Old Sicilian traditions

about weddings

Since a long time ago and in any religion, the purpose of weddings were the union between a man and a woman to create a family. Due to the importance of this union every culture celebrated it with different rituals.

In Sicily, age, engagement rules and the ritual in church were important.

Age to marry

Women were able to marry until 18 and men had to be at least 28, however only after they accomplished military service. Young women living most of their life at home always wished to find a husband.

Engagement

Engagement was usually driven by the guy’s mother who would choose the bride without even telling his son. Engagement would also be possible if the young man fell in love with the girl.

DowryBefore wedding, the parents would price the

eventual dowry made up of the bride’s “kit”.

I Confetti Confetti were packed

in little wraps. During the engagement Confetti would be green and the day of the wedding they would be white. Confetti were packed in an odd number, usually five to represent bride and groom’s quality of life. :

- Health - Fertility - Long life

- happiness - Wealth

The wedding Wedding always took place on

Sunday or during some festivity just like the saint protector’s. The parade started from the bride’s house, the bride was later accompanied by her relatives to the church.

Wedding supper, after the ritual and celebration, was rich of helpings and it lasted until evening.

The wedding cake

The wedding banquet

Elopement It was a way obliged to arrive at the marriage wanted by

two young, but handed by families and consisted in the fact that the two young people fled from their homes and remained three days alone to consummate the marriage and put the families faced with the fait accompli, forcing them to agree to the wedding. In this case there were neither parties nor dancing.

The wedding dress

The wedding dress in the 19th century could be white or blue. A popular custom didn’t allow to show the wedding dress to the future husband or to look at the mirror with the dress on the day of the wedding.

Wedding dresses of the 19th century

The rice

The launch of the rice on the bride and groom at the exit of the Church is considered a good omen of wealth and joy. In some countries they also throw coins and confetti.

The bouquet The bouquet is the last gift offered

by the Groom to the Bride and it closes the stage of engagement. At the end of the wedding banquet it is launched by the Bride among all unmarried girls: who catches it, will get married within the year.

Rings

Rings have been a symbol of loyalty since the times of old Egyptians. According to the tradition it is the groom who buys them and keeps them until the marriage, but sometimes the witnesses give them to the couple. The ‘’pages’' ( young children) usually bring them to the altar.

Good omens Bride should wear six things on the wedding day:

- one thing lent symbolizing the love of relatives.

- one thing given symbolizing the good of loved ones.-one blue thing , since blue is the symbol of purity , once it was the colour of the wedding dress.

-an old thing: symbolizing the life left.

- a new thing : symbolizing the start of a new life.

The Weddings today Today many traditions

about weddings have been lost, such as the dowry or the confetti to start the engagement. Moreover and fortunately family is no longer involved in the choice of the groom or the bride.

The wedding day consists of a ceremony in the Church, which still maintains its sacred and legal value, followed by a wedding banquet with family and friends.

THE END