by Mary Arnold
Irish wedding customs can be observed in wedding invitations, traditional Irish wedding dates, the wedding dress; and jewelry like an emerald engagement ring or the Claddaugh ring.
Most stationery stores have stationary or stamps with Irish symbols, such as shamrocks, the heraldic harp, the Celtic cross, the Celtic
love knot, swans, and the Claddaugh. Many places have fonts from the Book of Kells for invitation wording.
Traditionally, most Celtic wedding ceremonies were held during major festivals:
- Beltane -- around the first of May. For the Celts, Beltane began the pastoral summer season when livestock were driven to the summer pastures and mountain grazing.
- Lughnassadh -- early August. The Celtic Lughnasadh festival was thought to be created by the god Lugh as a funeral feast and games commemorating his foster-mother, Tailtiu, who died of exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland for agriculture.
- Samhain, (also referred to as the Celtic New Year)-- November 1The Samhain Festival celebrates the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture.
- Imbolc on February 1.Imbolc is traditionally a time to try to guess when Spring will come. Watching to see if badgers came from their winter dens is could be the inspiration for the American Groundhog Day. Fire and purification are important aspects of this festival.
Here are some other dates that are conisdered lucky for a wedding:
- The last Tuesday before Lent.
- December 31. In "Irish Wedding Traditions", Shannon McMahon Lichte says your last memories of the year yshould be the happiest.
It is easy to find Celtic wedding dress designers. Just do a Google search.
For cooler months, a Kinsale cloak is beautful on top of the gown.
If you don't want to go the whole nine yards with the traditonal dress, have your gown embroidered with Irish symbols, such as the Celtic knot or use handmade Irish lace on your veil and dress. Carry an Irish linen handkerchief and wear a green garter with a shamrock.
The groom could dress in traditional Celtic apparel or just wear a green cummerbund or tie. You can also go a Google search for cufflinks with Celtic symbols.
It's considered lucky to be married in a pair of old shoes. You might also tie old shoes to the back of the couple's car instead of cans since leather is believed to ward off evil spirits and shoes symbolize fertility.
An emerald engagement ring symbolizes the Emerald Isle.
The Claddaughis the most popular style of wedding ring in Ireland . It has two hands holding a heart, which is topped with a crown. The hands represent friendship, the heart love, and the crown loyalty.
Mary Arnold holds a B.A. in literature and history and is a writer at the website Writing.com.Her portfolio can be found at http://www.Writing.com/authors/ja77521
