Thursday, January 7, 2010

History of the veil

This morning I came across an article in the local newspaper 24 hours. I just had to share it with our readers.
I figured it would be nice for brides to know the history of the veil they so proudly wear.





Before veils were popular women would wear their hair down as a symbol of their purity & virginity.

It was considered bad luck for the groom to see his bride before their wedding, which is why the bride wore a veil.

Women in ancient Rome wore bright red veils called flammeum on their wedding day, in order to protect themselves from evil spirits; while brides in ancient Greece opted for yellow.

The lifting of the veil at the end of the wedding ceremony was an ancient ritual that symbolized the groom taking possession of his bride.

In ancient Judaism, the lifting of the bride's veil was done just before the couple consummated their marriage.

Among the nomadic Tuareg of West Africa, women do not wear a wedding veil, but men do.

Veils were often used in arranged marriages so that the groom would be unable to see his bride until after the wedding, thus ensuring he wouldn't change his mind.

Britain's Queen Victoria popularized the use of veils in 1840 during her marriage to Albert. At that time the veil was seen as a symbol of modesty and submission.

In the past, veils were worn from head to foot and the thicker the veil the more traditional the implication of wearing it.

If a bride lifted her veil before the groom it was a show of independence.

Veils became popular in North America after Nelly Curtis wore a veil at her wedding to George Washington's aid, Major Lawrence Lewis.

According to the story, Major Lewis saw his bride to be standing behind a filmy curtain and commented on how beautiful she looked. As a result, Nelly decided to veil herself for the wedding.

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