire to son and
from mother to daughter. 1t is un-
lucky to put of a wedding when
once the day has been fixed; to be
married when the sun is not shining
on the bride; to marry anyone out Of
whose initials and your own a word
can be formed; to meet a wolf, dog
cat, lizard, serpent, spider or toad
on the way to the church. 1t is fataI
to hear a cat sneeze the day before
the wedding; and for her to omit
throwing away every one of the pins
in her bridal dress; if she retain q
single one of them nothing will &C
right. If there be an odd number o.
wedding guests one of them will die
before the year is out.
In Scotland it is customary for the
bridegroom's mother to welcome
home the newly married couple b.
meeting them at the door and break
ing a currant bun over the BRIDE
head before her foot crosses the
threshold; but it is a very bad omen
if the bun is broken over the wrong
person, or after the bride haI
crossed the threshold. Formerly, il
theHighlands, "war-locks and withe:
were kept off" by taking care thai
the brides left shoe bore no buckle
or Iatchet. or by driving to church
with gray horses. In some parts Oi
England good luck is supposed to be
brought by friend making hen
cackle in the house of the welded
pair; but the breaking of the we'd
ding rings is an omen that the wearel
will soon be a widow. The custom
tom of throwing a slipper after the
bride for good luck is still kept up,
Philadelphia Ledger.