But one wedding tradition
still observed today came about because of an ancient Roman belief. The Romans believed
brides had to protect themselves from evil. They thought merriment attracted
evil spirits—not to mention rejected grooms.
So a tradition began during
this time to assure the bride and groom were protected from demons and angry ex-boyfriends.
All the females in the
wedding party dressed the same as the bride. This was to confuse anyone or
anything with ill will. It was a trick to keep the wedding couple safe—so they
could get through their vows unhindered.
This belief of demonic wedding
crashers persisted well into the Victorian era when it finally petered out. At
this point brides began to dress more elaborately than the maids in their
wedding parties.
What lingers from this
protective ritual is the fact bride maids still dress in matching dresses—most of
them unflattering.
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