Tanja's Travel Talk

• Traditional proposal: "Would you like to be buried with my people" or "Would you like to hang your washing next to mine?" 
• Claddagh Ring

One custom, called aitin' the gander, involves the groom being invited to the bride's house right before the wedding... and a goose is cooked in his honor. It has to be where we get the expression 'his goose is cooked!'

• Irish brides used to carry a real horseshoe for good luck. (Turned up so the luck won't run out).
• The traditional bride wears a blue dress.  In ancient times blue symbolized purity.  It wasn't until 1499 that white begun to symbolize purity.
• English Lavender is often mixed with the brides flowers.  Lavender symbolizes love, loyalty, devotion and luck.  Often the bouquet are wildflowers with Lavender.
• Bride is to braid her hair on her wedding day.  Braided hair is a symbol of feminine power and luck.
• "Marry in May and Rue The Day" and "Marry in April if you can, joy for maiden and for man". Get married on St. Patrick's Day is considered the luckiest wedding anniversary date in Ireland!  If it rains on your wedding day, you have even more luck!
• Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and an Irish penny for her shoe!
• Irish dancers and music
• Irish Wedding Song
• Wedding cake in Modern Ireland is often a rich fruit cake iced in white.  The top tier should be an Irish Whiskey Cake that is saved for the christening of your first baby.  Wedding cake recipe.
• Traditional wedding gifts are Waterford Crystal and Beleck Parian China.  Also giving bells is a strong tradition. The chime of bells is thought to keep evil spirits away, restore harmony if a couple is fighting, and also remind a couple of their wedding vows.
• "Slainte" pronounced SLAWN-cha is a familiar Irish toast.
• Another toast: May your troubles be less,  and your blessings more and nothing but happiness come through your door!
• Honeymoon in Irish translation is "mi na meala" which means the month of honey.  The wedding couple are to live away and secluded from their family and friends for a month and drink honeyed wine in case their familes would try to seperate them.  It is believed that during this month the bride would become pregnant and the brides family would desire her to stay with her new husband.