Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-01-31
About Marriage.

Among the ancient Assyrians all the
marriageable young girls were assembled
at one place and the public crier put
them up, one after another.
The money which was received foI
those who were handsome and conse.
quently sold we'll was bestowed as q
wedding portion upon those who were
plain.
When the most beautiful had been
disposed of the more ordinary looking
were offered for certain sum to those
who were willing to take them.
In this way all the women we're pro-
vided with husbands.
Among the Greeks the marriage ritual
is very elaborate and lasts almost an
hour.
1t consists of prayers chanted by the
priests, the signing of bride and bride
groom on the forehead three times with
ring; the blessing of two wreaths.
which are afterwards placed on their
heads: the drinking of wine three times
from the same cup; the kissing of the
office-book and the priests hands; the
parade made three times around the
center table by the entire party.
Throughout the Empire of Morocco
there are villages where the eldest mem
bers of the adult population follow pro-
fessionally the pursuit of fattening
young girls for the matrimonial market
of Barbary.
The Moors, like the Turks, give de-
cided preference to ''moenfaced" wives
over lean ones, and are more solicitous
As to the number of pounds which their
brides weigh than about the stock of ac.
complistmenIs which they possess.
The fattening process begins when
the girl is about twelve yeare old.
Stiff maize, porridge, kneaded up with
grease, is daily fed to her in the form of
boluses.
If she declines to take them they are
crammed down her throat.
On the Malibar coast of India the
priest sprinkles the bride and bridegroom
with rice.
Among the Brahmins the bridegroom
throws three handfuls of rice on the
brides head.
Possibly. as in Persia, the rice is re.
gaIded as an emblem of fruitfulness.
At marriage ceremony in Japan
neither bride nor bridegroom will wear
clothes of a purple cloth, because they
IcRdIu IL DIS Tie COlOI nOSI lidUl6 u
fade.
The custom of throwing an old shoe
after the bride is an ancient one and
common to many countries.
In Scotland a perfect volley Of old
shoes and slippers is thrown after the
happy couple.
Superstitious fancies have clHng to
the marriage ceremony through all ages
and in all countries, and even the brides
of To day pretend to be influenced by
them.
Certain days were considered lucky
and certain other days unlucky.
Those days and seasons were designa-
ted by rhymes, which went very far to
perpei uate the superstitiOns.
Even at the present day we hear such
couplets as the following:
Wednesday the best day of all,
Saturday no luck at all.
Who marries b'tween sickle and scythe
Will never thrive.
From the marriages in May
All the BARNS die and decay.
Marry in Lent
And you'll live TO repent.
In the earliest weddings among the
Jews the fourth dav of the. week was
considered an unlucky day for virgins to
wed, and the fifth for the widows.
The Romans regarded June as the
most propitiOus month in the year for
matrimony.
In many countries May marriages
were considered unlucky.
In China marriages are positively pro-
hibited at certain times and seasons on
account of their being unlucky.
There was at one time a superstition