{"id":225032,"date":"2017-01-01T10:22:30","date_gmt":"2017-01-01T18:22:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lulus.com\/blog\/?p=225032"},"modified":"2021-05-03T13:18:54","modified_gmt":"2021-05-03T20:18:54","slug":"celtic-wedding-traditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lulus.com\/blog\/resources\/celtic-wedding-traditions\/","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Wedding Traditions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Although Celtic tribes lived all over northern and eastern Europe, the traditions we’re most familiar with today come from <\/span>Ireland<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Scotland<\/span><\/a>. These cultures spread across the world, and many couples look to honor their ancestry by incorporating Celtic traditions into their wedding. There are dozens of different ways that people from Celtic cultures have celebrated weddings, and some of these customs are still popular in ceremonies today.<\/span><\/p>\n

Something Old, Something New<\/span><\/h3>\n

This Victorian <\/span>rhyme<\/span><\/a> popularized a few Irish wedding traditions that brides of all kinds follow to this day. According to the rhyme, a bride should carry or wear old, new, borrowed, and blue items during the ceremony. The old item represents family ties, the new item is for <\/span>luck<\/span><\/a>, something borrowed preserves friendship, and blue brings both luck and loyalty.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bridal Bouquet<\/span><\/h3>\n

Although there are several traditions concerning what a bride should carry down the aisle, the two most popular surviving Celtic cultures, Irish and Scottish, each have a specific good luck charm. Irish brides tuck a <\/span>shamrock<\/span><\/a> in their bouquet for luck. Scottish brides carry a bit of <\/span>white heather<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Celtic Pebble Toss<\/span><\/h3>\n

Water played a crucial role in not only Celtic village life but also in folklore and mythology. <\/span>Pagan<\/span><\/a> and Christian couples alike have held weddings near sources of water, including wells and streams. Guests threw <\/span>pebbles<\/span><\/a> the way we throw coins in a wishing well, offering wishes and praying for the couple’s good luck.<\/span><\/p>\n

Irish Horseshoe<\/span><\/h3>\n

Horseshoes<\/span><\/a> are considered lucky in Irish culture thanks to their link to strong, healthy livestock and their sturdy <\/span>iron<\/span><\/a> construction, and they’re said to keep away faeries and bad magic in Irish folklore. While carrying an actual horseshoe may be a little heavy for the bride, she can have the shape <\/span>embroidered<\/span><\/a> somewhere on her gown. A miniature horseshoe or something shaped like a horseshoe also fits neatly into a bouquet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Irish Wedding Coin<\/span><\/h3>\n

The traditional wedding <\/span>coin<\/span><\/a> is a family heirloom that passes from mother to son to bride. The groom <\/span>offers it to the bride<\/span><\/a> as a symbol of all he owns, confirming his willingness to share everything he has or will have as part of their married life.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Last Stitch<\/span><\/h3>\n

This tradition from County Cork states that finishing <\/span>wedding dresses<\/span><\/a> with a <\/span>final stitch<\/span><\/a> on the day of the wedding brings brides good fortune. Not many brides or families sew their own dresses these days, of course, but a bride can always add a stitch or finish a tiny piece of custom embroidery like a horseshoe on the day she walks down the aisle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lavender Tradition<\/span><\/h3>\n

Besides smelling sweet, <\/span>lavender<\/span><\/a> blesses new couples with a fragrant bit of luck. It’s an ancient symbol of <\/span>love<\/span><\/a> and loyalty, making it the perfect addition to a Celtic bride’s bouquet. The color is also a very fitting shade for <\/span>wedding guest dresses<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>bridesmaid dresses<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Marriage Bell<\/span><\/h3>\n

Every Celtic couple ought to receive at least one <\/span>bell<\/span><\/a> as a wedding gift. This tradition is about more than luck. Once married, the couple keeps the bell on the hearth or in another place of honor. If they <\/span>argue<\/span><\/a> and cannot reach a satisfactory end to their disagreement, they may ring the bell to end it without assuming fault or assigning blame.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Caim<\/span><\/h3>\n

In this tradition, a bride and groom <\/span>draw or cast a circle<\/span><\/a> around themselves. It’s a very old practice that had connections to other pagan rituals, but Christians adopted it as well. In the Christian tradition, the circle represents the couple’s union with God and serves as a physical prayer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Handfasting<\/span><\/h3>\n

Centuries ago, <\/span>handfasting<\/span> was the primary way that Celtic people got married. As the couple holds hands, a third party ties a <\/span>long cord or several ribbons<\/span><\/a> around their hands, creating a series of elegant knots symbolizing the couple’s bond. In some Celtic cultures, <\/span>handfasting<\/span><\/a> was also used as a kind of trial marriage that lasted a year and day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lighting of a Unity Candle<\/span><\/h3>\n

This tradition appears in many non-Celtic American wedding ceremonies, but it has its roots in ancient <\/span>tradition<\/span><\/a>. A unity candle ceremony features three candles. The mothers of the bride and groom each light one smaller candle at the beginning of the wedding, representing their sides of the family. At the end of the wedding, typically after the vows, the couple takes the candles lit by their respective mothers and uses them to simultaneously light a third candle, joining the flames into one.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quaich or Loving Cup<\/span><\/h3>\n

This <\/span>two-handled cup<\/span><\/a> signifies the union of two individuals and two families. It may be integrated into the wedding <\/span>ceremony<\/span><\/a> or used during the reception.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wearing the Tartan<\/span><\/h3>\n

Every clan has a unique <\/span>tartan<\/span><\/a>, and so does every area of Ireland and Scotland. Couples often celebrate their ancestry by wearing the unique pattern and colors of their people. Some brides do without traditional <\/span>women’s white dresses<\/span><\/a> and walk down the aisle in tartan attire instead. Women more frequently wear sashes and <\/span>rosettes<\/span><\/a> with their gowns, and men not interested in kilts can do the same. Tartan ties, cummerbunds, and other formal accessories also exist for grooms and groomsmen. A man marrying a woman from another clan may also put a sash made of his family’s tartan on his new bride as part of the wedding ceremony.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wearing of the Kilt<\/span><\/h3>\n

Grooms and groomsmen often wear <\/span>kilts<\/span><\/a>, traditional <\/span>skirts<\/span><\/a>, at Celtic wedding ceremonies. A full, traditional kilt pairs well with either formal or relatively informal shirts and jackets, so the groom can wear a tuxedo jacket and shirt with his <\/span>kilt<\/span><\/a> or something less formal if desired.<\/span><\/p>\n

Celtic weddings may incorporate any or all of these <\/span>traditions<\/span>. Brides and grooms with Celtic ancestry live all over the world, and they may have several cultural backgrounds to draw on for their nuptials. Whatever elements a couple incorporates into their wedding, they are sure to bring charm, history, and a bit of luck.<\/span><\/p>\n

More About Celtic Culture and Traditions<\/b><\/h4>\n