Evening star., 1949-05-25
Wedding
Customs
by Eunice WeIch Foster

exceptions. been part of similar
ceremonies the world over for ages,
most existing In pre-Christian
eraS.
Ancient Hebrews had many OF
the details of their marriage laid
down In ancient sacred books and
with them white satin was the ac-
cepted wedding gown. One de-
cree was that upon the border OF
the fringed garment wide rib
band of blue, the color Of purity.
love and fidelity, be worm" Per-
haps a presage of the something
blue" which all brides like to
wear for luck.
The actual wording of the mar
riaae ceremony is in some parts
unchanged, for when marriage
by purchase was celebrated. the
question was asked: Who giveth
this woman away?" to which her
father or guardian responded, i
do" This, of course. was not
really so, for he had been paid In
full for the bride.
In those days. too, there was
q best man who ran interference.
30 to speak, for his friend when
the groom made his getaway with
the girl, warding of 'pursuers
when possible. Those first grooms
trusted no one but their intimates
and this suspicious attitude lasted
until medieval days when the
bride was escorted to the church
BY 10 bride knights" all friends
of the grooms. These attended
her during the service and until
they had surrendered her into the
custody of the bridegroom him.
self, there was always chance
that some unwilling bride might
slip away even though the pur-
chase price had been paid. Now
adays the bride knights are
often ushers at the service II
held in q church. In acient Rome
ten maidens, all friends or rel
atives of the bride were oficial
witnesses to nuptials, these the
forerunner of bridesmaids. In
Rome. too, small children strewed
flowers in the brides path, and
musicians led the whole process
sion. since but few churches had
organs.
Orange blossoms believed to
portend JOY have decked brides
for ages. Both Spenser and Milton
believed that "the golden apple
given Juno by Jupiter on their
wedding day was an orange. and
the flowers that stately goddess
wore were from the orange tree.
Among Orientals orange blossoms
were especially popular for wed
dings since it was one OF the few
trees which bore blossoms and
leaves at the same time. hence the
symbol of fertility. Today but few
brides wear this flower though the
use Of the veil still continues. The
veil originally was symbolic, and
brides of Burma. China. Korea and
Russia still conceal themselves
completely in the ample folds OF
either white or red wells according
to the custom of their countries.
permitting not even the groom to
see their faces until after they are
made man and wife, In China a
sacred umbrella is always held
over q couple to ward of the evil
spirits. In the case Of poor people
the umbrella is rented, but among
the wealthy where the bride and
groom are carried to the marriage
in separate jinrikishas servants
trot alongside to hold sacred UNI
brelIas over each one. Originally
q bowl of rice from which the
couple ate together constituted a
marriage IN China, but now al
though 1t is still part OF the
ceremony, bowls Of food are placed
before the shrines of their gods,
or tombs Of honored ancestors, all
to placate evil spirits.
Perhaps the ceremony most fire.
quently used and the simplest of
all Is that Of eating together, for
among primitive people food held
an important place. Among many
tribes of American Indians a pc
culiar kind Of fiat bride cake is
baked by the bride herself. which,
broken first by the bridegroom,
they eat together in the presence
of witnesses. On the Island Of
Bataan the bride feeds the BRIDE
groom from a common bowl Of
food she has prepared, and In
Africa the bridegroom feasts his
man friends and those Of his fam
fly. while the girl takes her place
as his wife by serving them.
Early Anglo-Saxons provided
great baskets of small. hard. dry
crackers which are not only eaten
with the bride ale." but taken
home by the girl and woman
guests to be dreamed on that
night. Later some thrifty hostess
inaugurated the custom of hav-
ing the guests bring small. highly
.spiced buns which were placed in
great mounds on q table decorated
with flowers and evergreens. A
French chef attending a London
wedding noted the great incon-
venience of piling hundreds of
these spicy cakes into mounds. He
conceived the brilliant ideas OF
icing the whole mass. welding 1t
into the enormous cake which he
decorated with flowers and leaves
of the icing. thus setting the pat
tern for wedding cakes. Since 1t
was usual for the bride to eat the
first small spicy bun. so it has be-
come traditional for her to cut the
first slice of that confection.
known as the wedding cake.
In the days when wives were
bought and paid for the girl car
ried to her new home a trusse or
bundle of personal belongings.
Until the 17th century knives were
scarce and costly, so lucky indeed