Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-28
WON ANS WEDDING DAY
FOLKLORE OF BRIDES AND
BRIDESMAIDS IN EUROPE.
Germans Throw Brides Shoe Among
the Guests-Sa1t as q
Charm.
From the London Mail.

writes Thiste1ton Dyer, a bride on her re-
turn home from church Is often at once
robbed of all the pins about her dress by
her single friends around her, from the be-
lief that whoever possesses one Of them will
be married in the course of year.
Similarly, the Germans have a custom of
throwing brides shoe among the guests
at a wedding, the person who succeeds in
getting it being considered to have every
prospect Of a speedy marriage. and among
the many other customs associated with
the brides shoe may be- mentioned the
German practice for the mother of the
bride to strew salt and dill in her shoes
prior to her going to the church. repeating
at the same time this charm:
din cease not from VIII,
Salt relax not.
It Is also customary for both bride and
bridegroom to strew dill and salt in their
malignant influence.
In the northern counties a bride is ex-
pressly warned, "be sure when you go to
get married that you don't go In at one
ooor ana out at another, or you will be
always unlucly.''
An instance of a similar piece Of folk
lore Is recorded by the late Cuthbert Bede
IN Notes and Queries as having occurred
at a wedding that took place in a Worces-
tershire village in October, 1877
He thus writes: THE bride and BRIDE
groom at the conclusion of the ceremony
left the church by the chancel door, in
stead or following the usual custom Of walk
Ing down the church and through the nave
door. One Of the oldest Inhabitants in
mentioning this to me, said that it be-
tokened bad luck, and that she had never
known a like instance but once In her life
when the married couple went out of the
church by the chancel door, and the bride
was widow before the twelve months
were out"
Stockings on the Bed
There is, too, widespread notion that
when the bride retires her bridesmaids should
lay her stocking across the bed, as this act
Is supposed to guarantee her future PROS
perity in the marriage state, says Thistel-
ton Dyer
Turning to the bridesmaids. It appears
that as far back as the days Of the Anglo
saxon they attended the bride at the
wedding ceremony, although in later
times they seem to have escorted the
bridegroom, his friends waiting on the
pride. AS recently, for instance as the
last century this was the popular mode
OF procedure. an Illustration of which is
given In the Golfers Wedding"
Two lusty lads, well dressed and strong
Slept out to lead the bride along;
AND two young maids Of equal size
AS soon the bridegroom. hands surprise
instead of being SO many graceful or
naments at the marriage ceremony as
nowadays, the bridesmaids in days Of old
had various duties assigned to them
one of their principal tasks having been
TO dress the bride, when any omission
In her toilet was laid to their charge 1t
was the first bridesmaids duty, too, to
see that each of the bridesmaids was not
only provided with a sprig of rosemary
or horal posy, but had a symboIical
ehaplet in her hand.
A survival of this practice NAV still
be seen in Germany, where it is custom
airy for the bridesmaids to carry the
myrtle wreath-whtch they have sub
scribed together to purchase on the nup-
tlai eve-to the house of the bride and
to remove 1t from her head at the close
or the wedding day. After this has been
done the bride Is blindfolded and the
myrtle wreath having been put into her
one of her bridesmaids as thew dance
round her, for. in accordance with an old
peIief, whoever she crowns Is sure to
De married within year from that date
Colors to Wear.
Again, much Importance was formerly
attached to the colors which the bride
wore on her wedding day In an old
book entitled The Fifteen Comforts of
Marriage" a bride and her bridesmaids
are represented conversfng together re-
specting the colors to be used for the
decoration of the bridal dress It was
finally decided, after various colors had
been rejected. Ito mingle a gold tissue
with grass green" this combination be-
ing considered symbolical of youth and
jollity.
In Scotland the bridesmaid is popularity
known as the best maid" and in past
years one of her principal duties was to
carry the brides presents on the we'd
dlng day to her future home. The first
article generally taken into the house
W.
was sprinkled over the floor as a pro-
tectlon against the malignant influence
OF the evil eye" And Mr. w Oregon
describing an old Scotch wedding, tells us
the bridesmaids position was NOT unat-
tended with certain risks
AFTER the church had been opened the
beadle or bellman was in attendance to lead
the bridegroom to the bridal steel-that is,
tne pew that was set apart for the use of
those who were to be married The bride
was now led forth and placed beside him.
ana great care was used to have her placed
at the proper side. To have placed her i'm
properly would have been unIuckv in the
extreme. Next to the bride stood her best
maid this office, though accounted an
nonor, not being unattended with risk
Three times the bridesmaid was the in
evitable prelude of remaining unmarried
Lastly, 1t was one of the duties of the
bridesmaid to remind the bride of guarding
against certain omens which are supposed
to be attended with fatal results In maxi
ing wedding trip, for instance she was
enjoined to be sure and always go up
against the stream, as 1t was most un-
canny to go down the waters
One of the most interesting antiquities
of Jarrow Church, Northumberland, is the
chair Of the Venerable Bede, kept in the
vestry whittier brides. conducted by their
bridesmaids, at once repair, after mar
rage service, to seat themselves upon it.
According to the general belief this act
VIII In due time make them the Joyous
mothers of children, and no wedding cere-
mony is considered complete until the bride
has been duly enthroned
But, on the other hand, in past years
every precauttOn was taken to prevent a
bride sitting down on the left seat at the
gateway of the entrance to Great Yarmouth
Parish Church-popuharly designated the
Devils Seat"-as such an act, it was said,
would in days to follow render her specially
liable to misfortune.
According to another popular item of
folklore If a horse stood and looked through
a gateway or along a road where a bride
or bridegroom dwelt 1t was considered to
be bad omen for that future couple
rse -,