Are
you superstitious? Even if you are not yourself, you will probably be able to
sympathize with the wedding day anxieties brides have suffered through the ages.
With all the anticipation involved in marriage and the significance placed on
creating the perfect wedding, it is no wonder superstitions developed around the
big event. Take a glance at what other brides have believed would bring good
fortune to their wedded bliss. And you can watch out for these bad luck omens at
your own wedding!
DRESS DON’TS:
To put on full bridal array prior to the wedding was considered unlucky.
While this seems difficult to avoid in the fitting process, brides would put
their dress on in sections, never all at once. Some would even leave part of the
hem unsown so the dress could be finished on the wedding day.
Furthermore, the bride would not look at herself fully dressed in the wedding
gown in a mirror. Even on the wedding day it was considered wise to leave off
one part of the bridal attire, such as a glove, when the bride checked her
appearance in the mirror. This way the bride never saw herself completely
attired before the wedding.
Why not? Anticipation of this sort may cause something to happen that will
prevent the marriage!
WEDDING DAY ARRANGEMENTS:
The bride and groom also traditionally avoid seeing each other on the morning
of the wedding day. Perhaps this superstition derived from the period of
arranged marriages. The father of the bride may have feared the groom would flee
if his fiancé was not to his liking. So they postponed the
"unveiling" until the actual ceremony.
On
the way to the wedding, some sights or events were considered lucky for the
bride and groom. Others were thought to be disastrous to their happiness. The
bride was expected to exit her house out the front door and step out right foot
first. If the sun shone on her or she saw a rainbow, good luck would ensue.
Meeting a black cat, a chimney sweep, or an elephant (however unlikely) were
also fortuitous.
Unlucky sights included observing a pig running across the road. The worst of
all omens was to meet or even see a funeral procession. Death was also foretold
if the horse (or the more contemporary car) refused to start.
