Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-27

ropean and ASiatic people. yelling the
bride probably had its origin here.
Eating and drinking together Is the
most universal of all marriage cere
monies. Long ago among the north
ern nations of Europe ii was the
practice of newly married couples to
retire TO some private resort and
drink metheglin. wine made from
honey. for period of 30 days after
marriage. This old custom Is said
10 be the origin of the term honey
month" or honeymoon"
The wedding cake is believed to be
the survival of an old Roman practice
when the bride and groom not only
ate together as a sign of their kin
ship and mutual love- but fea ted The
guests as well. AT this time il was
good etiquet TO break the cake over
the brides head as a sign of plenti-
fulness. In the marriage ceremonies
of the early Anglo-SaXons huge
baskets of dry crackers We're en-
ployed. After the feast each guest
took a cracker home with him and
the remainder was distributed TO the
poor. Later it became the custom
for the guests themselves 10 bring
to the wedding small richly spiced
buns which were piled in one huge
mound on the table. 1t was com
mon occurrence for the bride and
groom to attempt TO kiss each other
over this mound. and if they sue
ceeded they were assured lifelong
prosperity 1t is said the wedding
cake of today is due to the genius
of a French cook, who. while travel
ing in England. observed the incon-
venience Of stacking hundreds of
these small cakes in a mound and con
ceiNed the Idea of cementng the
mound into q single huge cake with
icing. AT the wedding feast it was
the duty of the newly married man
to wait on his bride at the table.
whence came the name bridegroom
signifying one who serves the bride.
OF all the symbolismS that have cen
tered around the marriage ceremony
OF the past. perhaps none Is more
interesting I'm all of it's associations
and so vitality part of modern civil.
lied life as the wedding ring The
true origin of the wedding ring may
never be known. but the sacred priv
lege of bestowing a ring upon the be-
trOthed bride has been traced to the
Roman practice of the second century
B. G. Plain iron rings We're first EN-.
plOyed for this purpose. but as early
as the second century of the Christian
era gold rings came into use in the
ceremony of betrothals. In olden
times the circular form of the ring
was accepted as a symbol of eternity.
thus indicative of the stability of
affection.
Consistency and heaven are round
And in this the emblems found.
A further reason for choosing the
ring rather than some other object to
bind matrimonial pledges was that
ia ,.in a 1,,- y, inI,
all orders were signed and things of
value secured. 1t was, therefore. a
sign that the person to whom 1t was
given had been admitted into the high
est friendship and trust. In early Ro
man times it was the duty of the
bridegroom TO deliver the keys to his
house with the ring at the marriage.
There has been a great variety of
opinion among different countries re-
garding the proper finger for the we'd
ding ring. In certain marriage rituals
of olden times the ring was placed by
the husband on the top of the thumb
of the left hand. With the words ''In
the name of the Father" he then re-
moved it to the forefinger, saying
land of the Son." then to the middle
finger, adding land the Holy Ghost"
Finally the ring was left on the fourth
finger, with the closing word Amen"
The custom of placing the wedding
ring on the fourth finger seems IN.
doubtedly to owe its origin to the
fancy that a special nerve or vein ran
directly from this finger to the heart.
The earliest record of the practice was
among the ancient Egyptian women,
who wore their wedding rings on the
left-hand fourth finger, as in the
twentieth century.
In early Greek and Roman times
the ring was worn on the index finger,
as was the marriage ring in the jew
ish ceremonial. There It is also found
in the "Betrothal of st. Catherine" by
Murillo. and the "Betrothal of Marie
de Medici." bye Rubens. The index
finger also holds a ring in many wom7
ems portraits of the fifteenth to
seventeenth centuries, other fingers
being devoid Of rings.
Queen Louise of Germany wore her
wedding ring on the right-hand little
finger, while In the time of Queen
Elizabeth of England wedding rings
We're worn on the thumb. This was
also the custom during the reign of
George / of England and is attributed
to the exceptionally large wedding
rings favored by fashion at that time.
| The early Anglo-Saxons wore the ring
On the rtght.hapd thiEH Anger.