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Sunday, January 30, 1994 - North Shore News ~ 12

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A special feature of the
North Shore News

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| Contemporary wedding customs have roots in ancient history

“TRADITIONS ARE a big part of
wedding ceremonies, yet many peo-
ple don’t know how these traditions
began.

These are some examples of the
roots of those traditions:

& What is the origin of the word

- “bridegroom”? |

The word groom is probably a
corruption of the Old English
“guma” meaning man, The bride-
groom is really the bride’s man.

85 How did courtship evolve?

The roots of courtship lie in the
courtly love traditions of 12th-cen-
tury France. Knights would sing
adoring songs. of fove to their
ladies.

The code of conduct known as

chivalry also played a role in the
evolution of today's familiar
courtship rituals,

Later, in Victoriin times, when

long engagements were the norm,
courting involved written declara-
tions of love and short chaperoned
visits between the couple.
M Why does the traditienal
groom-to-be seal his love for his
fiance with a diamond engage-
ment ring?

Archduke Maximitian of Austria
oegan this tradition in the 15th cen-
tury when he pledged his trath to
Mary of Burgundy.

@ Why do many brides wear
gloves?

In medieval times, the would-be

groom offered tokens of love to
engage a woman's heart, Many
gentlemen sent gloves to their loved
one as a proposal of marriage, and
if she wore the gloves to church on
Sunday it signatied her acceptance.
& Why are diamonds considered
the ultimate symbol af love?
Millions of years ago nature
invested great heat and pressure to
crystallize a single diamond, form-
ing the hardest known substance,

Often found in a natural octahe-

dral form. a diamond appears us
two pyramids set base to base,
which in the early ages could not be
split.

That is why the diamond became
a symbol of an impenetrable bond,

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3] Why does the bride siand to
the left of the groom during the
wedding ceremony?

representing enduring and eternal
love. The mysterious inner fire of a
diamond was likened by some to

love's passion. See page 21

BEAUTIFUL
WEDDING
By THE
., BEAUTIFUL

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