The Alaska citizen., 1913-03-17

month the Romans considered the most propitious time of the yea ! for contracting matrimonial engage. mcnts. and especially if the day chosen were that of the full moon. The month of May was cspeciali~ to be avoided, being under the in | fluence Of spirits adverse to happy households. All these pagan supe,. stitions were retained in the Middll, Ages, with many others. which be longed more particularly to the spirit of Christianity. People had recourse to all kinds Of diviration. love philt- CTS. magical invocations. prayers. fast inss. and other follies. which were modified according to the country and the individual
 As an example of odd superstition regarding weddings, girl had ont 10 disturb the water in Il bucka. or to throw broken eggs over another persons head. if she wished to see the image of the man she should marry. A union could never he happy if the bridal party. in going to church. met monk. a priest. a hare dog, cat. lizard. or serpent; all would go we'll however. if | were wolf, spider. or toad.
 Nor was it an unimportant matter 10 choose the wedding day carefully. The feast of St. Joseph was especl. ally to be avoided, and it is suppose.l that as this day fell in mid Len: it was the reason why all the coun- cils and synods of the church for bade marriage during that seasor of fasting Indeed, all pentential days and yigils throughout the year were considered unsuitable for thes. joyous ceremonies.
 The church censured those huS bands who married early in the morl ing, in dirty or neglected attire. and reserved their better dresses tor balls and feasts, and the clergy wer, forbidden to celebrate the rites after sunset. because the crowd often car ried the party by main force to tho ale house or beat them and hindered their departure from the church un- | til they had paid a ransom.
 A considerable sum of money was arciently put into purse or upol plate and presented by the bride groom to the bride on the weddin. night as d sort of purchase prlee otherwise it was held that he diG i not entirely possesses her. and she. i if dissatisfied, could easily wed an. other.
 To this day the Swedish bridegroom i has great fear of the trolls anG | bit Sweden, and as an antidott 1 against their power he sews into hie 1 clothes various strong smelling herbs such as garlic, chives and rosemary 1 No bridegroom on that day coui.l | be induced to stand near Close' i gate or where crossroads meet; hc | says he takes these precautions l against "envy and malice"
 On the other hand. the bride it | prudent, will take care to put her right | foot before that of the brideeroom for then she will get the better oi her husband during her married lif' It is customary to fill the briGe's | pocket with bread, which she gives 10 the poor she meets on the road | 70 church. misfortune being avert; On their return from church the bride and bridegroom must visit their cowhouses and stalls, that the cattle may thrive and multiply.
 Marry in Lent.
 And you'll live 10 repent.
 is common saying in east Anglia; | and so also is;
 To change the name, and not the 1
 letter,
 Is change for the worst. and not |
 for the better.
 The wedding ring, and why il should be placed on the left hand | recent writer traces back many | centuries. Our ancestors found the | left hand more convenient for such | ornaments than the right, in that it | it is less employed, For the same i reason they chose the fourth finger. | which is not only less used than the | rest but it is more capable of pre- serving a ring from damage, hay in this one quality peculiar to itself | that it cannot be extended but ;r | company with some other finger 1 whereas the rest may be singly | stretched to their full length and straightness.
 The old fashioned notion that a | shoe would bring luck at a weddin. IS another superstition curious to explain, 1t was in the sense Of confirming a sale or exchange that the Hebrews understood the removal and giving of shoe or sandal
 In Greece the peasants say that if crow is seen at any time dur ing the marriage ceremony, misfor- tune will result unless the guests present arise and shout Go away crow" Similarly the dove as al