Something Old,
Something New…Why?
Special to Out & About

We’ve all heard the rhyme, “Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” but where did it come from? It started in Victorian times. The “something old” represents the bride’s family and her old life; “something new” represents the couple's new life together; “something borrowed” was borrowed from a happily married woman  to impart similar happiness to the bride; and “something blue” represents fidelity and constancy.

The first “bridal showers” were parties held for the bride-to-be, her family and friends as a way to relieve the stress and gather support for the upcoming marriage. Starting in the 1800’s, small gifts were placed in an umbrella or parasol. The bride-to-be would open the parasol and let the gifts shower down upon her. Through the years, this tradition changed into a way to help the happy couple get started in their new households.

Wearing white dates back to Victorian times when Queen Victoria decided not to go with the usual royal tradition of wearing a silver gown and got married in a white gown. Before that, a bride simply wore their best dress, not one reserved only for her wedding. White was also thought to ward off evil spirits. In later years it was worn to signify purity.

Placing the wedding ring on the third finger of the left hand possibly originated in ancient Egypt. The Egyptians believed the “vein of love” ran from the ring finger to the heart, so they placed the ring there to denote eternal love.

In ancient Rome, a small cake was broken over the brides head during the ceremony to symbolize fertility. The guests would pick up the bits that fell to the floor and keep them for luck. This is one tradition that definitely improved with the years. Now the guests get to eat the cake from a plate, and brides don’t have to worry about scraping frosting out of their hair.

Carrying the bride over the threshold  started with a plain and simple superstition. It was believed to be bad luck for a bride to trip upon entering the couple’s home for the first time. Her husband carries her so this won’t happen. That’s it, nothing more.

The tradition of tying shoes to the back of the couple's car stems from Tudor times. Guests would throw shoes at the bride and groom. If they were hit, it meant good luck was bestowed upon them. In Anglo Saxon times, to establish his authority the groom symbolically struck the bride with a shoe. Brides would then throw a shoe at the bridesmaids to see who would marry next. Fortunately, these traditions have not survived the test of time.

You may not believe in any of these superstitious traditions, but who wants to take a chance on their wedding day?