There are many superstitious beliefs attached to weddings. And this is not only true to the wedding ceremony itself; some superstitions travel as far back as wedding preparation.

Yes, you can claim to be a 21st-century individual and you can contend that superstitions would no longer apply these days. However, your parents, your groom’s parents, and your grandparents will never run out of reminders regarding these beliefs — however crazy they may sound when put in today’s context.

Here are a few superstitions about weddings in general and wedding dresses in particular. And by their nature, these beliefs may or may not have explanations. Let’s revisit some of them.

1. It is said that it is unlucky for a bride to make her own wedding dress. While this may come as a very attractive idea to hit up on those savings, you might want to think again.

However, borrowed wedding dresses are lucky — for you, at least. Seriously though, would you ever allow someone to borrow your wedding dress? A keepsake of one of the most important days of your life? Well, this whole wedding-dress-practice is mostly seen among mother-daughter or grandmother-grandchild relationships. In these cases, wedding dresses can be labelled as sort of an heirloom.

2. Worried about the weather? Well, when it rains during your wedding day, you don’t actually have to panic. Many cultures consider it as lucky because the pouring rain signifies blessings –the heavier the downpour, the more blessings for you and your husband!

The worrisome part comes in because of the fact that no one would feel comfortable wearing wet and dirty wedding dresses. This issue would be more pronounced especially if you are having a garden wedding!

3. “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” Ever wondered what this famous phrase is for? A new bride should have some “things” old, new, borrowed and blue. But there’s actually another phrase that’s been deleted, and this is: sixpence for my shoe. What do all these mean?

”Old” symbolizes the bride’s life before the wedding; “new” is symbolical of new beginnings; “borrowed” is all about luck — especially when such an item is borrowed from another bride; “blue” actually represents the color of pre-Victorian wedding dresses. Lastly, “sixpence for my shoe” denotes wealth and financial stability.

4. In some Asian cultures, in the Philippines for example, wedding dresses should only be worn on the wedding day itself. Otherwise, something bad will happen and the wedding will not push through. With such a belief, the need for proper fitting and careful measurements are paramount. Imagine wearing a wedding dress that’s inches bigger than you!

Despite the modernity of our times, some superstitions still survive. In fact, they are practiced still. It may be sound unscientific if you believe and practice what superstition says about weddings and wedding dresses. However, there’s no harm in abiding by them right? You will not lose anything.

On the other side, if you completely ignore what the “oldies” believe to be true, you might feel guilty and you may become anxious. Of course, when something bad happens, your parents, or grandparents would then blame you for not believing in superstition.

Therefore, to make everyone happy, why not accept these superstitious beliefs as they are? This way, you can dress for the occasion, and for tradition.

Superstition

Whether we believe in superstitions or not, the fact is that most of us are superstitious. Many of these superstitions may be absurd; but the sense of mystery and awe in these superstitions gives us delight and excitement.

It is quite interesting and amusing to observe some of these superstitions. Old people tell us that on “All souls day” we must keep pots and jars filled with water outside the house and in the compounds, as the thirsty souls of the dead on parole from purgatory on that day, will be coming to drink water.

Now what about the practice of throwing old shoes after the wedding pair as a sign of good luck? There are many such interesting and amusing superstitions. Some superstitions are noted for their element of mystery and awe. An owl making its appearance in our compound or birds flying at the windows is interpreted by old people as a bad omen presaging the death of a relative.

Such fears and awe haunted the minds of the primitive people who could not find an explanation for many of the phenomenon of nature like flood, thunder, rain, and earthquake and so on.

In the absence of a known cause, they attributed all these to the work of some unknown powers, both good and bad.

Man however was not helpless. His ingenuity suggested that through offerings and rituals, he could appease these hidden powers, thereby warding off fearful consequences. In many Asian countries, peasants make offerings to God to appease His wrath, so that there may not be crop failure due to delayed rain.

Superstitions give us a foreknowledge of evil and good. This enables us to take appropriate and timely action by rituals and other means to avert the evil or to welcome and make sure of the good. It is supposed that a bride will bring ill luck if she stumbles on crossing the threshold. But for this there is a remedy. The bridegroom should carry her over. Number thirteen is regarded as an unlucky number. People, therefore, are careful to avoid this number in any of their important dealings. I know of people who even refuse to occupy room number thirteen in hotels. By following superstitions, we are told that we can make sure of good luck and make the future suit us very conveniently. There old shoes after the wedding pair. It can bring good luck to the newly married couple. If the horseshoes is fixed the right way up on the door of the house, good fortune will smile on us. A girl can make sure of handsome husband by eating the last cake on the plate.

Some of these superstitions are humorous. Other is certainly ridiculous. A few are very frightening as well. Generally, they are exciting and interesting, and not as dull and matter of fact as the scientific world of cause and effect. We feel the excitement of fear and the anxiety of bad luck; but they also show a way to avoid danger and bad luck. How happy I would be if I could change the course of my fortune by the simple act of fixing the horse shoe the right way up on the door of my house. Boundless will be the joy of the girl who can get the handsome husband by eating the last cake from the plate. It is the element of fear, anxiety, misfortune and absurdity that makes the world of superstition fascinating and interesting.

Russians are very superstitious people. They will deny this, but it is true. These superstitions affect my life on a daily basis. Most of the time they are harmless and I go along with them to humor my wife. Sometimes I tease her about them.

New superstitions pop up all the time, as new situations arise in our life. I keep telling her that I need a rulebook for them. Perhaps someday I will codify them in a book.

Russians are raised with these superstitions so they have no need to consult a manual.

Here are some of them. It is by no means an exhaustive list:

1) You can’t whistle in the house or car, as they believe that you are whistling away your money.

At a dinner party at our house, a friend of mine started whistling. My wife silenced him immediately. She explained to him, “You can whistle in your own house, but you can’t whistle in mine. In my house, it’s my money you are whistling away.”

When she first came to America, she would see people standing at intersections holding signs. She asked me what they were doing. I told her they were asking for money. She asked me why. I told her that they had done entirely too much whistling in their house for their own good.

2) If you step on your spouse’s shoe by accident, you have to let the other person step on your shoe, or you will have an argument.

I never tested this superstition. It seemed easier to go along with the remedy than pay the price for violating it.

3) If you leave your house, you cannot go back inside for something you have forgotten, or your trip will result in ‘nothing good,’ as my wife says.

4) If you must go back in to get the forgotten item, you can try to mitigate the bad effects of returning by looking into the mirror at your own reflection for a moment before you leave again.

5) Never demonstrate another’s surgery or wound on your own body with your hand or other means as you are likely to visit that upon yourself.

In the few times I have done this, my wife has tried to remedy this by wiping away the spot where I made the imaginary incision with her hand, blowing on her hand to blow it away to the wind, and covering it with the sign of the cross.

6) Never give a Russian woman an even number of flowers. Even numbers are for the dead. Always give odd numbers. When you order a dozen, or two dozen roses, for her, ask them to throw in an extra one for good luck.

7) Never give yellow flowers to a Russian woman. It signifies infidelity and may mean that your relationship will not last.

Never give a watch as a gift to a Russian woman. Time is running out on your relationship.

9) Never give knives or handkerchiefs as gifts. I don’t know the reason for this one.

10) Never celebrate a birthday early. You are pushing your luck.

11) Don’t show your newborn baby to strangers until after forty days. They are waiting for their soul to arrive and they may take on another’s soul or energy during that time.

12) It’s best to cut your hair or nails during a full moon.

13) It’s considered bad luck to shave or cut your hair when a family member is in danger or bad health.

14) Whenever someone praises you or offers a positive comment, you knock on wood or imaginarily spit three times over your left shoulder so that you are not jinxed by the comment.

15) Do not shake hands or kiss over the threshold of a door. It forms a bridge that allows the devil or evil spirits from the outside to enter the house this way. When I have done this by mistake, my wife usually pushes me back outside or pulls me inside before greeting me with a kiss at the front door.

16) Before anyone takes a long trip, the whole family sits together silently for a few minutes before the traveler leaves.

17) The truly superstitious have been known to eat ‘lucky’ bus tickets, when the sum of the left three numbers equals the sum of the three numbers on the right.

18) Recently, while preparing to give my infant daughter a bath, the little tyke peed on me while I was taking her clothes off. My wife laughed and said that it was good news. It meant that I would live to dance at my daughter’s wedding!

This list is not exhaustive by any means. Superstitions vary by country and locale. There is a popular Russian television show that travels around the country exploring the unique superstitions of each particular town or village.

Many of the superstitions came from folk tales or fairy stories, Russian Orthodox tradition, or had peasant or agricultural roots. Most Russians are only one or two generations from the farm or village.

At any rate, be aware of the superstitions and try to show some respect for them whether or not you believe in them. Your Russian friends will appreciate it.