Wedding
Superstitions
by
Wedding Planner, Vanessa Villanueva Filipinos
have a rich and colorful tradition of beliefs and superstitions
that are so deeply ingrained into our mind-sets that sometimes,
one has no choice but to follow them.
Take
weddings, for example.
Wedding
superstitions, the most whimsical of wedding traditions, originating
mostly from Western influences abound. These beliefs are so
well known and have been followed by almost everyone that
they are now standard wedding customs.
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| Planning
the Wedding
If
you are planning a double wedding, you
may want to think twice. Tradition has it that a double
wedding could spell bad luck for one of the couples
because it’s just too much happiness for the evil
demons to overlook.
An
offshoot of this belief, I think, is the “sukob,”
where it is forbidden for another sibling to get married
in the same year of a brother or sister’s wedding.
It is said that should this happen, all the good luck
and fortune would be split among the two couples instead
of them going to just one.
Postponing
the date of the wedding is also a big no no. Apart from
risking your deposit on the reception room, you could
also postpone your good fortune.
Before
the Wedding
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One
of the most popular wedding superstitions
dictates that the groom should not see the bride until
just before the ceremony. Bad luck can come their way
if they lay eyes on each other, because they have glimpsed
the future before it happened. They should also avoid
being photographed together before the wedding day.
The
Bridal Gown
The
bride must always add the final stitches to her gown
herself- and just moments before the wedding. Why? She
is ensuring that her happiness, like her gown, will
not be “complete” until she marries.
Another
superstition warns that the bride must never wear her
gown a day before the wedding day; to do so might cause
the wedding not to push through. |
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At The Wedding
There
are many admonitions about dropping or breaking things.
The bride should be cautious not to break anything on
her wedding day; to do so might break the love of her
marriage.
The
groom should beware of dropping the wedding ring. This
goes for his best man as well.
Something
Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue
The
old and the new represent rites of passage, with something
old being your link with the past. A lovely piece of
family jewelry or the family Bible is especially appropriate.
These items provide continuity from generation to generation.
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Something new represents the new family being formed
by the marriage and the hope of success for the future.
To borrow something from a dear friend is thought to
borrow a bit of her good luck. The real tradition is
to borrow something from a happily married friend. And,
something blue from Ancient Romans represents love,
fidelity and modesty, while Christians associate it
with the purity of Virgin Mary. |
At
the Reception
The
Toast:
An
ancient superstition surrounding toasts is that they can be
effective in chasing away evil spirits. Jealous spirits are
always present at happy occasions and they have to be deceived,
especially at weddings. It is believed that the clinking of
glasses scares off these spirits, who were supposed to detest
loud noises. Nowadays, this is also done to encourage the
couple to show their love for one another by kissing, and
kissing, and kissing….
Bridal Bouquet and Garter Toss:
One
custom that has come down to us through countless weddings
is the garter and bouquet toss, which takes place at the reception,
usually after several champagne toasts. The lucky single male
and female to catch the garter or bouquet according to the
belief is bound to marry next and inherit some of the bride
and groom’s good fortune.
Wedding
Cake Superstitions:
The
wedding cake is a symbol of fertility and abundance. The bride
and the groom cut and eat the first cake together. Sharing
food is a sign of love. The bride must be the first to eat
the cake as another fertility rite. Superstition has it that
her fertility could be “cut into” if she does
not cut the first piece of cake and eat it.
After
the Wedding
Carrying
the bride over the doorstep is being done as a precaution
against the ever-worrisome demons that haunt doorways, waiting
to bring bad fortune to happy couples. If the bride were to
trip entering her new home, or her new “life’,
it would be an unfavorable omen.
While many of us laugh at superstition in general, when it
comes to weddings, few take chances. It’s far better
to err on the side of caution than to risk the slightest mishap
on such an important day! |
