Legends & Lore - Part 2

When we last gathered around the fire to discuss wedding legends and the various traditions and superstitions - the Lore, if you will - we shared some of the more familiar questions people have about why we do what we do at weddings. 

​Today's selections are not only more random, they are more esoteric. Like why is the ring finger, The Ring Finger?

photo credit: Deesh Chandra

The fourth finger is the wedding ring finger because it was once thought that there was a vein in that finger that led directly to a person's heart. Sweet, huh? And engagement rings that contain sapphires are said to signify marital happiness. Pearls in engagement rings were once considered a NO NO, because pearls are the shape of tears.

Not yet engaged? Legend says single women will dream of their future husbands if they sleep with a slice of groom's cake under their pillows. You'll need roach motels, but your new fiancé can grab those from the store for you. 

And did you know? One old wives' tale states that if the younger of two sisters marries before her older sister, the older sister must dance barefoot at the wedding or risk never landing a husband.​

photo credit: Tim Gouw

Ever wondered when we started having bachelor or "stag" parties? Get ready to feel smarter. They were first established (if the legend is true) in Sparta, Greece when the soldiers got married, they partied together and said goodbye to their freedom with a raucous party.

​The Best Man? In ancient times, men sometimes captured women to make them their brides. (Today, this is known as a felony.) A man would take along his strongest and most trusted friend to help him fight resistance from the woman's family. This friend, therefore, was considered the best man among his friends. In Anglo-Saxon England, the best man accompanied the groom up the aisle to help defend the bride. 

photo credit: Artem Bali

And after you "find the ONE who makes your heart smile," you have to pick a day to make your union official. In English tradition, Wednesday is considered the "best day" to marry, although Monday is for wealth and Tuesday is for health. And those same English sources of yore proclaimed that Saturday is the unluckiest wedding day - and it's the most popular by far. 

Ancient Romans studied pig entrails to determine the luckiest time to marry. Um, yeah. Makes you feel better about just getting married on Saturday and taking your chances, doesn't it?

​Finally, rain. Brides and grooms (and summer outdoor wedding planners) fear it the way contact wearers fear chopping jalapenos. But guess what. In some cultures, rain on your wedding day symbolizes fertility and cleansing. Couples who have their wedding day interrupted by rain tend to deliver healthy kiddos sooner rather than later. Want to know how to prepare for rain on your wedding day? Here you go!

photo credit: Pixels on Paper Photography