Wedding Superstitions in History and Legend
So, you've found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, and plans are underway to make it permanent. What signs do you need to pay attention to in order to avoid disaster?
Old wives tales, limericks, lullabies, folklore, and legend have contributed to a dense fabric of superstition surrounding the big day. Whether you are looking for a chuckle, or you want to ensure that your nuptials go off without any unforeseen problems, the following is a list of some amusing, thought provoking, and downright scary omens and cautions surrounding marriage.
Your New Last Name
If a bride is taking a new last name that shares the first letter with her maiden name, she will have an unhappy marriage.
Rue the Day
There is also bad luck in marrying on a rainy day or a Thursday. The best days to marry are Monday and Tuesday for wealth and health respectively and Wednesday for overall happiness.
Be Careful to Pick the Right Month
The most auspicious month in which to marry is June, in honor of the goddess Juno, after which the month is named. May is the unluckiest month in which to wed because it was thought that if a man married in the most traditionally feminine month, he would be henpecked for life.
The Big Day
It is unlucky for the bride to wear her complete wedding outfit before she dresses for the ceremony, or for her prospective bridegroom to see her at all on the morning of the wedding. It is also unlucky for the bride to wear green, but she will have good fortune if she finds a spider in her gown.
A bride who sees a rainbow or a black cat on her wedding day will be have good fortune, but she will have bad luck if she rehearses her walk down the isle or cries at any time during the day.
The Trip
It is a terrible omen if a groom returns home, even for a moment, after having left for the ceremony. It is also an ill omen if a funeral procession crosses your path on the way to your wedding.
The Ceremony
During the wedding ceremony, it is great luck if the final vows are said as the clock's second hand sweeps up rather than down, but it is a disastrously bad omen if the groom drops the wedding ring, so make sure he's paying attention to your finger and not the clock.
Out of the Church and Almost Home Free
Throwing rice or another offering after the wedding ceremony is designed to appease the gods, so don't skip this step. If you are environmentally conscious, throw birdseed.
When you are about to enter your residence for the first time with your new husband, it is essential that you step through the door with your right foot first. Entering with your left foot is terribly bad luck. It is also important not to trip. The safest way to make sure you don't accidentally bring on bad luck by doing either of these things is to let your new husband carry you over the threshold. This probably explains the origin of the tradition.
Okay, you've made it through your big day. Congratulations! Now, you have the rest of your lives to look forward to. Good luck.