Transcript Document

Old Sicilian
traditions about
weddings


Since a long time ago and in any religion, the purpose of
weddings were the union between a man and a woman to
create a family. Due to the importance of this union every
culture celebrated it with different rituals.
In Sicily, age, engagement rules and the ritual in church were
important.
Age to marry

Women were able to marry until
18 and men had to be at least 28,
however only after they
accomplished military service.
Young women living most of their
life at home always wished to find
a husband.
Engagement

Engagement was usually
driven by the guy’s
mother who would
choose the bride without
even telling his son.
Engagement would also
be possible if the young
man fell in love with the
girl.
Dowry
Before wedding, the parents would price the eventual dowry
made up of the bride’s “kit”.
I Confetti

Confetti were packed in
little wraps. During the
engagement Confetti
would be green and the
day of the wedding they
would be white. Confetti
were packed in an odd
number, usually five to
represent bride and
groom’s quality of life. :
- Health
- Fertility
- Long life
- happiness
- Wealth
The wedding
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Wedding supper, after the ritual
and celebration, was rich of
helpings and it lasted until evening.

Wedding always took place on
Sunday or during some festivity just
like the saint protector’s. The parade
started from the bride’s house, the
bride was later accompanied by her
relatives to the church.
The wedding cake
The wedding banquet
Elopement

It was a way obliged to arrive at the marriage wanted by two young,
but handed by families and consisted in the fact that the two young
people fled from their homes and remained three days alone to
consummate the marriage and put the families faced with the fait
accompli, forcing them to agree to the wedding. In this case there were
neither parties nor dancing.
The wedding dress
The wedding dress in the 19th
century could be white or blue. A
popular custom didn’t allow to
show the wedding dress to the
future husband or to look at the
mirror with the dress on the day
of the wedding.
Wedding dresses of the
19th century
The rice

The launch of the rice on the bride and groom at the exit of the
Church is considered a good omen of wealth and joy. In some
countries they also throw coins and confetti.
The bouquet

The bouquet is the last gift offered by the
Groom to the Bride and it closes the stage
of engagement. At the end of the wedding
banquet it is launched by the Bride among
all unmarried girls: who catches it, will get
married within the year.
Rings
Rings have been a symbol of loyalty since the times of old Egyptians.
According to the tradition it is the groom who buys them and keeps them
until the marriage, but sometimes the witnesses give them to the couple.
The ‘’pages’' ( young children) usually bring them to the altar.
Good omens
Bride should wear six things on the wedding day:
- one thing lent symbolizing
-
one thing given symbolizing
the love of relatives.
the good of loved ones.
-one blue thing , since blue is the symbol of purity , once
it was the colour of the wedding dress.
-an old thing: symbolizing the life left.
- a new thing : symbolizing the start of a new life.
The Weddings today
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Today many traditions about
weddings have been lost, such as
the dowry or the confetti to start
the engagement. Moreover and
fortunately family is no longer
involved in the choice of the
groom or the bride.

The wedding day consists of a
ceremony in the Church,
which still maintains its
sacred and legal value,
followed by a wedding
banquet with family and
friends.
THE END