6 wedding customs that involve throwing things

Many wedding traditions we practice today are linked with superstitions from long ago. Some of these old customs have fallen out of favor, some have evolved, and some are quite a bit like they were when they were first established. I’ve written about wedding traditions for years now and have to say I'm surprised at how many customs involved throwing things at the bride and or groom. Before you read any further, ask yourself, can you name six wedding customs that involve throwing things? 

Throwing shoes started back in the Tudor period in England

1. Throwing bread at the bride

The throwing of bread was practiced in 16^thcentury, but before we get to that let’s take a look of how we got there with a peek back at the Middle Ages. At that time, brides carried or wore wheat ears as a symbol of fertility, and young girls customarily gathered outside the church to throw grains of wheat over the bride meant to shower the couple with good fortune, prosperity, and fertility. 

Later, bread was made from wheat flour and water and was thrown at the bride during the ceremony to encourage fertility. (In Russia today, wedding bread called karavay is still a center piece of weddings and is thought to represent fertility.) In 16th-century England, the bride’s bread evolved into small rectangular cakes made of eggs, milk, sugar, currants, and spices. Makes me think of something like banana bread with blueberries or something. Anyhow, each guest had at least one of these little cakes which were thrown at the bride as she crossed the threshold. The main theme that followed the various customs involving the throwing of bread are linked to fertility.

 

Today many couples throw biodegradable confetti.

2. Throwing rice (and other grains)

Throwing rice at newlyweds is an ancient custom but the throwing of wheat actually predates throwing rice. In rural parishes of England, when wheat was thrown over the bridal couple the people would say, "Bread for life, pudding forever." For my readers who don’t know about “pudding” in English terms, it is their word for dessert. Only prosperous people had the means to enjoy desserts, so it was a way of wishing the newlyweds might always be prosperous. 

The practice of throwing rice, or oats, or other grains (or peas for Czech newlyweds) all held the same symbolism. It represented showering the couple with good fortune, prosperity and fertility. Instead of thinking of it as “rice” or “oats” the people back then looked at it as life-giving seed and it was a way to wish newly married couples good luck. 

It was considered good luck to hit the departing carriage with your shoe.

 

 

 

3. Throwing shoes at the bride and broom

I only recently came upon this tradition when writing about the origins of wedding receptions. Throwing shoes at the newlywed couple started back in the Tudor period in England (1500s). As the bride and groom drove away in their carriage, wedding guests threw their shoes at them because they believed it was good luck if you hit the vehicle. Needless to say, as a wedding custom, throwing shoes is no longer practiced. The custom changed to tying old shoes to the back of the carriage, which then evolved here in the States to using aluminum cans.

4. Throwing the bouquet

The custom of the bride carrying a flower bouquet is an interesting one with ancient origins that can be traced back to ancient Rome. Back then brides carried or wore flower garlands because they believed flowers signified new beginnings, fidelity and hope of fertility. By the Middle Ages, instead of flowers, women carried aromatic bunches of garlic, herbs and spices to ward off evil spirits, bad luck, and sickness. Today, the bouquet represents happiness and satisfaction in marriage. So how did throwing the bouquet come about?

Tossing the bridal bouquet to guests started back in medieval times. At that time, it was considered good luck for guests to get a piece of the wedding dress, so guests were eager to go after the bride trying to rip off bits of her dress. Brides started tossing the bouquet as a distraction so they could get away with the dress in one piece. Over time, catching the bouquet became a talisman for good luck to the one who caught it. 

5. Tossing the garter

The custom of throwing the garter started in England and France and came about for the same reason as throwing of the bouquet. In an effort to distract guests who hoped to tear off a piece of the bride’s dress, the groom tossed a garter.

6. Throwing money at the bride and groom

In Greece, throwing money around the bride and groom is one aspect of a dance called the "kalamatiano" or here in the States, the money dance. In Nigeria, this tradition is called the "money spray" In Poland, the money is pinned on the bride during the reception as she dances. The idea behind this tradition is to help the couple out financially as they start their life together. In general, money is either thrown, pinned or handed to the couple while dancing.

Vintage wedding ideas for the modern bride

• While no one wants a loaf of bread tossed at them, wedding bread is rich with symbolism. For a vintage touch, have a special loaf of bride’s bread made for the couple. Just for fun, you might want to include this old custom: Someone holds the loaf and the bride and groom take a bite. Whoever takes the biggest bite will be the head of the household.
• In the Ukraine, after the bride and groom eat the wedding bread, people throw candies and money at them. This tradition represents wishes for financial blessings and abundance.

Photo credits:picryl, pixabay, needpix, Wikimedia, flickr, wikimedia

Bride’s Pye a strange wedding tradition

Looking back at 16th century Yorkshire, pies were the common tradition. Rather than cakes, the Bride’s Pye (Bride’s Pie) was considered an essential dish for marriage celebrations. Like many wedding traditions its importance was tied to superstitions and thought to be necessary for the couple’s future happiness. Wait until you see what was expected of the bride in this tradition!

 

What bride’s pye symbolized

The bride and groom were presented with Bride’s Pye when they arrived at their new home. While this sounds like a nice way to welcome the couple to their new life together, in practice, the pie wasn’t only for eating. The bride only ate one piece and the rest was smashed over her head, and she wore the smashed pie for the rest of the day! Why? It symbolized her devotion to her husband.

Once the groom smashed the pie on his bride’s head, he threw the plate over his head and watched it break into pieces. The more pieces, the more years of happiness and fortune they could look forward to. Etiquette also required the bridegroom to wait on his bride. 

And so, the bride’s pye was considered essential to the couple’s future happiness. This reminds me of the wedding tradition of the barley loaf which came before the bride’s pye. The loaf was broken over the bride’s head for good luck, and the people gathered crumbs for their own good fortune. In the case of the Bride’s Pye, it was considered rude if any attending the celebration didn’t take part.

How big was a bride’s pye?

A lot of work went into the making a bride’s pye. It was always round, with a thick decorated crust. Most often it was a mincemeat or mutton pie made with sweetbreads but I’ve also read a recipe that included a fat laying hen, full of eggs, probably intended as an emblem of fertility To get an idea of the size of this dish, consider this 1808 recipe from The experienced English Housekeeper by Elizabeth Raffaid.

• Boil two calf's feet, pick the meat from the bones and chop it very fine.

• Shred small one pound of beef suet and a pound of apples

• Wash and pick one pound of currants very small, dry them before the fire

• Stone and chop a quarter of a pound of jar raisins

• A quarter of an ounce of cinnamon

• A quarter of an ounce of mace or nutmeg

• Two ounces of candied citron

• Two ounces of candied lemon cut thin

• A glass of brandy and one of Champagne

Put them in a China dish with a rich puff paste over it, roll another lid, and cut it in leaves, flowers, figures, and put a glass ring in it.

 

 

Ring inside the pie

One last thing worth mentioning about the Bride’s Pye tradition is that it had a glass ring cooked into it. The lady who found the ring in her serving of pie was thought to be the next to marry.

The bride’s pye tradition carried into the seventeenth century but then evolved into a bride cake, the precursor to the modern wedding cake. And while the smashing of the cake on the bride's head seems a strange tradition, when I think of how couples often smash wedding cake in each others' faces I guess our customs can be just as strange. I wonder if that's where smashing the cake originated.

 

How to make traditional Korovai wedding bread

Korovai (Ukraine), karavai (Russia) or kravai (Bulgaria) is a traditional wedding bread popular in Eastern-European countries. While recipes vary from one region to another, they all represent the same rich symbolism of the unity of two hearts in love. While some wedding korovai is made just for show, the Korovai recipe listed below is a sweet delicious dessert bread you’ll be happy to serve to wedding guests or make to celebrate an anniversary.

 

Korovai decorations

Korovai has been a central part of weddings for ages and symbolizes fertility and family happiness. The meanings or symbolism of Korovai decorations differ a little depending on who you talk to, but the gist of all the meanings revolve around fertility, prosperity, unity and long life. For instance, braids around the korovai symbolize eternity (everlasting life), and symbols like pine cones or wheat represent fertility. In Ukraine Korovai is eaten at the wedding and shared with the guests, so decorations are made of the same dough as the Korovai, but in many regions the decorations are not eaten.

Korovai recipe

This recipe makes a classic two-pound loaf, so if you plan to make a traditional two-tier korovai you will want to double it.

Ingredients for Main Dough:

• 4 5/8 cup all-purpose wheat flour
• 2 rounded teaspoons of Instant Yeast
• 9 ounces milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 tsp. orange zest
• 1 tbsp. rum
• Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
• 5 tbsp. melted butter

Decorative dough recipe

• 1 ¼ c. all-purpose wheat flour
• 2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream
• 3 ½ tbsp. water (a little more if needed)
• 1 pinch salt

 

Egg wash will be pale yellow

Egg wash

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp. water
• 1 pinch sugar

How to make Korovai

1. Measure out ingredients and allow them to reach room temperature
2. In a bowl, combine yeast, 2 cups flour, 1 tbsp. sugar and milk. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 30 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, use an electric whisk to beat eggs, salt, and sugar for about 5 minutes (mixture will be foamy and pale yellow). Fold eggs mixture into the dough starter.
4. In another bowl, mix vanilla bean seeds, lemon zest, orange zest, rum, and melted butter. Fold mixture into the dough starter until well combined.
5. Add remaining flour and knead dough until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large bowl, and cover with plastic. Let rise at room temperature until double in size (will take 1 - 2 hours).
6. While dough is rising, make dough for decorations. (Instructions below)
7. Lightly butter 10" baking dish.
8. Divide dough into two equal portions. Shape one portion into a ball and place in center of the baking pan. Divide the second portion into 3 equal portions: roll each one into a 36-inch-long rope. Braid them and situate the braid around the ball on the baking pan leaving about 1/2" space between the ball and the braid.
9. Use a large bowl turned upside-down to cover and let rise at room temperature for about 1 hour.
10. While bread rises, shape decorations.

Instructions for Korovai decoration dough

Mix all ingredients and knead dough. Cover with plastic wrap and allow flour to hydrate for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

1. After an hour, the dough should be smooth and elastic. Work with small portions of dough at a time. While you do, keep the remainder of the dough covered with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out. As you shape each decorative element place them in a covered container.

Baking instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. For the best results, use a baking stone and 12" clay cloche.
2. Make the egg wash and brush over bread dough.
3. Arrange decorative dough elements on bread and brush bread dough (2^nd time) and decorations with egg wash.
4. Bake covered by hot cloche for 45-50 minutes.
5. Remove from oven, wrap hot bread in a kitchen towel and let cool on cooling rack.

Korovai bread is basically a paska bread and can be a single layer (one round loaf), or two or three tiers with different size loafs stacked and decorated. Often the bride and groom have a second smaller korovai to bring with them to their new home.

Photo credits: Wikimedia, Wikimedia, flickr, wikimedia