Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-12-06
MARRIAGE NOTIONS.
Queer Customs and Practices Obtaining
In Old-WOrld Countries.

4
Queer Customs and Practices Obtainin e
In Old-World Countries.
There is curious custom in modern
Greece. The groom is shaved by a
young man whose parents are both liv-
ing, while the young girls and young
men sing: Razor silvered and gilt,
shave tenderly the young mans cheeks,
don't leave a hair, lest the parents of
his bride think him ugly"
In the Vosges mountains the young
women who dress the bride strive as
to who shall stick the first pin in the
bridal robe. as the successful one will
be married the same year. 1t was
lucky for English bridesmaids to throw
pins away. The bride must not look
into the mirror after she is dressed for
the ceremony, unless she puts on some
article of apparel afterward.
In Russia the bride must avoid eat
ing the wedding cake on the eve of the
ceremony or she will lose her hus-
bands love. The sneezing of cat on
the eve of a marriage was considered a
good omen in the middle ages. but the
bowling of a dog then, as now, was
especially ominous.
The bees are informed of wedding
in Derbyshire and their hives dec
Grated.
1t is deemed especially ominous in
in Scotland for lump of SCOT TO fall
down and spoil the breakfast on the
day of the wedding, for bird to die in
~ - "a !,
window sill and chirp long. The bride
must carefully avoid breaking a dish
on that day.
In Greece the groom is lightly
sprinkled with water on leaving the
home for the ceremony. The bride
must visit the oven in company with
her father or a near relative. to salute
it, and obtain leave to set out.
The Romans deemed it an ill omen
to meet certain animals on the way to
the ceremony. A priest, hare, dog,
cat, lizard or serpent was unlucky in
the middle ages-a wolf, toad or spider
lucky.
In Scotland it is particularly omin-
GUS to meet funeral. Bride or groom
was certain to die soon, as the sex of
the person buried was male or female
In one part of Yorkshire the groom on
meeting a male acquaintance, rubbed
his elbow for luck.
Especially ominous are bitches or
accidental happenings during the cere-
mony. To lose the ring is at all times
unfortunate, but particularly so before
the ceremony. In France, during the
middle ages, a ring of straw or one
made from a horseshoe nail was
placed on the brides finger, and
some had as many as five such rings.
The couple also stood on a ring
during the ceremony. In Brittany, if
the wife seeks to rule, she must take
care that the ring, when placed on her
finger, shall slip at once to its place on
her finger, instead of allowing it to
stop at the first joint. The bride who
lost her ring lost her appetite, and to
break it portended death.
Attention is also paid in the latter
province to altar candles. If they burn
brightly throughout the mass the
couple will live tremendously. The one
whose candle burns with the brightest
flame will live longest. If one goes
out then its donor will die that year.
The Swedish bride tries to see the
groom before he sees her, to gain the
She places her foot before
his during the ceremony, and sits in
the bridal chair first. She must stand
near the groom, so that no one can
come between them.-.St Louis Globe
De1,Ocr1f