Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-10-24
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MATRIMONIAL SUPERSTITIONs.

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MATRIMONIAL SUPERsTITIONs.
Those superstitions which are found in this
country are mostly importations from the ole
world, where they are still rife. Great Bri.
tain is not whit behind the other nations of
Europe in the variety and absurdity of its su.
perstitious observances, especially of those re-
lating to marriage the subject which has most
charms for the young. Some active contrib.
utors to Chambers Journal and to Notes and
Queries have recently exercised their patience
in collecting these matrimonial saws and pro-
verbs, and from the number of them it is evi-
dent 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 i'm.
posed certain observances upon their credu-
lous customers, on pretence Of bringing about
speedy marriage. Others may have been de-
rived from accidental coincidence Of good or
bad luck with some actual occurrence. Others,
again, are evidently the remains of ancient
religious ceremonies. Of the latter is the
practice of the women of Jarrow, in the coun-
ty of Durham, who Immediately after the mar
riage ceremony seat themselves in an ancient
oak chair, said to have belonged to the ven
erable Bede; f; if they omit doing this, they will
not have children. So is the abstaining from
marrying in Lent, and upon Innocent's Day
and St. Joseph's Day. "Marry in Lent, and
you'll repent" is very old proverb.
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 netast', lucky and
unlucky days. June was their favorite month,
and in the olden time, in England, it was
considered the most propitious for marriage of
all the months in the year; but that prosaic
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 without re-
penting 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 desired, Monday is the 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 unlucky day
by all classes among the uneducated no man
will begin building house, and no sailor will
60 to sea on that day, if he can help it. The
Book of Days cites an old manuscript Of the
fifteenth century for the superstition that there
are thirty-two days in the year on which it is
unlucky to marry these days are January
1874, s., 7, 10, Is; February 6, 7, 18; March
1,6, 8; April 6, II May 5, 6, 7; June 7, 15;
July 5, 19; August ID, 10; September 6, q;
October 6; November 15, 16; and December
Is, 26, 27.
As it is not easy to carry these days in ones
memory, many violations of this rule doubt
less occur unwittingly, though it is to be fear
ed that there are many persons so regardless
of times and seasons that do marry whenever
it suits them to do so. 1t is vain to press up
on them "the wisdom of our ancestors" but
there may be others who are open to convic-
tion, and their attention is invited to the fol-
lowing morsels of advice and experience han
ded down from sire to son, and from mother
to daughter:
1t is unlucky to put off wedding when
once the day has been fixed; to be married
when the sun is not shining on the bride; to
marry any one out of whose initials and your
own word can be formed; to meet a wolf,
dog, cat, lizard, serpent, spider or toad on the
way to the church. 1t is fatal for bride to
hear 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 retains
single one of them nothing will 60 right
If there be an odd number of wedding guests,
one of them will die before the year is out.
In Scotland, it is customary for the bride
groom's mother to welcome home the newly
married couple, by meeting them at the door
and breaking currant bun over the brides
head before her foot crosses the threshold !;
but it is "very bad omen" if the bun is bro
ken over the wrong person, or after the bride
has crossed the threshold. Formerly, in the
highlands, "warlocks of witches were kept off,
by taking care that the bridegrooms left shoe
bore no buckle nor latchet, or by driving to
church with grey horses. In some parts Of
England good luck is supposed to be brought
by friend making hen cackle in the house
ofthe welded pair; but the breaking of the
wedding ring is an omen that its owner will
soon be widow. The custom of throwing
slipper after the bride, for good luck, is still
kept up.