Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-06-27
THE WEDDING CAKE.
This Gem of the Confectioners Art F"s-
sesses an Ancient Pedigree.

What bride or groom is aware that the
cake which towers aloft above all other
luxuries that grace their nuptial feast
boasts of ancient lineage or is symbolical
of one of the most essential rites in the
earliest union of man and wife? Yet, II
one may believe all that the London Prac-
teal Confectioner tells, the earliest concep-
ton OF this gem of the confectioner's art
dates back to period of the remoteSt an
tiquitv, and the chronicles of its birth and
genealogical descent are scarcely less inter
esting than those of the growth of wediock
itself. Long before the introduction of the
wedding ring, some 2,o0o years ago, the
counterpart of what is now known AS
brides cake was an established institu-
ton Long before even the church itself
was thought of it was SO necessary an ad-
junct in the solemnization Of marriage
that without 1t the ceremonial WAS eon>id
cred invalid
Like most things archaic II must be ad-
mittcd that what has been called the pre-
else origination of bread ceremony at
primitive wcdd 'ngs is shrouded In mytho-
logical mvster Among ancient writers
on the subject Quintus Curtius Is proha
bly, the most definite. He alludes 10 the
laws of Romulus pertaining 70 IT. which
the latter. in turn, is said to have based
upon those of the Etruscans and other bar
barous races who preceded the foundation
of Rome Instead Of adopting an claho-
rate process of betrothal and marriage the
ever practical Romuius devised "a simple
method known as confarreatio, whereby
the parties by simply eating loaf Of bar
lev together. with earlier formalitics, &C
compliShcd their union at once, mus
arose the bread ceremony in contracting
marriage, and that barley loaf was the
first ancestor Of the British wedding cake.
In subsequent times the coarser barley
product gave place to fine wheaton cakes
at confarreation celebrations, and the prac-
ticc sprung up of distributing these among
the families and friends Of the welded
pair As civilization advanced other forms
Of marriage crcpt in, and eventually su-
pcFscded confirmation, but the ancient
cake eating custom remained in vogue.
Indeed as the baker 5 art progressed these
cakes became more and more ornamental
in appearance, and an impression began to
prevail that they Were Cmbematic Of hap
pincss and plenty rather than relic Of by
gone nuptial vows; hence in all civilized
countries the bridal cake is now regarded a
prcsaging an abundance of all good things
to those who are privileged to partake OF
it. The original idea however, Of the unity
that was established by eating these cakes
was never entirely dissociated from them.
Il was thought therefore, that the practice
of giving separate cake to each person
was not quite so appropriate to the occa
sion as the giving To each a portion OF onr
and the same cake, and one Wedding CAKE
came to be substituted for several.
1t must not, however, be imagined that
this modern development OF Romulus'
barley loaf has enjoyed an uninterrupted
career of popularity in its growth AT scv-
eral epoehs in the worlds history its ex-
istence, in Europe at least, has been threat
ened by more or less prolonged intervals
of neglect and disuse, but notwithstand-
ing all the vicissitudes Of its eyentful ca
reer 1t Is now a more popular institution
than ever, and, thanks to the eonfeetion-
er's skill. will probably SO continue.