Thursday, January 15, 2009

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

We all know this saying but did you know that it comes from a Victorian wedding tradition?

A bride at her wedding should wear:

Something old,
Something new,
Something borrowed,
Something blue,
And a sixpence in the shoe.

Or, in the United States:

...And a new dime in the shoe.

The "old" must be something which has belonged to a happily married woman. The wearing of such an item insures a lucky transfer of happiness to the new bride. The "new" is the wedding gown, the shoes, or other apparel of the bride. The "borrowed" must be some object of gold to guarantee wealth and fortune in the future. The "blue" is symbolic of the heavens and also of true love. The "sixpence" or "new dime" must be worn in the heel of the left shoe to insure wealth and prosperity.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't believe I never heard the full story on this saying before. I will definitely pass this on. Thanks for sharing it.

Ellen Seidman said...

Oopsie, left out the dime at my wedding. Do I have to do it all over again?

Marie Reed said...

I'll have to import a dime or a sixpence since I live in France..Or I wonder which French coin I should use. I'll just have to pop all of them in my shoe to be safe!

I am following this blog now too:)

Anonymous said...

ooh I love the idea of the sixpence. I wonder where I can get a vintage one? I am still in a quandary about what my blue is going to be as well. :)

Anonymous said...

You can find a plethora of sixpence coins on eBay. :)