Fascinating Courtship Rituals of Yore

Engagement rings. Down-on-one-knee marriage proposals, honeymoons. Our modern society most definitely has its courtship customs.

Question, have you ever wondered what courtship customs people observed 50, 100 or even a 1000 years ago?

Here are some fascinating courtship customs from both Medieval and Victorian eras. Many of these customs are the precursors to the customs we follow to this very day!

• According to an ancient French custom, a betrothed couple drank a honey-mead mixture called metheglin during all the phases of the moon. Hence one of the origins of our mondern-day honeymoon.

• In Nordic countries, knives were an important symbol in courtship rituals. For example, in Norway, when girls came of age, their fathers announced their eligibility for marriage.  Each girl then wore a belt with an empty knife sheath at her waist. If a suitor were interested, he would place a knife in the girls sheath, which she would then wear as a sign of their betrothal.

• Marriage in many ancient cultures represented a bond that literally and figuratively "bound" a couple together. In some African cultures, long grasses were weaved together and used to bind the hand of the bride and groom together to symbolize their union.

• In Victorian England, a  popular custom was for gentlemen to send a pair of gloves to their intended bride. If the lady accepted, she would confirm the proposal by wearing the gloves to church the following Sunday.

• In some parts of 18th century England, a small loaf of bread was broken over the head of the bride as she emerged from the church. Then all the unmarried guests scrambled for the pieces. These pieces were then placed under their pillows so that they would dream of their one, true love.  Many believe this custom is the precursor to our modern wedding cake.

As you can see, courtship and marriage customs have always been filled with rich imagery and symbolism to represent the ultimate commitment between woman and man.  

Do you know of any fascinating courtship or marriage rituals?  Please share them! We would love to hear from you!

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