The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-09-06
Matrimonial superstItions.

in this country are mostly lmportations
from the old world, where they are
still rife. Great Britain is not d whit
behind the other nations of Europe in
the variety and absurlity 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 Jourla-
al, and to "Notes 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-
ter will have to work hard and long to
eradicate them.
The greater portion originated. prob
ably. iii the fertile brains Of fortune
tellers who imposed certain observ-
ances upon their credulous customers
on pretense Of bringing about speedy
marriage. Others may have been de-
rived from accidental coincidence of
good or bad luck with some actual oc-
currence. Others, again, are evident
ly the remains OF ancient religious
ceremonies. OF the latter is the prac-
tice of the women of Jarr0w, In the
county Durham, who Immediately af-
ter the marriage ceremony, seat them.
selves in an ancient oak chair, said to
have belonged to the venerable Bede !;
If they omit doing this; they will not
have children. So is the abstaining
from marrying in Lent, and upon In
nocent's day and st. Joseph's day.
Marry in Lent, and you'll repent"
is a 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 tdSti ct neflSti, lucky and unlucky
days. June was their favorite month,
and in the oIden time, ~ England, it
was considered the most propitious for
marriage of the months In the year;
but that prosaic record, the Registrar
Generals report, shows that May is
now the month which boasts of SUI
premacy in this respect. Anyhow,
there is little heed given to the ungal-
liant reminder, that no man enters the
holy state withoutrepenting 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 Oh
Thursday result in crosses those on
Friday in losses, and those OH Satur-
day 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 cites an old manuscript OF the
fifteenth century for the superstition
that there are tlirty-two days in the
year on which it is nnlucky to marry;
these days are: January /, 2, 4, ), 7,
10, 1856, Z, ls; March |, 8, D; April
&, II May D, q, Z; June I, 10; July
5, 10; August Ii, 10 September 6. Z;
October q; November 10, 10: and De-
cember 10, 26, Y.
As it is not easy to carry these days
in ones memory, many violations of
this rule doubtless occur unwittingly,
though 1t is to be feared that there are
many persons so regardless Of times
and seasons do marry Whenever 1t suits
them to DO 80. 1t Is VAN to press upon
them I" the wisdom Of our ancestors
but there may be Others who are open
to conviction, and their attention is
invited to the following morsels of ad-
vice and experience handed down from
sire to son, and from mother to daugh-
ter.
1t is unllcky to put Off wedding
when once the day las been fixed; to
be married when the sun isnot shining
on the bride !; to marry any one ont of
whose initials aud your own o word
can be formed to meet wolf, dog,
cat, lizard, serpent, spider or toad, on
the way to the church. 1t is fatal for
a bride to iieara cat sneeze the day
before the wedding; and for her to
omit throwing away every one OF the
pins IN her bridal dress; II she retains
a single one OF them nothing Will go