Wedding Traditions

Total words: 456
Wedding are often very traditional affairs, almost always characterized by white gowns, big cakes, lots of flowers, and so on. But how did all these various practices get started? Why is it that brides today must wear white, something borrowed, and something blue? These traditional nuptial customs are all the products of years of superstition, passed down from generation to generation to become the popular customs we know today.

Springtime wedding are very popular, and there's a reason why June is considered the prime marriage month. It may be hard to believe, but during the 1400s and 1500s, people took only one bath a year, in late May. That obviously made June a good time for a celebration. Between the bath and the ceremony, bride, groom and family could prepare themselves, and they'd still be relatively clean by the time the day itself rolled around.

But what's good for some is not for others. The ancient Romans always avoided May weddings, believing that to wed in that month brought bad luck. Why? Well, May was already crowded with events like the Feast of the Dead and the Festival of the Goddess of Chastity. Better to wed, the Romans believed, in another month, or else the couple would be risking their happy future together.
It might seem that white gowns and weddings have always gone hand in hand, but that's not so. Prior to the reign of Queen Victoria , royal brides wore silver to walk down the aisle. But Victoria balked tradition, preferring to wear a gown of pure white. She set the stage for a huge shift in wedding wear, as many women followed her example. Soon, white wedding gowns were the customary uniform for a bride-to-be.

Churches are lovely locations for weddings but some couples with an active outdoor life choose to have a wedding at a significant location. The beach is one of the more common locations chosen by many couples that drive out on the day of the wedding, camp, or rent hotel rooms, depending on the type of wedding. State, county, and city parks and other forested areas are nice locations. Some adventurous types may choose to hike or bike into remote locations for their ceremonies.

Is there a connection between veils and tin cans? As it turns out, yes! Just as the veil was at one point meant to discourage the presence of evil at a wedding, so is the practice of tying tin cans to the back bumper of the wedding vehicle a guard against negative spirits. The noise of the cans hitting against the road is said to dispel evil spirits, preventing them from accompanying the newly wedded couple as they embark on their new life
together.

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