Wedding Traditions: Something Old Something New Poem
SOMETHING OLD
SOMETHING BLUE
A SILVER SIXPENCE IN HER SHOE
Something Old, Something new
Something old, something new,
Something borrowed, something Blue,
A silver sixpence in her shoe.
All brides to be know this traditional poem, and of the tradition of wearing such items on their wedding day to bring luck to their marriage.
But where does he poem and the tradition stem from and what does each item in the poem represent.
The rhyme dates back to the time of Queen Victoria and is often quoted with the third line missing "Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something Blue."
Something old:
Represents continuity with the bride's family and the past, usually a ring or a piece of jewellery that has been passed down through the family from generation to generation.
Something new:
The wearing of something new shows the bride is looking to the future of her marriage. This could be the wedding dress or the lingerie worn under the dress.
Something borrowed: a token borrowed from a happily married friend or relative in the hope that some of their happiness and good luck will be transferred to the new couple. A piece of jewellery is usually borrowed for the big day.
Something blue:
The colour blue is believed to come from the Virgin Mary, who is often portrayed in a blue robe, blue is a symbol of purity, most often the something blue is the garter the bride wears.
A silver sixpence in her shoe:
A Scottish tradition that actually started with the bridegroom putting a sixpence in his shoe to represent financial security and future wealth. The custom these days though is for the bride to have the sixpence in her shoe.
WHY THE BRIDES PARENTS PAY
It has become a tradition that the brides parents pay for the wedding and the grooms parents pay for the rehearsal meal, this came about from olden days when the bride's family had to provide a dowry to the groom. by taking her as his wife he becomes her provider and her protector and the dowry is a payment for these services, the groom's parents also had to pay a bride price to the parents of the bride.these traditions have evolved to what we have today, the bride's parents pay for the wedding and the grooms parents pay for the rehearsal dinner and celebrations.
hope this helps Chuck.
Comments
Maria on June 11, 2014:
the last part is...
and a Silver Sixpence in your shoe.
Julianne Surace on June 06, 2014:
Mary...
I believe it goes:
Something old
Something new
Something borrowed
Something blue......and a Sixpence in her shoe. ( left shoe)
Julianne Surace on June 06, 2014:
In the USA we tend to leave out the "silver sixpence" in her shoe and I am doing everything to bring it back!!! I was in the wedding business years ago & the sixpence was never part of the well known something old..something new quote... Any suggestions to bring back a beautiful tradition?
Jimmy the jock (author) from Scotland on November 17, 2011:
Hi Becka, my wife taped the sixpence on to the sole of her shoe where her foot arches, she said that she wouldn't have known it was there if she haden't placed it there herself.....jimmy
p.s she used a bandaid
becka on November 17, 2011:
how do you attach the sixpence to my shoe? am i supposed to walk with it IN my shoe?
michelle on October 29, 2011:
who borrows the something borrowed
mary on June 03, 2011:
been searching for the origins of the rhyme for ages, daughter getting married soon, scottish wedding, so very nice to know about the sixpence in her shoe part of the rhyme
Martha on March 21, 2011:
I knew it went something like that I just couldn't
remember the "something borrowed" bit!
jessica on October 09, 2010:
what is a silver sixpence i am getting merried in 21 days and have no cule
Jimmy the jock (author) from Scotland on March 25, 2007:
I have a silver sixpence which i would gladly send to you chuck for when that big day eventualy arrives.....jimmy
Chuck Nugent from Tucson, Arizona on March 25, 2007:
Great Hub Jimmy. I had never heard the rhyme with the sixpence line but the first two lines I have heard often and remember my Mother and Aunt making sure that my sisters and cousins had something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue before walking down the aisle. I always thought it was a neat rhyme and with a little thought could see a possible logic to the tradition of the old and new but had not idea as to where the borrowed and blue came from. Knowing the origins and meanings behind traditions lets us appreciate them more. Any idea as to where the tradition of the bride's parents paying for the wedding came from? Our daughter is graduating from college next month and I am sure that it won't be too many years before she decides to marry.
Jimmy the jock (author) from Scotland on March 25, 2007:
thanks webreview i only researched it because my daughter asked me about it....jimmy
webreview on March 25, 2007:
Great hub, Jimmy! I didn't know the origins of this saying...very interesting!
webreview on March 25, 2007:
Great hub, Jimmy! I didn't know the origins of this saying...very interesting!
