Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-07-17
THE WEDD[NG-CAKE.
Customs of the People Of Different
Nations.
Various Legends and Traditions Con.
eernfng the Brlde-Cske-SOme
Popular Notions, Ceremonies
aud SupcrstitlOns.
IOnlon Oueen

/
| o. eating altogether. l: appears that at a
i marriage ceremony Of this kind offerings Of
a cake and sheep was made to the gods. The
skin OF the sheep was spread over two chairs,
upon which the bride and bridegroom sat
down with their heads uncovered. Then the
marriage was completed in the presence Of
the Pontifex Maximus anG ten witnesses,
after which another sacrifice was offered. A
cake was made Of far and mola salsa by
vestal virgins, and WIS carried before
the bride when she was conducted to the
residence Of her husband 1t is BY no means
clear. however, that We have adopted the
custom from the Romans, inasmuch as the
same practice, under various forms, has ex-
listed from time immemorial among remote
savages or semi-civilized people, who cannot
be supposed to have obtained it from the
Romans
Thus, Sir John Lubbock, in his Origin Of
Civilization, tells ms how among the Iroquois
the bride and bridegroom used 10 partake
together Of a cake Of Sagomite, which the
bride offered to her husband. The Fiji
islanders have very similar custom. Among
the Tipperahs, one of the hill tribe OF Chitta-
gong, the bride prepares some drink, sits on
her lovers knee, drinks half, and gives him
the other half; they afterwards crook together
their little fingers. In one form or another
a SIMILAR custom Is found among most of the
hill tribes Of India. The true derivation OF
the bride cake, therefore, is probably TO be
sought not 70 much in the old Roman mar
ringe rite Of Confarreatio,as in its sy mbolical
nature corn IN one form or another--either
In whole grains or made into II cake or bis
cuit-having been from very remote per-
iod in the worlds history regarded as the
emblem Of plenty and prosperity Among
the Liburans, before the dinner was over the
bride and all the guests rose from the table
and She threw over the roof Of tho bride
groom's house u cake called kolarh, which
was made Of coarse dough. The higher She
threw it the happier it was supposed would
the marriage he, and, rs the house low
and the cake hard, the bride seldom failed 10
insure IA lucky omen.
According t. an Esthonian wedding Gus
tom, a can Of beer is poured over the bride
grooms horse and handful of rye is scat
tered over the heads Of the bridal couple for
good luck's sake. In Sweden the bride has
her pockets filled with bread, il being a pop
ular belief that every piece she gives to the
poor on her way TO church will avert some
misfortune. In eastern countries rice, which
is the staple food is substituted, and holds a
prominent place in the nuptial ceremony.
Thus Oh the Malabar coast OF India the
priest sprinkles the bride and bridegroom
with rice, and among the Brahms the bride
groom throws three handfuls Of rice on the
brides head In Java the bride and bride
groom partake of rice out Of the same dish 10
insure good luck. Hence we may trace the
practice in our own country Of scattering rice
On the bridal couple In Italy the mother of
a newly married man, on his arrival home
with his wife, throws some rice behind the
back of the bride.
Without enumerating further illustrations,
il is evident that the idea Of corn in some
form as all emblem of prosperity has been
most extensively interviewer with the mar
riage ceremonies Of most nations to which
therefore, may probably be ascribed the rev
erence attached to our bride-cake Again.
that this is SO seems further clear from many
of the oil marriage customs still kept up in
different parts Of the country, and in which
the bride-cake, the symbol OF good luck,
holds the prominent place. Thus in York
shire and IN the northern counties the bride
cake is cut into small square pieces and
then thrown for luck over the heads
Of the bridal couple, after which it is
passed through ring. Occasionally, also,
on the brides arrival at her fathers door u
plate filled with cake is thrown from All upper
window OH the crowd below. An augury
is then drawn from the fate which attends
the plate for, should it he unbroken,
the sign is ominous; but otherwise-and the
more pieces 1t breaks into the better good
luck will follow the marriage. The same
practice prevails in Scotland, where on re-
turning home from the kirk, one OF the old
est Of the inhabitants throws a plateful of
shortbread over the brides head A scram-
BILE for the broken fragments then ensues, it
being deemed very lucky to get a piece.
by the way Of variation, a cur
rant bun is broken over the head OF the
bride, but it is considered very unlucky il
the bun, by mistake, should be broken over
the head Of any person other than the bride
Referring to other bride-cake customs, IL |
appears that in Westmoreland at the
conclusion of the marriage ceremony
the company returned in caval- |
cade to the brides fathers house,
where they had dinner On their arrival |
home every one was presented with slice Of
known as wineberry (cur-
rant cake,-which the bride cut up and the
bridegroom handed round 10 the guests. |
in his History Of Clay brook" de-
scribes another custom: "A pole was erected |
in front OF tho house, three or four feet high |
with the cake stuck upon the top of it. On |
the instant the bride set out from her old |
habitation n company Of young men started |
ID on horseback, and he who was fortunate
enough to reach the pole first and knock the
cake down with his stick hai the bonor OF
receiving it from the hands of the damsal
ON the point Of a wooden sword, and with this
trophy he returned to meet the bride and her
attendants
As might he expected, the bride-cake did
not fail TO become an equally important
source of attraction in love divinations To
Bndow the bride-cake, however, with pro-
phetic virtues, il was considered essential to
pass it through wedding ring; and, accord
ing to Brand, once was not sufficient, MANY
performing this magic rite as many rs nine
times Numerous illustrations Of this super
.tition occur in the literature Of bygone
times. Again, are further told by Mr..
Napier, in his Folklore OF the West OF
that Immediately after the
ceremony the bride cake, Q
arge AMI deliberately prepared article, is
ut up and distributed Young girls still put
/ piece under their pillows in order 70
obtain prophetic dreams. In some cases
his is done by a friend writing the names OF
hrec young men ON piece OF paper, and the
AXE, wrapped in it. is put under the pillow
Tor three nights In succession before it is
opened Should the owner Of the cake have
dreamed Of one Of the three young men
herein written 1t Is regarded as a proof that
he Is 10 be be her future husband"
In some parts Of the north Of England, q
,ractice has existed from time immemorial
Il putting ring among the ingredients OF
he cake, and Ia invite the guests in siccs
iou to cut a slice. The person who is lucky
'nough t. hold the knife when il comes upon
he hidden ring is considered to be sure OF
happiness for the ensuing twelve months
/. Burnley we tiui variation of this custom |
I being the practice to put q wedding
ing and a sixpence into fat currant cake
" hen the company are about 10 retire at the
lose Of the days festivities the cake is broken
md distributed among the single ladies. No
mall excitement is now occasicned, II being
popular notion that she who gets the ring
n her portion of cake will shortly oe mar
led, whereas the one who obtains the six.
'ence will die an old maid. 1t is unnecessary
o add further illustr atoms Of these bride
AXE dioinstions. AS those We have quoted are
fair simple Of the whole class They are
ot confined. moreover, TO our own country, |
'ut are found. in one shape or smother, on
he continent, where the bride-cake figures
'romnrntly IN many of the marriage GUS
oms
The Boers OF south Africa.
The Cf,rrsrt