Irish Wedding Traditions
It is a wedding Irish tradition that states: "marry in May and Rue the Day 'while another said: "Marry in April if you can, joy for maiden and for man."
When I told my daughter about this Irish superstition, she changed her wedding date so she had to marry in April!
What began as a search for Irish traditions and customs it may incorporate in its celebration ended as a stack of notes that incredible finally took its own life. Long after his marriage, I still obsessed with delving into history and folklore, looking for everything I could find on how weddings were celebrated Ireland long ago.
I am convinced that if couples make the effort, they can have a totally Irish celebration beginning to end – even the pre-wedding parties. There is a quaint custom where the groom was invited to the bride's house right before the wedding and they cooked a goose in his honor.
It was called the AITiN "Gander – it must be where we get the phrase" the goose is cooked! We took a these dinners for my daughter and everyone had a great time. (The stuffing of apple potato has become a family favorite!).
There are so many other Traditions, customs and just an incredible amount of folklore to draw, it would fail to be of Irish origin and not advantage of all opportunities.
Here are some ideas taken from what eventually became a book of 200 pages entitled "The Traditional Irish Wedding and is now available in the U.S. and will be released in Ireland in the spring. As complete as I could do it, the book covers clothing, decorations, menus, recipes, music, toasts, vows, and perhaps more valuable, a list of resources to help you find all of Irish wedding dresses and tiaras scores for a Celtic Mass.
Here are a few:
* Bunratty Meade is a honey wine that was served at Bunratty Castle medieval banquet. This is from a recipe based on the oldest drink in Ireland and if you've never tasted, it's worth a try. In the former time it was consumed at weddings because he believed he promoted virility. (If a baby is born nine months after the wedding, it was attributed to the mead!) Couples also drank in special cups for a full month after the marriage, which is supposed to be where we get the moon Honey word. It was to protect the couple of tales come to mind the bride away.
* Horseshoe lucky. wives Irish used to make a real horseshoe for good luck. (Settled if luck does not fail). You can get porcelain horseshoes whose promised by most Irish do these days, or a fabric that is worn on the wrist.
* Magic Hanky. This charming custom involves having the bride carry a special handkerchief with a few stitches can be turned into a christening bonnet for the first baby. With a pair of shears it can be squeezed into a handkerchief that your child can exercise his / her wedding day.
* Make-up bells. The chime of bells is supposed to chase away evil spirits, restore harmony if a couple is fighting, and also recall some of their wedding vows. Giving a bell as a gift has become an Irish tradition. You could also be on hand Greeters bells your guests to ring as you process. (You may want to let them know when they are supposed be rung – perhaps mention it in your program with an explanation of the custom). Customers could also ring their bells at the reception instead of toasts.
* Irish Dancers. Consider hiring a group of Irish dancers to distribute your programs before the ceremony. Dressed in their finery, it will add a wonderful touch of pageantry and color. They could also dance at the reception later. We did the reception of my daughter and it was a great success.
* Music. There is so much wonderful Irish music available, you'll have no problem finding appropriate selections for both the ceremony and reception. The challenge will be to decide which parts to play!
* Reading: My daughter had the following Irish wedding vow on the front of his program:
By the power that Christ brought from heaven may you, like me. As the sun follows its course, mayst thou follow me. Like light to the eye, as bread to the hungry, as joy to the heart, that your presence with Me, oh man I love, 'til death comes to us in separate pieces.
On the back of the program, she had this old Irish proverb: Do not walk before me, I can not follow. Do not walk behind me, I can not drive. Walk beside me and just be my friend.
* The song Irish wedding. Very popular at contemporary Irish weddings. We had two friends sing this at the reception of my daughter while the newlyweds cut cake. (Then I thought we should have had the lyrics typed up and placed on tables so that everyone can participate).
* Flowers. In the old days, many Irish brides wore a wreath of flowers in their hair, they also have performed in bouquets. For my wedding daughter, our beautiful flower bouquets that included a flower called Bells of Ireland. In Wales, brides carried live myrtle and gave a bit to each bridesmaid which they planted. If she grew up, the maid of honor will be married in the year. If you are planning a party Celtic more generally, it might be worth considering.
* Ancient custom: In the old days, couples ate salt and flour oats at the beginning of their reception: Each of them took three mouthfuls as a protection against the power of the evil eye. So when a couple is the dance, the bride can not take both feet on the floor because the fairies take over. Fairies love beautiful things and one of their favorites is a bride. There are a lot of Irish legend about brides being busy away by the little people! For the same reason, it is not luck for a bride to wear green. I also heard that it's bad luck for anyone to wear green at Irish wedding – but I think really applies only the bride. It's also bad luck for the bride or groom to sing at their wedding.
Prodigies and portents:
* A fine day meant good luck, especially if the sun shone on the bride. If you are a Catholic, one way to ensure that it will not rain is to put a statue of the Infant of Prague outside the church before the ceremony.
* It was unlucky to marry on a Saturday.
* Those who married in harvest would spend all their lives gathering
* A man should always be the first to wish a lot of fun to the bride, never a woman
* He had the chance to hear a cuckoo on the wedding morning, or seeing three magpies
* To meet a funeral on the road means bad luck and if there was a funeral procession planned for that day, the wedding has always taken a different path
* The wedding party should always take the longest road home from church
* It was bad luck if a glass or cup were been broken on the wedding day
* A spouse should never wash their hands in the sink at the same time is the same disaster court if they do
* It has been said of luck if you married during the waxing moon A 'and A rising tide "
* Leaving the church, someone must throw an old shoe over the bride's head so she will have the chance
* If the bride's stepmother, law breaks a piece of wedding cake on the head of the bride as she enters the house after the ceremony, they will be friends for life.
Many other customs are interspersed throughout the book, for example (from the reception section) the top level of your wedding cake should be an Irish whiskey cake which is saved for the christening of your first baby. I also heard of a custom which had just my attention and will be included in the next edition: A bottle of champagne is registered at the reception so that it can be used to "anchor the baby's head "in baptism.
By finally this book a reality, my hope is that when you said 'would you like to be buried with my people, "or you say:" do you hang your washing next to mine, "you say yes, and then use the suggestions to help you plan an Irish celebration reflective of your roots and as romantic as your heritage.
And for all engaged couples and their families in the middle the chaos of pre-marriage, I raise a glass of farewell: May all your joys of pure joy and pain of all your champagne.
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