Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-18
WEDDING FOLKLO ORE.
Propitiating Good Fairies is
All Important.
F A MILIAR TOKENS
WEDDING RING IS THE MOST
ANCIENT OF ANY.
Throwing Shoes is of Modern Intro~
duction-Some of the
Others.

Written FOR The Evening Star.
There is much marrying and giving IN
marriage these October days, and a each
and every ceremony bride and guests are
careful to preserve hallowed traditions.
Superstition may be detied on all occasions
but these. A wedding without blue earters
and rice and Old shoes is almost, if not
quite, as bad as Hamlet" with the Prince
of Denmark out of the cast. But although
everybody knows what should be done to
propitate the good fairies, few have any
idea of the origin Of the hundred and one
customs attending the wedding day.
The use of the ring is. without doubt the
most ancient and symbolic accessory Of
the celebration of marriage. So prevalent
| is the feeling regarding its Indispensability
| that strange substitutes have been used in
cases of emergency when the conventional
| hoop of gold had been forgotten. Curtain
| rings and key rings have done duty. and Il
| more personal substitute has often been
| devised by cutting a ring from the bride
srooms glove.
| Ancieutly ring marked an office Of great
| dignity being worn only ny a king or given
! by him to his messengers. that their aU-
| thoritY might be established. As civiliza-
| ton advanced and wOman's position was
| more chvalrously regarded the ring was
given her as a token OF the high dignity
bestowed upon her in the marriage cere-
mony.
The choice of the form of the ring is for
a twOfod reason-the poetic meaning
crihed to it and the fact that its plainness
makes it more practical for constant use.
Among the Egyptians a circle the
herOglyphic expression of eternity. Its
adaptation for the marriage token In
preference to a pin or earring or any OF her
kind of ornament is said to be that it
be worn constantly and is not put off with
any particular garment; also that il Is al
ways within sight Of the bride, keeping the
bridegroom in mind.
Various reasons are given for the adOp-
ton of the so-called ring finger the rest
ing place of this emblem and to this usage
also the fanciful and utilitaran mind has
ascribed diverse origins.
Poetical Anatomy.
The former Interpretation has it that tho
belief was very current, before the days OF
advanced anatomy, that a small artery ran
from this finger to the heart directly. What
could be more to the purpose Of poetical
Logic than that the wedding ring should
rest there? The choice of the left hand is
by some supposed to symbolic the submis-
sion of the wife to her husband
The practical mind disposes of these
fanCies by suggesting that in this position
the ring was more protected from wear ard
injury or loss, the left hand Is not
much in use as the right, and this finger
Is protected on either side and is capable
q less degree DGent action
any other finger
In MANY old pictures Of the Virgin. her
ring painted on her forcfnger. as was
the custom for the wearing OF it in ancient
Greece and Rome. This finger is the
nearest the mount Of Jupiter, Indicating
the pride of dignity.
An old Italian custom placed the BIRTH
month stone Of the bride in her wedding
ring. and this idea became elaborated into
the using of twelve stones. one for each
month. that no good fairy might be unpru-
pitiated. Through this custom the ring be-
came enormously expensive as to be u
severe tax many a humble groom in the
middle ges. and hence the revulsion to the
plain circlet of gold in universal use.
The modern practice of a gift OF jewelry
from the groom to the bride aside of the
engagement or wedding ring) Is a survival
of the old institution Of the ''daw-purse."
nurse of coins. which he gave her to
signify that he had purchased her from her
friends.
The giving of gifts by the friends of the
young couple has a very different signifi-
canoe now from its original zone. Instead
of token Of compliment or expression Of
good will ii ancientlE Of much more
practical import. It was frankly consider
ed that the friends should by this means
help the young people starting out on their
life Journey.
The wedding cake is development Of tho
three ears Of wheat carried by the bride IN
very olden times aS a presa sc of plenty
of the good things Of life. In time
the grain thus formerly carried was ground
and made into small cakes which were
thrown over the brides head as she entered
her first house. pile of these fiat cakes
were laid upon another, after the man
ner of shew-bread in old illustrations Of
Bible times. Thus by a natural evolution
the present form of one huge round
cake. for whose elaborate appearance and
composition We have the French to thank.
The Brides Knights.
The bachelor friends Of the groom who
boy no of
ly called bride knights" and had the
honor of conducting the bride to the church
before the ceremony. For this attendance
the bride bestowed a pair of gloves upon
each of them. whence comes the presence OF
gloves among wedding trophies. 1t is also
an old Belgic custom for the groom TO give
a pair of gloves to the bride during the
ceremony. as he gives the ring; gloves as
the covering of the hands typifying the
giving of the hand in good faith.
The probable precedent for the tying IN
of the bridal carriage and baggage of today
in white is found in account of an Eng
liSh country wedding of 11S-b. This tells of
the decorating Of trees and poles in the
street where the bridegroom lived with
white paper cut in the form of gloves and
ribbons.
The bestowing of the brides garters is
proba bly, relic of the very ancient custom
of untying the brides girdle Immediately
after the wedding and bestowing it on some
favored friend. Formerly the garter Tor
carriers. as many were often used were
given by the bride to some young men as q
mark of favor. and some authorities quote
this as the probable beginning of The Or
der of the Carter rather than the more
familiar legend. The only alluson to tho
throwing of the shoe in former times is an
account of a wedding in 1910, in which the
sole Of the grooms shoe placed on the
brides head, indicating submission.
Every country has particular legends and
Supersttitons on this subject, and every
usage connected with the wedding had its
origin as a symbol Of some sentiment.
Copdu Got Tbro110h