12 Fascinating Wedding Superstitions & Proposal Lore (And What They Mean)

The wedding tradition is an old one, so there is much lore and age-old wisdom surrounding it. From ancient Greek moon phases to lucky omens on the way to the altar, here is the traditional folklore surrounding love, marriage, and wedded bliss.

Weather & Wedding Day Omens

Traditional lore suggests that the elements on your big day hold deep meaning for your future together:

• Sunlight: “Happy is the bride that the sun shines on; blessed is the corpse that the rain rains on.”
• Snow: Snow on your wedding day is a sign of fertility and prosperity.
• Travel to the Church: Walking is thought to be the best way of getting to church, as there’s more chance of spotting lucky omens such as seeing a rainbow, having the sun shine, and meeting a black cat or a chimney sweep.

Jewelry, Flowers, and Vows for Wedded Bliss

Small details on your wedding day were traditionally believed to protect your marriage and ensure harmony:

• Gold Earrings: Wear gold earrings on your wedding day to ensure wedded bliss.
• Marigolds: Put marigolds in your wedding bouquet to keep your true love.
• Timing Your Vows: Speak wedding vows on the upward strokes of the clock hands, and you’ll work well together in marriage.
• Engagement Ring Timing: An engagement ring purchased on a Tuesday will guarantee a marriage filled with peace and contentment.

Proposal Lore & Decision Making

Deciding on marriage has inspired some of the most unique folklore tricks:

• Leaving It to the Cat: If a young girl receives a wedding proposal and cannot decide whether to have the man, she is sometimes advised to “leave it to the cat.” She takes three hairs from the cat’s tail, wraps them in a bit of white paper, and leaves the packet under the doorstep for the night. In the morning, the hairs will have arranged themselves either in an N for no or a Y for yes. Old-timers advise that she would do well to heed the advice.
• Twelfth Night Mistletoe: Burning the mistletoe on Twelfth Night ensures marriage for those who have kissed beneath it.

Marriage and the Moon

Celestial bodies play a major role in traditional marriage lore:

• Moon Phases: The ancient Greeks believed that marriages consummated during the full Moon were the most prosperous and happiest, but a waning Moon boded ill for wedded bliss.
• Proposal & Dreams: The full Moon is considered an ideal time to accept a marriage proposal. A new Moon in your dreams also promises increased wealth or a happy marriage.

• The Dove & New Moon Rhyme: Folklore has it that if a young woman sees a dove and the new Moon at the same instant, she should say:  
  “Bright Moon, clear Moon,  
  Bright and fair,  
  Lift up your right foot,  
  There’ll be a hair.”  

  When she removes her shoe, she’ll find a hair that is the same color as her future husband’s.  

Wise Words for a Lasting Marriage

A Golden Rule for Harmony: For a happy marriage, never speak loudly to one another unless the house is on fire.