The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-08-21
MARRIAGE OMENS MANY
Welded Life

Ever since man FIRST began 10 develop
what may be called foresight, which is
no more than the memory OF his own and
others past experiences. marriage has
been considered a risky, uncertain sort
Of an undertaking. in which the odds
were more or less against the two parties
10 the ceremony, says the Philadelphia
North American.
And II was considered necessary to
propitiate and concniate every god,
spirte. fairy. gnome. or devil on the cal
endar before taking the final step. Ac-
cordingly. superstitions galore grew up
about the ceremony. many Of which We
still bow down to uncOnsciously IN our
modern weddings. though we have long
since lost the significance Of the various
rites which we perform, more than half
In jest.
The record Of every people. however
ancient. showes numerous rules and reg
ulations attached TO marriage which
are founded on the oldest Of supersti-
lions. The bride is fairly hedsed in by
rules. II this happens. her happiness
will be short-nved: II that happens, her
husband will neglect her; If something
else happens, there viii be no children
to bless the union
Even IN the Biblical records we have
some account Of the meaning OF the shoe
in connection with the bride, and to-day
We throw shoes at the departing couple
for no better reason than because our
forefsthers have done it for no one
knows how many centuries.
Then the ancient practice Of carrying
the bride oyer the doorsin which We
seem 70 have abandoned, Is limited az IN
the song of Solomon. Beware. o brides,
OF the matrimonial hoOdoOst
Must Not step on Threshold.
It is still said to be bad luck in some
countries for a bride to step-on TIRES
hold.
In the old Semitic days it was not a
question of bad luck: it was matter Of
form. The husband or his grooms al
ways carried the bride over the door
step. possibly as a relic Of still older
practice, that OF carrying the bride from
her fathers home TO that of her hus-
bands by force. Then she was simply
shouldered by the stalwart and hurried
of TO the chamber that was prepared
for her in her husbands house.
From the original customs the super
stitions seem to have grown up in a
period OF eecadence. Perhaps when the
practice OF carrying the bride over the
doorstep was coming to be neglected the
old cronies put their heads together and
announced that no luck could come Of
a marriage where the ceremony Of their
fathers was omitted. SO II came 10 be
said that for the bride TO tread upon the
sill was bad luck.
The custom Of throwing shoes grows
out Of the ancient Oriental practice of re-
moving shoe and passing it over as
the sign OF a consummated barter in
trade. Wives were once chattels. and the
bride was said like barley or sandalwood.
So the shoe came 10 be an essential part
of the wedding.
This custom must be one of the most
ancient In fact. il would almost seem
that 1t dates back 20 some inconceivably
gray, gloomy past. before the tribes OF
man had separated, for it is common 10
so many diverse and scattered races. The
Teutons as well as the Jews incorporated
the delivery OF a shoe at the wedding
in the ceremony.
Watch Out for the Crayfish.
A queer notion is held in North Car
DINA. that II you marry In the sign Of
the crayflsh your affairs viii go back
ward. This may have some anticuated
origin. but It really looks as though some
supersuuous old wiseacre had been peer
ing into the almanac and. upon seeing