Some Wedding Traditions and Values

Wedding traditions have been around for as long as there have been weddings. These traditions vary across different cultures but they all indicate the values of the time and place where these traditions have originated. A classic example is the following rhyme.

"Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and a Sixpence in Her Shoe."

This saying has found its way to almost any country in the world but has originally come from the European Victorian age. Every item mentioned is a representation of a value held dear in that era.

Something old symbolizes the value placed on the bride's heritage and family connections. Lineage was an important consideration when determining a bride's suitability to the groom. For this purpose a family heirloom that has been passed from mother to daughter for generations is used by the bride on her wedding.

Something new represents the general belief that getting wed is a blessing to the bride and that being married signifies an entirely different and new kind of life.

Something borrowed signifies the value placed on social connections. This is also meant to remind the bride that she has a responsibility to help her family and friends in their own times of need.

Something blue points to the value placed on a bride's steadfast loyalty and faithfulness to her husband. The use of the color blue to signify these traits dates back to ancient times where the early believers of God used blue to represent purity.

The last part, a silver sixpence in her shoe, represents the value societies placed on good financial fortune and the bride's wish to have such in her married life.