Christian Wedding Traditions

Have you ever wondered where a lot of our Christian wedding traditions came from?

How about:

Something old,

Something new,

Something borrowed,

Something blue.

Why? What does this mean? This poem, one of the most familiar of all bridal traditions here in the United States, has meaning.

The bride wears something old to symbolize her ties to her single life and childhood family.

Something new refers to the bride's hopes for the future.

Something borrowed is an item that is meaningful to a close family member of a dear friend. It must be returned to the owner after the wedding for good luck. (I don't believe in luck but it is still a fun Christian wedding tradition.)

The something blue was an old tradition practiced in Israel, when brides wore blue ribbons. The blue ribbons symbolized their fidelity.

But did you know that the poem has another line? I did not. I only discovered the next line while researching this poem. It goes like this:

Something old,

Something new,

Something borrowed,

Something blue,

And a lucky sixpence in my shoe.

On my wedding day, I had the something old, the something new, the something borrowed, and the something blue, but no coin in my shoe for luck. Of course, the coin would feel uncomfortable in a shoe to me.

By the way, a dime is the preferred coin in the United States. I would imagine that is because it is the smallest coin we have. Again, there is no such thing as luck--things turn out according to God's plan, not luck.

There are many other traditions used by people around the world. Please feel free to share the traditions used by your family and friends on the form below. Thank you!

Index of Christian Tradition Pages

Gift Registry For Men

Pass The Wedding Veil

Sex Before Marriage

Silver Heart Necklace

Something Blue

Something Borrowed

Something new

Something Old

White Wedding Bible

Have A Great Wedding Tradition In Your Family?

Do you have a great wedding tradition that you or someone in your family used in your or their wedding? Do you have a funny wedding story that you would love to share? We would love to hear it!

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