RENAISSANCE WEDDING TRIVIA
by Grace Sydney

> more on Renaissance weddings & getaways

Spice up your wedding bouquet with a sprig of mint-- Elizabethan brides followed this practice, believing it helped to flame a man's desire.

If a bride-to-be owns a pet cat, she should allow her feline friend to eat from her left shoe one week prior to her wedding. This is a portent of good luck, according to the Celts.

Having trouble deciding which day of the week to tie the knot? Use this medieval poem as your guide:

Monday for health,
Tuesday for wealth,
Wednesday best of all.
Thursday for losses,
Friday for crosses,
Saturday for no luck at all.

A tear in in the fabric of a bride's wedding gown was cause for celebration to the ancient Celts, who viewed it as an omen of good luck in the years to come for a couple.

Knives as a wedding present was once frowned upon, for fear that the sharp edges could cut the love of the bride and groom in twain, or cause a parting of the ways between the giver and receiver of the gift. To counteract any bad luck that such a present may bring, the bridal couple would symbolically pay for the gift by giving a coin to the gift bearer.

Many modern brides still carry on the tradition of adding "something blue" to their nuptial attire, a rite which was observed by Celtic women, who often wore blue wedding gowns to signify their innocence.

The sight of a black cat on her wedding day was considered good luck for a bride.

A woman who dreams of clover will find happiness in her marriage.

Love would flourish the rest of their days for the medieval bride and groom who dipped a sprig of rosemary, known for its power of fidelity, into their wine before drinking.

A bride stood on the right side of her beloved during the wedding ceremony to keep the chivalrous groom's sword hand free.

The fear of being stolen away by faeries was one reason why medieval brides shunned green as a hue for a wedding dress. It was thought that faeries were drawn to the color.

Another reason the color green was frowned upon was the widely held belief that it was a color for women of ill-repute, as it covered grass stains from illicit trysts.

Want to add a cinematic touch to your wedding reception? Dance La Volta, which was deemed risque in its time as the partners danced facing each other, with the man lustily lifting the maid three times in the air. These moves were seen in the epic film "Elizabeth".

Bring the romance of the Italian Renaissance to your wedding festivities with the Moresca, which was actually a dance depicting battles between the Moors and Christians. This dance was performed in Franco Zeffirelli's classic version of "Romeo and Juliet".

If you perform any dances of the Renaissance era at your wedding, you will notice that partners hands do not touch palm to palm. This was considered too sensuous of an act, as a mixture of a man and woman's sweat was considered an aphrodesiac, and could spark passion.

For a bride to awaken on her wedding day to the singing of birds was a sure sign of happy days ahead for a couple.

During Elizabethan times a "kissing knot", an ornament concocted of gaily-colored ribbons, leaves and rosemary, dangled above the bride and groom's table during the wedding feast.

In hope of children for the betrothed, Italians offered almonds, which were believed to possess fertility powers, at weddings.

In medieval times one month's supply of mead was often given to newlyweds in the belief that, if a couple drank the liquor each night, a child would be born within the first year of their union. This practice resulted in the origin of the word "honeymoon."

Poesy rings-- bands with engraved terms of endearment used for engagement or wedding rings, or simply as a token of affection, were popular in the middle ages. Throughout the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries poetic prose were carved on the outside of the band.

Couples today might want to emulate the custom from the sixteenth century, when words of love were carved on the inside of the band, a secret shared only between lovers.

Follow this Welsh tradition and share your good fortune with your bridesmaids-- give a cutting of myrtle from your wedding bouquet to each of your attendants. Legend states that if a bridesmaid plants the myrtle and it flourishes, the lucky maid is the next in line to wed.