| Show I Why We Wed With Ring and Bridal Wreath The Origin and Significance of Marriage Customs Handed Down From Antiquity S I Rice and the wedding ring the bridal bouquet and the white gown are so natural and obvious parts of ot the marriage ceremony that we do donot donot donot not often stop to think about them Yet each has a a. little stor story of ot its own stretching back across the centuries How many people know why rice Is thrown at et the pride bride Why the bride wears white how the wedding ring came to be or the origin of the bridal bouquet Lillian Lil Lil- Lil han lian Eichler Elchler has delved Into many musty records of the past to trace down the reasons wh why we do the things we do and has recorded them In her new book The Customs Customs Cus Cus- toms of ot Mankind Doubleday Page Co The Egyptians were the first to use the wedding ring In hieroglyphics hieroglyphics hieroglyphics hiero hiero- a a. circle represents eternity so it is not surprising that the circular cir clr- cir cir- cular wedding ring should have lave been adopted as being symbolic of ot marriage ties Implying a union that would be binding throughout eternity The ring was used in marriage mariage among Christians from From Prom records of ot that time one onel l learns larns arns that when a a. marriage set set- set set-j ment had been properly sealed rings bearing the names of ot the newly married couple were handed around to the guests for examina tion ALL KINDS OF RINGS Rings have been of ot every conceivable conceivable conceivable con con- material from gold silver Iron brass to rush lea leather tiler and anti andWood andwood wood and of ot varying sizes sizes sizes' accordIng according accord accord- Ing lag to to the means moons of the lovers lover There Is one instance of ot a f fring ring beIng being be- be be be- ing Jog cut from a brides bride's kid glove and nd another of one being fashioned on the s spur ur of the moment from a apiece apiece 1 piece of ot old leather ieather Horace Walpole Walpole Wal- Wal pole tells the amusing ingenuity of or orthe the Duke of ot Hamilton who decided de decided de- de to to marry Mrs Gunnin Gunning one evening at half halt past 1 12 and lackIng lackIng lack- lack Ing a ring substituted a ring from froma a a. bed curtain pra range e leen worn torn orn J I or carried by brides since earliest times The blossoms portend good luck and happiness because the orange was believed to be the golden apple presented to Jupiter by Juno on 01 their marriage day Long ago a g garland rland of flowers W was s absolutely essential in the marriage ceremony it was as placed on the brides bride's head and was known as the coronet of ot the good girl Rare old books tell that ft it was the privilege only of ot a virtuous bride who should wear a ring on her finger fin fin- ger a brooch on her breast I a and d a e garland on her head Rice the throwing of oC which is a sign of ot well wishing and Joy at our highly civilized weddings has a far different aspect and place in the marriage ceremonies among savage peoples In Celebes there Is a a. belief that the soul of ot the bridegroom bride bride- groom room unless bribed Is to fly flyaway away at mar marriage loge and never flever re re- re turn TO prevent such a a. dire misfortune misfortune mis mis- I fortune rice I is scattered over him Thus his soul Is induced to remain 1 I At D Dyak marriages the bride and I I groom first eat together and are I then sprinkled with rice At the Malay wedding friends put Into the hands of ot the bride and groom feed yC uncooked rIPe rice an and w with h this they each other simultaneously A FRENCH IDEA The wedding cake of today was the idea ot of a clever ver French chef Previously it had been the custom among the Saxons Anglo-Saxons for tor the guests themselves to bring to the wedding small richly spiced buns I I which were piled n d In one huge mound on the table Then the bride and I groom would attempt fo o kiss each I other over this mound and If It they succeeded they were assured lifelOng life life- lifelong long prosperity However the Frenchman while stopping in Lond Loudan Lon Lou d don dan n noticed the inconvenience of piling hundreds of ot small spice cakes up In this manner and he Mea tM-Mea dea ot oZ Icing his I 1 I mound into one solid mass So the wedding cake calc was vas born The throwing of ot the bridal bouquet bouquet bouquet bou bou- originated with the old custom cus custom cus- cus tom torn of scrambling for the brides bride's garter In the early fourteenth century In France it was considered considered considered consid consid- ered a lucky thing to win the brides bride's garter and everyone rushed for it at the conclusion of ot the ceremony Brides wisely left one garter where It could be easily reached reache k but nevertheless they were offen often hurt in the scuffle scuttle So the garter gave way to tho the stocking and In the next century we find stocking throwing the favorite bridal custom Stockings however are not the easiest and most convenient objects to re remove re- re move so the custom of ot throwing the bridal bouquet gradually s supplanted sup sup- p- p planted the older one Ever Everything ha has its significance Each little custom that the bride observes s links her h to the long chain that stretches back across the ages These customs continue I from century to century and I though perhaps we sometimes consider consider con con- conI I sider alder them a a. bit foolish in m our I twentieth century sophistication I we wo know we would not Ignore them thom I C ih |
