Way back in history the wedding veil was thought to be worn to protect the bride from evil spirits on her wedding day or was symbolic of when a groom would throw a blanket over the head of the woman of his choice when he captured her and carted her off. Another explanation is that during the times of arranged marriages, the bride's face was covered until the groom was committed to her at the ceremony . This tradition slowely evolved into keeping the groom from seeinmg the bride until after they were married.
Today the wedding veil reflects modesty, obedience, chastity, youth and virginity.
Modern day brides are wearing the veil away from the their face; some are foregoing the veil altogether. Wear your veil the way you like. Top Wedding Questions Forum Moderator - "Write your sorrows in the sand, your blessings in stone".
Originally, the veil symbolized youth and virginity. And, the veil helped the bride remain modest, besides protecting her from jealous spirits.
In the early days veils were thought to confuse the devil and protect the bride from the evil eye. Red veils meant defiance, blue constancy and yellow, the color of Hymen, god of marriage.
Early Greek brides would wear flame-yellow or red veils. Yellow veils were worn to ward off demons.
Roman brides wore one long veil covering her entire body to protect her from spirits.
Early Christians wore white or blue. White was worn because it symbolized purity and celebration, with blue symbolizing the Virgin Mary.
Today in some Muslim countries, Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, the young man is to court his bride-to-be while veiled. He will not see her face until after they are wed.
An interesting bit of trivia: The first white lace veil was worn by Martha Custis Washington's daughter, Nellie Custis. Her future husband, major Lawrence Lewis, President Washington's aide had first seen her through a lace curtain.
The more we know about where our traditions began and the meaning behind them, the more flexible we can be. We can pick and choose what we wish to continue and what we would care to change. Fun, huh.
Veil Covering Face?
