5 Facts About Weddings That Will Surprise You
Most people will have or at least attend a wedding throughout their lives. Marriage has a long history, and so have weddings. Most know that weddings are a celebration of love and commitment and are a time when friends and family come together to celebrate the union of two people. Of course, weddings have been around for centuries, but they have indeed evolved as time has gone on. But have you ever wondered how the staples of ‘traditional’ weddings came to be? Hint: they weren’t always tradition. So buckle up and keep scrolling, for here are five facts about weddings that will surprise you:
The White Dress
Many folks believe that the bride wears white because it symbolizes purity and innocence, as well as representing the bride’s virginity. However, brides actually have Queen Victoria to thank for popularizing the white dress trend.
The white wedding dress is a fashion statement that started in 1840, when the Queen, the trendsetter that she was, decided to wear white to her wedding, thus proliferating the concept throughout the western world. Before then, brides simply wore their best dresses for their weddings.
Something Old Something New Something Borrow Something Blue
Another traditional facts about weddings are the popular saying that came from an old English rhyme in 1870, which details what a bride should have on her wedding day.
It goes, ‘Something Old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in her shoe.’ ‘Something old’ symbolizes continuity, ‘something new’ represents optimism for the future, ‘something borrowed’ means ‘good luck,’ and ‘something blue’ means ‘fidelity and purity.’ Finally, the ‘sixpence’ is to provide good fortune as well as ward off evil from frustrated suitors.
Why June Weddings Are Popular
June weddings are popular not because this month usually offers the perfect weather for a wedding. For the Romans, it has a lot to do with the goddess Juno who the month was named after; she is the goddess of childbirth and marriage, so it made sense to get married during her month.
Why Is It The Ring Finger?
Everyone probably knows this one; it’s not exactly a surprising fact, but it was believed that the ring finger had a direct vein from the finger to the heart for many years. So, this meant that the wedding ring had a direct line to your lover’s heart – a meaningful thought when looking for engagement rings Hertfordshire jewellers have to offer.
For many people, it is the left hand’s ring finger on which the ring is worn. However, here’s the surprise: for countries such as Norway, Austra, Latvia, some parts of Spain, Poland, Portugal, and a few other countries, the ring finger on the right hand is more commonly used.
Twinning To Drive Off Evil Spirits Or a Veil
The final fact is thanks to the Romans, who believed that having bridesmaids with matching dresses would protect the bride and grooms from any evil spirits that might have paid a visit to the wedding. Essentially, people believed that the bridesmaids would trick such spirits who intend to do the bride harm, acting as a decoy to confuse, and consequently protect, the bride.
This was back in a time when the bride just wore her best dress, and bridesmaids had to dress up exactly like the bride – again, something that wouldn’t fly in the modern-day. Similarly, the veil would also be worn to drive away evil spirits, which is another tradition that isn’t commonly fulfilled anymore. Hope these 5 facts about weddings gave you some insight, if you have more facts please write them down in the comment.
