Wedding
Dress Symbolism and Superstition
Most brides choose to
wear a white wedding dress as a symbol of innocence, purity and
traditionally of virginity. But this was not always the case. Before
the marriage of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe- Coburg
in1840, the bride's preference was usually a silver coloured dress.
Queen Victoria started the new trend of a pure white dress which
continues to the present day in many European countries, the USA and
many other countries.
It is true however that
every culture interprets the wedding dress color with a particular
meaning. In Western cultures, it is white which is considered to be the
color to symbolize purity, whereas in Islamic countries it is black. In
Japan, the predominant color is red.
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It is true however that
every culture interprets the wedding dress color with a particular
meaning. In Western cultures, it is white which is considered to be the
color to symbolize purity, whereas in Islamic countries it is black. In
Japan, the predominant color is red.
It is thought to be bad
luck if the bride makes her own dress, or if the groom sees her in her
wedding dress before arriving at the ceremony. According to
superstition it is also a bad omen to wear a used or borrowed
dress.
The bride should not
wear the fuly-completed dress before the wedding day. Some leave a
final adjustment to the dress uncompleted until the last moment to
allow for this.
Bridal
Veil History and Meaning
The veil symbolizes the
virginity, modesty and the innocence of the bride, hence its color,
although in some places blue is used as the symbol of the Virgin Mary.
In some Asian and Middle
Eastern cultures, the veil was used to completely hide the face of the
bride from the groom who had never seen it. Only after the marriage
ceremony was the groom allowed to raise the veil to see the face of his
new wife for the first time. In Islamic religions the woman must cover
her head with a black veil as a sign of respect to the phophet,
Muhammad. According to other traditions, for example Roman customs ,
the veil protected the bride from evil spirits, to whom it was though
she was vulnerable.
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The white bridal veil
became popular in England in the 16th century just after the Mediaeval
period of history had ended. It was at this time, during the
reign of that Elizabeth I that the veil became associated with
modesty and chastity.
Today, many
brides still wear a veil, and when the priest says the line about "you
can kiss the bride", the groom lifts the brides veil and places is
behind the bride's head. In the East today the veil is often still used
to cover the face of the bride who the groom has never seen. The veil
is removed once the marriage ceremony is complete.
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