The Irish wedding was not just a fun festival but serious business. The parents arranged marriages with the family’s social position in mind. The eldest son and the eldest daughter were the important marriages in the family. The eldest son would inherit the farm, and the eldest daughter had the dowry. If the eldest daughter did not marry the eldest son, she would end up with a landless man with no way of support. The bride’s dowry was often taken and given to the husband’s eldest sister for her dowry. The lack of property left the rest of the children with nothing; they had to find their way in the world. Many migrated to towns for work or emigrated to other parts of the world for better opportunities. In researching Irish family, your ancestor's position in the family was important.
Irish weddings were full of celebration. The bride, if she were rich, would have a special wedding dress, but those of more modest means bought a more practical dress also used for special occasions. The wedding could not take place during Lent or Advent, so June was a popular month for weddings.
People would leave a Child of Prague statue outside the church on the eve of the of the wedding to ensure pleasant weather. The bride’s home held a wedding breakfast after church service to break the fast the was required to take Holy Communion. After the church service, the wedding procession making lots of noise would always take the longest route to the wedding breakfast at the bride’s parents’ home. Upon entering the home, the married couple would enter side by side because tradition says that the last one of the couple to enter the home would be the first to die.
After the wedding, the bride would take her dowry and go to her new home. Another custom is the breaking of bread over the bride’s head by her new mother-in-law to welcome her into the family. The married woman now was expected to keep her head covered with a shawl or scarf. These traditions bring our ancestors to life and endear them to our hearts.
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