Handfasting for the Modern Bride
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If you are having a Celtic, Renaissance or medieval theme wedding, handfasting is a great ritual to add to your traditional ceremony and vows. Handfasting was traditionally a simple ceremony in which the bride and groom faced each other and joined right hand to right hand and left hand to left hand. Then they were bound by a ceremonial wrap or rope. The expression of “tying the knot” came from this early Celtic marriage ritual. Later Irish, Scots and the Welsh also adopted this ritual. Though pagan in origin, the symbolism of this ritual was so expressive it even found its way into the liturgy of some factions of Catholicism practiced in Britain after the rise of Christianity....
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Marriage Folklore and Superstitions
Every culture has superstitions surrounding marriage and the wedding day itself. Many superstitions are so ingrained they have become a regular part of ...
Modern Marriages: Handfasting
Have you ever wondered why some people refer to the marriage ceremony as “tying the knot?” Surprising to many, this phrase actually pertains to an ancient ceremony known as a hand fasting, a ritual of intended marriage, common amongst the Celtic races of so long ago.
The History of Handfasting
Handfasting is a romantic notion that, while has its basis in history and fiction, is still prevalent in today's weddings. Historically, in Medieval Scotland, handfasting was the term used for what today we would consider a betrothal.
- 1 May your hearts be as warm as your hearthstone
- 2 May God sleep on your pillow
- 3 May God be with you and bless you
- 4 May you see your children's children
- 5 May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings
- 6 May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward
- 7 A generation of children on the children of your children
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Traditional Irish Blessings and Toasts
