Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-05-29
1He WEDDING CAKE.
This Gem OF the Confectioner's Art Pos
sesscs nm Ancient Pedigree.

sesscs Nm Ancient Pedigree.
What bride or groom Is aware that the
CAKE which towers aloft above oil other
luxurics that grnce their nuptial feast
boasts of ancient lineage or Is symbolical
of ono of tho most essential rites In the
earliest union Of man and wife? Yet II
one may believe all that the London Prac-
tical Confcctioncr tells the earliest conCcp-
ton of this gem of the confcctioncr's art
dates back to q period Of the remotest an
tiauity, and tho chronicles OF its birth and
genealogical descent are scarcely less inter
esting than those of the growth OF wedlock
itself. Long before the introduction OF the
wedding ring, some 2, 900 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 adj
iunct in the solemnization of marriage
that without 1t the ceremonial was consid-
cred invalid.
Like most things archaic 1t must be ad-
mittcd that what has been called the pre-
else origination of "bread ceremony" at
primitive weddings is shroudcd in mytho-
logical mystery. Among ancient writers
on the subject Quintus Curtius is proba-
bly tho most definite. He alludos to the
laws of Romulus pertaining to 1t, 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 clabo-
rate process Of bctrothal and marriage the
ever practical Romulus devised simple
method known as confarreatio, whereby
the parties by simply cating loaf of bar
ley together, with earlier TO ~ .litics &c
complishcd their union ut once. Thus
arose the "brcad 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-
pcrseded confarreation, but the ancient
cake eating custom remained in vogue.
Indeed as the bakers art progressed these
cakes became more and more ornamental
in appearance, and an impression began to
prevail that they were cmblematic of hap
piness and plenty rather than n relic of by
gone nuptial vows; hence in all civilized
countries the bridal cake is now regarded as
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 ASSOCIATED from them.
1t was thought therefore, that the practice
of giving q separate cake to each person
was not quite SO appropriate to tho occa-
sion as the giving to each Il portion of one
and the Same cake and one wedding cake
camc 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 sew.
eral cpochs in the worlds history its ex.
istcncc, in Europe at least, has been threat
encd by more or less prolonged intervals
of neglect and disusc, but notwithstand-
ing all the vicissitudcs Of its evcntful ca.
rcer it is now moro popular institution
than ever, and, thanks to the confection-
ers skill, will probably so continue.