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Patty Craig: A Slice of Time

June brings to mind weddings. In our country, June is a very popular wedding month.  Although I did not marry in June, like many of you, I have observed the exchange of many wedding vows during that month.

According to a web article, Statistics on Weddings in the United States (http://www.soundvision.com/info/weddings/statistics.asp), about 2.3 million couples wed each year. The average age of the U.S. groom is 26.9, and the average age of the bride is 25.3, with about one-third of those getting married each year having been married before. June is the most popular month for weddings, followed by August, September and October. Approximately 80 percent of weddings are performed in churches or synagogues, and the average number of invited wedding guests is 178.

The wedding ceremony is a social tradition, and a few superstitious beliefs have developed around it. The author Ferne Shelton (Pioneer Superstitions, 1969) recounted some wedding superstitions:

• A happy bride will wear something old and something new, something borrowed and something blue (I did.).

• Marriages that take place at the full of the moon are best for happiness and prosperity. June weddings during the Full Moon are the luckiest (Our wedding night did not have a full moon.).

• If the wedding day is bright and sunny, it foretells good luck for the bride; if rainy, it means bad luck. If the second day of marriage is bright and sunny, it foretells happiness for the groom (Our wedding day and the following day were both sunny.).

• If the bride makes her own wedding dress, it is a sign of good luck for the wedding (I made my wedding dress.).

• It is good luck to see a toad in the road after the ceremony (I did not see a toad after the ceremony.).

• It is bad luck if the bride cooks her own wedding dinner (I didn’t do the cooking.).

• It is bad luck if the wedding clothes are shown before they are worn (I did show my wedding dress before I wore it.).

• It is bad luck if the groom sees his bride on the day of the wedding before the ceremony starts (We picked up our marriage license the morning of our wedding day.).

• It is bad luck if the bride sells her wedding dress. It may be given away, loaned or packed away (Mine is packed away.).

• It is bad luck to change the wedding date after it has been definitely set (We did not change the date.).

Most of us have opinions about marriage. Four are expressed below:
• The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret. – Henny Youngman

• Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards. – Benjamin Franklin

• Marriage is three parts love and seven parts forgiveness of sins. – Langdon Mitchell

• When you meet someone who can cook and do housework, don't hesitate a minute – marry him. – Unknown

Even though my late husband cooked, he seldom did housework. And, I did wear ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue’ to our August wedding. But, I don’t believe that marital bliss is a product of luck. A happy marriage is more likely the result of choosing the right mate, both partners working at making the marriage a good one, and God’s blessing.

Comments

This was a great, informative, and beautiful article. A happy marriage is one of the best feelings in the world. Thanks for sharing this with us.


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