June Weddings – Part 4: The Christianization of Roman Wedding Traditions

Ah! June!

It is a lovely month, don’t you think?

A time to connect the dots between Ancient Rome and our modern-day wedding ceremony.

In parts 1-2, we saw how the goddess Juno influenced weddings in Ancient Rome. Part 3 discussed the faith shift from multiple gods to a single triune God.

Here, we will hear the echos of Juno, which are still heard across wedding venues near and far.

Blending of Traditions

Christianity reinterpreted or replaced many of the ancient wedding traditions. Let’s look at a few.

Sanctification of Marriage

The early Christian Church viewed marriage as a sacred covenant. For new Christians, the sacred covenant transitioned from Juno to God. Wedding ceremonies included Christian prayers, blessings, and the presence of clergy.

June Weddings

In Part 1, we learned how the calendar month of June derived from Juno. Hence, it was a favorite month to marry. The Church continued this tradition and endorsed June weddings.

Wedding Attendants

The role of the “pronuba” paved the way for bridesmaids and groomsmen. Wedding attendants were and still are supportive figures for the bride and groom. Just like the ancient pronuba. This tradition is an example of how an ancient tradition was redefined. It morphed into the tradition of involving close friends and family in the ceremony.

Wedding Rings

Wedding rings date back to the Egyptians, 3000 BC. Even then, rings symbolized eternal love and commitment, but not in the way they are today.

The Romans continued the tradition of the wedding ring. But the groom often gave the ring to the bride’s father, as it served as a sign of a bride purchase. 

By the second century BC, the bride was given a gold ring to indicate the groom’s trust in her as his property. In ancient Rome, brides were given two rings. One was gold. The other iron. The gold ring was worn for social engagements, and the iron ring was worn at home.

Bridal Veil

The bride’s veil, however, had a deeper, darker meaning. It was designed to ward off evil spirits. Today, the modern-day bride can choose to wear one or none. The veil came to be a covering to prevent the groom from seeing the bride until the exchange of vows.

The Wedding Cake

Over the years, the spelt cake eaten during the wedding ceremony gradually became one of the highlights of the modern-day wedding reception. Namely, the wedding cake. Most brides and grooms feed each other a piece of cake in front of family and friends. Did you know this tradition started in Ancient Rome?

Part 5 will wrap up this series. We will discover more themes linking ancient customs to contemporary weddings.

#Marriage, #June, #Juno, #Weddings, #Tradition, #Christianity, #AncientRome