Family. Ильичева Н.М - 27 стр.

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from the evil eye of a jealous suitor. The custom of having bridesmaids and
ushers probably began with the Romans, who required ten witnesses at a
wedding. Bridesmaids dressed like the bride, and ushers dressed like the groom.
The idea was to outwit the evil spirits, who would not know who were the real
bride and groom. Today, a bride wears "something old, something new,
something borrowed, something blue." The item that is old is generally a piece
of clothing from a woman who is happily married. This item is supposed to
transfer good fortune to the new bride. Something borrowed is often a relative's
jewellery. It should be made of gold to represent the sun, which is the source of
life. Something new is usually the wedding dress or veil. Something blue is a bit
of blue ribbon that represents loyalty or permanence, since blue is the colour of
the heavens.
D. Long ago, wedding guests did not eat the wedding cake - they threw it at the
bride! The wedding cake symbolized fertility, and was an important part of the
ceremony since every marriage was expected to produce children. Wheat,
another symbol of fertility and prosperity, was also thrown on new brides. Other
young women tried to catch the grains of wheat, to ensure their own future
marriages. Today we carry on this tradition by throwing rice at the newlyweds.
E. A wedding ceremony often concludes with the bride tossing her bouquet to
the bridesmaids. The bridesmaid who catches the flowers is said to be the wo-
man who will marry next. Today, the bridal bouquet is made of delicate flo-
wers such as roses, orchids or lilies of the valley. In the past, it was not made of
flowers, but of herbs. The herbs often had a very strong odour, and were
selected to ward off witches and demons. Brides carried bouquets of rosemary,
chives and even garlic.
F. There are also traditions for the best time of the day for a wedding. In the
seventeenth century, morning weddings were considered bad luck because the
groom often arrived at the wedding unshaven and wearing dirty and dishevel-
led clothing -the result of a late-night bachelor party, no doubt. Today, we
continue to have bachelor parties, although not always the night before the
wedding. Weddings can take place at any time of the day - morning, afternoon
or evening.
G. There are several theories about the origin of the wedding ring. It is made
from gold, thought to be the most enduring metal. The circle of the ring sym-
bolizes eternity - the endless love of the couple and a perfect, lifelong union.
Wedding rings have been placed on different fingers, according to country. The
early Hebrews wore the wedding ring on the index finger. In India, wedding
rings were worn on the thumb. In the East, wedding rings had no religious or
symbolic significance, and were not worn at all. Today the wedding ring is
usually worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, following the traditions of the
Greeks. The Greeks believed that a vein called the "vein of love" ran from this
finger directly to the heart. Since the heart controlled both love and life, it was
logical that this finger should wear the pledge of love.
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