Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-08-16
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From tho Philads,phis Lsdssr.l


Those superstitions which are found
In this country r mostly importa-
lions from the old world, where they
are still rife. Great Britain Is not q
whit behind the other nations of Eu-
rope In the variety and absurdity Of
its superstitious observances, especially
Of those relating to marriage, the sub
ject which has most charms for the
young. Some active contributors to
Chambers Journal and to Notes and
Queries, have recently exercised their
patience In collecting these matrimo-
NAL saws and proverbs, and from the
number of them 1t Is evident that the
schoolmaster 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 credulous customers on pretense
Of bringing about speedy marriage.
Others may have been derived from
the accidental coincidence of good or
bad luck with some actual occurrence.
Others, again, are evidently the re-
mains of ancient religious ceremonies.
OF the latter class Is the practice Of the
women of Jarrow, In the county Of
Durham, who, Immediately after the
marriage ceremony, seat themselves In
an ancient oak chair, said to have be-
longed to the venerable Bede II they
omit doing this they will not have
children. So Ia the abstaining from
marrying In Lent, and upon limo
cents Day and st. Joseph's Day.
"Marry In Lent, and you'll repent"
is a very old proyerb. Perhaps the
belief that certain months and days
are more propitious for marriage than
others, Is derived from the Romans,
who observed their dies fasti ct netasti
lucky and unlucky days.l June was
their fayorite month, and In the olden
time, In England, It vas considered
the most ~propitious for marriage Of all
the months In the year; but that pro-
sale record, the Registrar Generals
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 de-
sired, Monday Is the best day ; II
health, Tuesday; If happiness, Wednes-
day but marriages made on Thursday
result In crosses ; those on Friday In
losses, and those on Saturday have nc
luck at all. Friday Is looked upon as
an unlucky day by all classes among
the uneducated no man will begin
building q house, and no sailor will 20
to sea, on that day, If he can help It.
The Book of Days cites an old manu-
script of the fifteenth century for the
superstition that. there r thirty-two
days In the year on which 1t Is unlucky
to marry ; these days are January
/, 2, 4, g., z, 10, 10; February 8, 7, 10;
March l, G, 8; April @ II May s, O,
Z; June Z, Is; July s. 0; August 10,
10; September 6, Z; October 3; No
vember Is, l6 and December IL, 26,
q. As It Is not easy to carry these
days In ones memory, many VIOLA
lions OF this rule doubtless occur un-
Willingly, though It Is also to be feared
that there are many persons so regard
less Of times and seasons as to marry
whenever 1t suits them to do so. II Is
vain to press upon them "tle wisdom
of our ancestors" but there may be
others who are open to conviction, and
their attention Is invited to the follow
ing morsels of advice and experience
handed down from sire to son and
from mother to daughter. It Is un-
lucky to put off a wedding when once
the day has been fixed to be married
when the sun Is not shining on the
bride ; to marry any n out Of whose
initials and your own a word can DO
formed; to meet q wolf, dog, cat,
lizard, serpent, spider or toad, OIL the
way to the church. It Is fatal for a
bride to hear a cat sneeze the day be-
fore the wedding and for her to omit
throwing away every n Of the pins
In her bridal dress; If she retain q
single one of them nothing will 60
right. II there be an odd number Of
wedding guests one Of them will die
before the year Is out.
In Scotland 1t Is customary for the
b~ridegroom's mother to welcome home
the newly married couple, by meeting
them at the door and breaking a cur
rant bun over the BRIDES head before
her foot crosses the threshold, but 1t Is
n every bad omen" If the bun Is
broken over the wrong person, or after
the bride has crossed the threshold.
Formerly In the Highlands ".warlocks
and witches were kept off" by taking
care that the brldegroom's LEFT shoe
bore no buckle orlatchet, or by driving
to church with gray horses. In some
parts Of England good luck Is supposed
to be brought by a friend making a hen
cackle In the house Of the welded pair;
but the breaking Of the wedding ring
Is an omen that Its wearer will soon be
q widow. The custom Of throwing a
~olinnor q for rho hridn fnr nood lncE Ia