The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-03-19
WHEN THEY GET MARRIED.
Some Odd PranKs of Hymen-Ceremonie
Wise and Otherwlse-Queer Accom-
pauiments of the Nuptial Rite.

Very strange are some of the tere-
moines that attend the performance
OF the marriage rite. These differ
the world over, from the simple,
primitive custom of the savage who
observes no ceremony at all, to the
magnificent ritual service OF the
sclons OF nobility amid the blaze OF
wealth and strains OF sweet music in
a Notre Dame or a Westminster
Abbey. Many curious customs
might be cited.
1t is on record that as late as 1870
in Lincolnshire, poor widow very
deeply in debt, was married in an
attire of striking simplicity, as it was
only sheet. The reason for this
peculiar wedding garb was the belief
that il a woman were married thus
clothed, her husband could not be
held liable for any debts she had
previously contracted. In some
parts OF Kent. the path by which the
newly welded pair leave the church
is strewn with objects indicative OF the
groom's vocation. If he is ca
penter, shavings cover the path; if a
| blacksmith, nails and scraps OF old
iron, ifa paper hanger slips OF paper
and so on according to the trade OF
the groom. The very poor of Eng
land are fond OF penny weddings"
that is, weddings the expenses of
which are borne by the company
All the friends and relations gather
at the house of the groom, and when
the pair return thither after the cere-
mony has been performed, a napkin
containing roken bread and cheese
is emptied over their heads. Then
everyone makes great dash after
the pieces to carry Oft as souvenirs
OF the happy event. They have
another custom out in Yorkshire
among the lower classes. They call
it Throwing the stockings " After
the couple have retired, the friends
come to the door of the chamber,
and, standing with their backs to
the room, throw stockings backward
over the left shoulder at the bride.
The one who hits her or comes
nearest to hitting her, in a given
time, will be married first.
Speaking of the attire of the bride
it is a curious fact that up till about
1880 bonnets and hats W ere worn at
weddings. Queen Victoria started
the fashion of being married bare
headed. Still, bonnets were often
worn after this. In Germany they
used to crown the bride with a chap
let of myrtle, but this has given
place to the now conventional wreath
of orange blossoms. We are SO
much accustomed to seeing orange
flowers worn by the bride, that we
are apt to forget Of how very recent
date, comparatively speaking, the
fashion is. With reference 10 the
custom a writer in H0HSeh0ld Words
says:
1t came to us, like most other
female fashions in dress, from the
French, who in their turn had
derived it from Spain. In the latter
country it had long obtained and is
said to have been originally OF
Moorish origin. There is, however,
an old Spanish legend which gives a
different account OF its Introduction.
According to this soon after the
importation OF the orange tree by
the Moors, one of the Spanish Kings
had specimen OF which he was very
proud, and of which the French
ambassador was extremely desirous
to obtain an otfshoot. The garden
er's daughter was aware OF this, and
in order to provide herself with the
necessary dowry to enable her to
marry her lover she obtained a slip,
which she sold to the ambassador
at high price. On the occasion of
her gratitude to the plant which had
procured her happiness she bound
in her hair wreath of orange bios.
SONS, and thus inaugurated the
fashion which has become universal
The Moors introduced the orange
into Spain at very early date, and
though this legand makes it very
old as tal as Spain is concerned, the
usage was not adopted in other
countries until some centuries later
than the supposed time of the Incl
dent.
The marriage ceremony practiced
by the people of Borneo is very
short and simple. Bride and groom
are brought out before the assembled
tribe with great solemnity and seated
side by side. A betel nut IS then
cut in two by the medicine woman
of the tribe, and one-haIt is given to
the bride and the other halt to the
groom. They begin to chew the