Wedding Traditions: Why Bridesmaids, Veils, and Bells? Evil Spirits.

By | August 7, 2019

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A happy couple gets pelted with rice as they leave the church after their wedding. Source: (gettyimages.com)

Wedding ceremonies are steeped in tradition, and let's face it, some of them are rather odd. A quick look into the origins of many of today's wedding traditions will show a common thread, and it's not love: These traditions originated as a way to ward off evil spirits who seemed literally hellbent on ruining the wedding day and stirring up bad luck in the newlyweds' marriage. Let's look at some of these wedding traditions to see how the people of the past devised ways to thwart the spirits. 

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Brides of yesterday tried to confuse the evil spirits with matching dresses. Source: (pinterest.com)

Bridesmaids in Matching Dresses

You may think that the purpose of having bridesmaids at a wedding is for the bride's friends and relatives to stand by her side during her big day and show their support for her, but you'd be wrong. In the past, the purpose of bridesmaids was to have several women all wearing wedding dresses to confuse the evil spirits. If any woman attending a wedding pulled that today, they'd be in for a bridal beatdown, but back then, it was hoped that one of the bridesmaids would get hit with the bad luck whammy, leaving the bride unscathed and ready for a long and happy marriage.