by Whitney Levon

Created on: October 08, 2009   Last Updated: November 10, 2009

Ask anyone who has gotten married and they will probably tell you they kept at least one superstition in mind when it came to their wedding day. Even people who would never think twice to walk under a ladder or open an umbrella inside can fall victim to wedding superstitions. Why is this? Well, we are taught from a very early age that our wedding day will be the most important day of our lives, and no one wants to be responsible for ruining that day. So what are the most commonly held superstitions and where did they come from?

The saying, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" comes from Victorian times. Most people leave out the last line, "a silver sixpence in your shoe" because, well, where does one find a sixpence these days? Something old traditionally should come from a woman who has already been married for awhile, so that longevity of marriage can be assured to the new bride. Something new gives the bride hopes for good fortune in the future. Something borrowed demonstrates that the bride's friends and family are there to ensure her prosperity. Something blue represents different things depending on who you ask, but it typically refers to fidelity in the marriage. By abiding by these rules, brides should have a long and happy marriage.

The superstition of carrying the bride over the threshold has some interesting beginnings. It was believed in medieval England that carrying the bride prevented her from seeming too willing to lose her virginity. In some other cultures it was believed that the practice would keep evil spirits away from the couple. In Roman times it was believed that if a bride trips entering the home for the first time it would cause bad luck for the couple, so the husband would carry her over to ensure the marriage would not be doomed.

Throwing rice is a tradition that dates back over 2,000 years. The original form of this practice was to throw grains over the bride and groom. This was to bid them a fruitful union, both in crops and children. Today this practice has been altered a number of ways. The happy couple can be covered in a layer of confetti, sunflower seeds, and bubbles. Throwing rice has lost some popularity due to the myth that it harms birds. Interestingly, some cultures throw eggs for good luck.

It is generally considered bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the ceremony on their wedding day. This can be traced back to times when arranged marriages were the norm. Women were considered to be the property of their fathers. In order to make sure that a prospective groom went through with the wedding, he wasn't allowed to see what his new bride looked like.

Is there merit behind these superstitions? For the most part many of them have become less superstition and more tradition. Will following them really ensure that your marriage is long and prosperous? It's a little subjective, but it seems that doing things for good luck can't hurt. The traditions are part of what makes a wedding special, so even if you don't believe in them they can make your special day even more memorable.

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