Thursday, May 22, 2008

Customs -THE WEDDING CAKE

Cutting the wedding cake is now part of the ritual celebrations at the reception. The couple make the first cut along with its symbol of shared future.

Cakes have been associated with weddings throughout history. The Romans shared a cake during the wedding ceremony itself. This is not the rich fruit cake we enjoy today. This is a simple confection made from wheat flour, salt and water. The Fijians and some tribes of Native Americans still incorporate into the wedding cake.

In the UK in early cakes were flat and round and contained fruit and nuts symbolizing fertility.
In the past custom of throwing many small cakes over the bride in a manner similar to that throwing confetti today. An amendment to this custom was to crumble on the cake brides head and in some versions to break the cake over the bride's head. In Scotland Oat Cakes were used for this purpose. This was done to promote fertility.



In Yorkshire a plate holding wedding cake was thrown through the window as the bride returned to their parental home after the wedding. If the plate broke her enjoy a happy future with her husband, but if the board was kept intact its future would be bleak.

Another old English custom was to put a ring on the wedding cake. Customers who found the ring in his piece of the cake will ensure happiness for the coming year.

The modern form of three-tiered cake was iced cree which has been inspired by the needle of St. Bride's Church in the city of London. It is said that guests that a single piece of wedding cake under his pillow before sleeping increase is no prospect of finding a partner and bridesmaids who do the same who dream of her future husband.

The upper tier of the cake is often kept in pairs for the christening of their first child.

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