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CHOOSING THE MONTH TO WED:
Advice on which month to marry in is given by the following rhyme:
Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind and true.
When February birds do mate, You wed nor dread your fate.
If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know.
Marry in April when you can, Joy for Maiden and for Man.
Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day.
Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you'll go.
Those who in July do wed, must labor for their daily bred.
Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see
Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine.
If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry.
If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember.
When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last.
Why Marry in May and you'll live to rue the day?
May has been considered an unlucky month to marry in for a number of reasons.
In Pagan times the start of summer was when the festival of Beltane was
celebrated with outdoor orgies. This was therefore thought to be an unsuitable
time to start married life. In Roman times the Feast of the Dead and the
festival of the goddess of chastity both occurred in May. The advice was taken
more seriously in Victorian times than it is today. In most Churches the end of
April was a busy time for weddings as couples wanted to avoid being married in
May. Queen Victoria is thought to have forbidden her children from marrying in May.
And why Marry in Lent, live to repent?
Lent was thought an inappropriate time for a wedding as this was a time of
abstinence. June was considered to be a lucky month to marry in because it is
named after Juno, the Roman goddess of love and marriage.
Why marry in the Summer?
The Summer as a whole was considered a good time to marry and this is partly to
do with the sun's association with fertility. In Scotland one popular custom was for
the bride to "walk with the sun" to bring her good. She would walk
from east to west on the south side of the church and then continue walking
around the church three times.
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