"May you bear 12 children with him"

This weekend I celebrated my friend Daphne's upcoming wedding with a trip to Ocean City, Maryland. Daphne's bridesmaids planned a variety of games and activities. The weather was dismal but we splashed in the puddles, giggled over stories, and lounged in the hotel hot tub. I love the kindred feeling of being around a group of girls, all there to celebrate a dear friend. 

This coming weekend, I'll be a bridesmaid in my cousin Kelsey's wedding. The wedding date seemed so far away when it was first announced, and it's hard to believe it's almost here! I can't wait!! All these festivities have wedding on the brain, so I looked up a few fun facts about the origin of wedding traditions. Enjoy!

Fun wedding facts:

1. Wedding rings are typically placed on the third finger of the left hand because ancient Egyptians believed the vein in that hand ran directly to the heart. Romans also called this the "vein of love".

2. Modern-day groomsmen come from the historical tradition of the groom and his friends actually kidnapping the bride. Also, the groom always stands on the bride's right side at the altar so that his right hand (sword hand) will be free to fight off a jealous rival.

3. The tradition of the garter and bouquet comes from when guests in ancient times would tear off part of the bride's gown as a token of good luck. Better to throw them something before they can rip apart your gown, eh?

4. The phrase “tying the knot” comes from an ancient Babylonian custom in which threads from the bride and groom's clothes were tied in a knot to symbolize the couple’s union. A bit more literal than the colored sand ceremony, I guess.

5. In some African ceremonies, guests offering well wishes would greet the new bride with the words: “May you bear 12 children with him." Yikes.

For a full list of 77 wedding facts, check out the website below!

XOXO,
Maria

 Source: https://www.factretriever.com/wedding-facts

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thoughts from a New (Dog) Mama

Image
Lilly, sweet Lilly...how you delight and frustrate me. Everyone keeps telling me that having a dog is the precursor to kids and so I can't help but note the parallels.  1. This is affecting my sleep. Patrick is naturally a night owl and I'm more of a morning person and so I have assumed the morning shift with Lilly. This involves taking her downstairs to pee first thing, falling back asleep for an hour, and then feeding her and taking her out again for a longer walk (with intermittent running when I'm up for it and also want to wear her out). The plus side of this regimen is that I'm getting consistent exercise every morning before it gets too hot. Also, sometimes I feel inspired to complete a solo workout after the walk. Other times I go back to bed. 2. Her interests change over time.  When we first adopted Lilly, we were told that rope toys were her favorite, and this still holds true. However, within a week, Lilly developed a sudden fascination with sticks.
Read more

Halo Top Ice Cream: What's the Deal?

Image
Halo Top ice cream is celebrating its 5 year anniversary but has only been on my radar for a little while. Ibotta, my favorite coupon/rebate app, promised me $1.00 off a pint, so I decided it was finally time to try Halo Top for myself. The $4.99 price at Giant curbed my enthusiasm for a minute, but I rationalized that it was about the same cost as a trip to Sweet Frog or Starbucks.  The scoop:   Halo Top has 17 flavors, ranging from traditional (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, cookie dough...) to modern (sea salt caramel, s'mores, oatmeal cookie, pistachio...). Calorie counts range from 240 to 360, with the average falling around 320 per pint. Halo Top uses organic stevia as sweetener, which I'm guessing helps it lower the sugar levels, since stevia has a strong flavor. Other popular brands have 3 or 4g of protein per serving, so the 5g that Halo Top offers isn't a considerable leap. This is still a dessert, not body building fuel. First impression: 320 Calories
Read more

New Podcasts I'm Loving

Image
Hey guys! It's been a while! As many of you know, I've moved to Stafford, VA. We LOVE our quiet, conveniently-located neighborhood but I am driving a bit longer to connect with friends and family. Lucky for me, I've discovered a few new podcasts to spice up my drive! 1. Work, Play, Love with Lauren Fleshman and Jesse Thomas : This podcast is great for runners or athletes trying to find a balance between training and work/relationships. Lauren is a retired professional runner (now coach) and Jesse is a current professional triathlete. Together, they run a company called Picky Bars . Oh yeah, and they're married! Each episode, they discuss what's going on in their personal lives and then answer questions from listeners.  What I love: Both Lauren and Jesse are candid about their experiences: the ups and downs of business, athletic careers, and their own relationship. They don't come across as know-it-alls or experts, but rather as kind friends willing to sh
Read more