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Show uncovering the meaning behind all those seemingly strange wedding day rituals Behind the veils In ancient Greece, the brides veil was ber of dollars. is such stuff a good idea, yellow. A red veil was the color of choice If this wedding then why all the hard work to evoke a lit- in Rome. In both cultures the veil repretle good luck? Consider how etiquette calls sented the subordination of women to men. The lifting of the for the man to be conveil was considered gratulated upon an symbolic of mans domengagement, while the inance over women. Or woman is greeted with best wishes" which realyou can believe what luck. more recent civilizaly means good tions say: veils, properly Then theres the k white the business of worn, disguise and protect the bride from evil gown. It really has little In with do to spirits. virginity. tradiBridesmaids ancient times cloth was tionally dress alike to expensive to bleach and confuse the evil spirits more than one bleachand to keep them from ing was required. The the year when it tomes to weddings whiter the cloth, the going after the bride, legend says. Throwing rice the affluent after because its the month named Juno, more at a newly wed couple is the goddess of love and marriage. Pick a brides family. Now vou supposed to further wedding day when there's a full moon know the origin of that Pfotonhaucr tratt the spirits, while at one or two days prior. great psychosis of the the same when If uiu listen to the Victorians, who time, women went routinely 1950s. promoting fertility. Tying old shoes to the back of the wedding vehiwere notoriously short on fun and not mad. seeking w'ash day miracles to comcle, a custom dating back to the days when exactly known for their good humor, bat There are also a great many wedding wedding guests threw shoes at the departvou marrv on the same day of the week the groom was born and make sure the traditions regarding the protection from ing nuptial carriage, insured good fortune vows are repeated as the hour hand on evil spirits. For centuries weve been wardby warding off those same ev il menaces. If the clock sweeps upward. Naturally you'll ing them and uninvited guests ofF. If this shoes aren't available, noisy tin cans, tied to wear something old, new, borrowed and wedding stuff is such a great idea, then the bumper and dragged on the pavement, blue, and have the best man pay the cler- whats the deal with all the evil spirits? can still awaken the dead and frighten gyman in an odd, rather than even, num Maybe they're trying to tell us something. them to a quieter place. Wanted: Chimney sweep for one day's wort. Xo heaiy lifting, hut must he responsible enough to meet me at the church on time. Kissing experience helpful Apply to. . . F.vcr notice how fir a bride will go to make her wedding djy a lucky one? A kiss from a chimney sweep is good luck. If uiu can't get a chimney sweep, you can still tuck a pennv in your left shoe. "That would Ik- the same shoe that a cat should eat out of one w eek fore the ceremony. Or you can have someone plant a spider in the f ld s if yi nir w edding g iwn . I hen y iu get lucky and scary for the same price. If you believe the wedding luck lore, found free floating on the NXbrld VX'ide Web, youll plan your big day in June. une is considered the luckiest month of - dis-Rach- 11 t . s s el Finally, if youre Chinese, you can skip the rope tricks and just get someone to carry an open red umbrella over the bride. Chinese superstition says the open umbrella proteas the bride on her wedding day. A bride traditionally stands on the left side of the groom. Years ago, the groom had to have easy access to his sword so he could defend his bride from rival suitors, legend says. So where were these guys before the big day? Doesnt it figure they all show up when its practically over? Theres lots written about what it means when a bride cries on her wedding day, from tears mean a good seasonal crop for the farmer" to tears shed on a wedding day signify the last real tears a fair maiden will cry in her life. Notice how it's always about the bride crying, book all vou want and you'll never find a word about the groom crying, because everyone knows that grooms dont cry. Why should they f Finally, the wedding celebration typicalends with senseless destruaion. After the ly newlyweds toast their new life, they' shatter the champagne glasses and chuck the bridal bouquet and garter. The crude, all 4 smashing-of-the-cake-in-the-fa- scene ce its time to Here home. and comes the it pack up go bride. Quick, cross your fingers. Karen Anesi saved for last. That tells folks - 'ttf s s lax time got you ; CO m rnr -- , 1 y 4 ' !. v V '(Msm&crut ; with $1000 in total cash giveaways! Saturday, April 15 from 9 pm. 5-- Registration begins Saturday, April 15 at 6 ain. One winner each hour will choose a Sky Ule Casino wallet filled with cash ranging from $100 to $300! Rules and restrictions apply, See casino for details. 070-563000lil80(87(7- 017 12 Cross Currents - April 7, 2000 is j a, |