Many old customs, superstitions and omens connected with weddings have survived to this day. In different regions of Poland they are observed in slightly different forms, and every community has its own beliefs about this special day. Here is an overview of the most popular ones – from choosing the date, through the dress and the ceremony, to the wedding reception.
How to choose a lucky wedding date
- Christmas, the carnival season and Easter are considered not particularly lucky times to marry.
- June and September are especially auspicious months.
- It is a good idea to set the wedding for a day or two after the full moon.
- The time matters too – the ceremony should begin on the hour, for example at 1 pm or 3 pm.
- Traditionally, Saturday is the best day to tie the knot.
- It is considered unlucky to marry in months whose (Polish) names do not contain the letter “r”.
- May and November are said to be the unluckiest months for a wedding.
The weather on the wedding day
For a marriage to be happy, the wedding day should be sunny and warm. If the wedding takes place in winter, a light frost and snow are a good omen. We have no control over the weather, but superstition has it that storms and rain foretell frequent difficulties in the couple’s life together. Fortunately, birdsong on the wedding day is said to herald a happy life.
The dress and wedding attire
Every bride should wear something white, something blue, something borrowed, something new and something old. White stands for purity of feeling, blue is meant to ensure fidelity, the borrowed item speaks of the goodwill of the new family, the new one of prosperity, and the old one of the support of loved ones in difficult times.
- It is best to buy or hire the wedding dress in the company of friends or your mum – not with your future mother-in-law or your fiancé.
- The dress should not tear or get dirty before the wedding, as that is a bad omen.
- The bride-to-be should not look at herself in the mirror in her full wedding outfit before the ceremony.
- Never let another woman try on your wedding dress – superstition has it that she will never walk down the aisle.
- The wedding rings must not be tried on before the ceremony.
- A penny or a few grains of rice in the bride’s shoe foretell a prosperous marriage, and a coin in the groom’s pocket that he will easily provide for his family.
- On the wedding day, take care not to break anything.
Superstitions during the ceremony
- When crossing the threshold of the church, the bride should step in with her right foot first.
- The bride falling over in church is considered a bad omen for the marriage.
- Take care not to drop the rings on the floor – that too bodes ill.
- If the bride helps slip the ring onto the groom’s finger, it means she will rule the household.
- The ring is placed on the ring finger; putting it on any other finger was said to foretell infidelity.
- The candles in church should burn evenly – a candle going out is a bad sign.
- You should not cry before the wedding, but during the ceremony the bride may cry as much as she likes – in her marriage she will have no more reason for tears.
- After the ceremony, the husband should plant a passionate kiss on his wife’s lips.
- It is a bad sign if the bride forgets her bouquet.
- There is a superstition that a girl who is a bridesmaid three times will never become a wife.
- As the couple leave the church, they are showered with rice, coins or confetti. Whichever of the newlyweds gathers more coins will manage the household finances.
Superstitions at the wedding reception
- The parents greet the newlyweds with bread and salt. Then a toast is raised and the empty glasses are thrown over the shoulder – if they do not break, the marriage is said to face difficulties.
- The groom should carry the bride over the threshold of the house or the reception hall.
- Thirteen people should not sit at the wedding table.
- The first dance belongs to the newlyweds, and the bride should not start it on her left foot.
- It is bad form to refuse even a small piece of wedding cake – according to superstition, it means wishing the bride ill.
Superstition and good fun
Wedding superstitions are a colourful part of our culture and a great topic of conversation at the wedding table. It is worth taking them with a pinch of salt, however – the happiness of a marriage depends above all on the people in it, their love and mutual respect, not on the weather or a glass that refuses to break.
First published (Polish original): 10 February 2010. Written by astrologers and esoteric specialists working with our editorial team; edited and translated for HOROSCOP.SPACE. © All rights reserved.
