You May Now Kiss The Bride

Did you ever wonder where that custom came from? Well... it is believed it comes from the western world, but has reach the four corners of the earth. The kiss between the bride and groom is believed to have started in ancient Rome, for a strange reason, as written in A Treasury Of American Superstition. A suspicious husband in Rome pressed his lips on his wife's to to learn if she had been drinking wine! Then in time this led to the betrothal or marriage kiss to show good faith between lovers.

At most weddings the "free for all" kissing the bride takes place right after the wedding, but there has been interesting variations of bride-kissing. In Scotland, the pastor had to be the first to kiss the bride, it is believed her happiness depended on it. There was another custom that when the husband kissed the wife she had to cry, if she didn't her married life would be full of tears. There was another custom that the bride had to kiss all the men present.

Today, however the grooms kiss seems to be a part of the ceremony as a symbolic gesture to seal the matrimonial sacred vows just exchanged. So now when you kiss your husband you know the meaning behind the kiss, you may even want to cry.

by Kitty Ariza