Time flies so fast... 3 years have already past since 26th of August 2005 – the day when we said "yes" and registered our marriage, respectively 27th of August 2005 – the day of our wedding ceremony.

Current Mood: nostalgic

From August 22 to 24, 2008, Bucharest plays host to a unique motor-sport event: The FIA GT Championship takes its position on the starting grid for the second time in Romania´s capital. The spectacular city circuit, set against the unique backdrop of the Romanian parliament, turns Bucharest into an attraction for around 300,000 motor-sport fans, for Romanian and international media and high flyers from the world of finance, government and society.

Provisional Timetable 2008

Current Mood: calm

The death toll in the Madrid airport plane crash, the worst aviation disaster since 1983, raised to 153 people, with only 19 survivors.

MADRID - Grieving relatives and medical staff yesterday tried to identify the badly burned bodies of victims of the crash of a Spanish jet in which 153 people were killed as it took off on a holiday flight from Madrid airport. The investigation into the crash, Spain’s worst aviation disaster since 1983, also got under way yesterday with officials seeking to find out why the Spanair MD-82 jet aborted an initial take-off attempt shortly before the accident.

Alvarez said only 19 people of the 166 passengers and nine crew aboard survived. Spanair listed 157 passengers and 10 unnamed crew, implying a total of 167 aboard. A Spanair spokesman said he could not account for the discrepancy between airline and government figures. A passenger list published by Spanair, which is owned by Scandinavian Airlines Systems (SAS), showed mostly Spanish names but officials said there were also passengers from Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and Chile. Many were children, rescue officials said.

The plane was 15-years-old and passed its annual inspection last year. Spanair Flight JK5022, bound for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, was originally due to take off at 1 p.m. But after moving away from the terminal and approaching the runway it returned because of a mechanical problem, a source close to the situation told Reuters.

On its second take-off attempt, it shot off the runway, broke into pieces and burst into flames. Survivors were flung from the plane by the force of the impact and landed in a stream, saving them from more severe burns, a rescue official said. Alvarez said the cause of the accident seemed to be “an error in take-off”. But a source close to the situation said the plane’s left engine, made by Pratt & Whitney, had caught fire.

No Romanians among victims

The Romanian Embassy to Spain has not yet received information that the victims of the plane crash included any Romanian citizens, representatives of the diplomatic mission said, quoted by Mediafax.

Current Mood: sad

At least 45 people were killed when a Spanair plane crashed on takeoff at Madrid airport yesterday, the government said, but an emergency services source reported nearly 150 fatalities, Reuters reported. Other sources said at least 40 were hurt.

Officials confirmed there were fatalities, but did not immediately release any figures. Officials at Barajas Airport said the crash may have been caused by an engine on the Spanish budget airline jet catching fire. Media reports say around 160 people were on board the plane.

Current Mood: sad

The Government approved the construction of a new airport in Bucharest city area, according to a resolution adopted in the meeting of yesterday. 

“The Government has taken this decision in order to meet the needs of Bucharest, a city in full development, which is visible also in the considerable growth of the traffic of passengers registered by the two existing airports,” declared the spokeswoman of the Government, Camelia Spataru. 

Ministerial sources quoted by Mediafax showed that the location of the future airport will not yet be disclosed in order that the “real estate sharks may not take advantage of this information and acquire lands in this area.” The transport minister had declared in June that the new airport could be located near Adunatii Copaceni, Giurgiu County, which is some 20 km away from Bucharest. 

Bucharest has at this moment two airports, both of them in the North of the city, “Henri Coanda” airport at Otopeni, and “Aurel Vlaicu” at Baneasa.

Current Mood: hopeful

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANI!!!

May all your dreams come true from now on too 
and have only great moments 
 together with your little angel, Kol and the dear ones.

Kisses and hugs

Current Mood: happy

Romania now ranks 12th in the overall medal standings.

Sandra Izbasa is the new Olympic champion in the floor event, as she won the title yesterday, in the first day of the special gymnastics competition, after having perfectly performed the most complex of the eight exercises presented by the finalists.

Her performance was scored at 15.650 points. The Silver and Bronze were won by the Americans Shawn Johnson – 15.500 points and Anastasia Liukin – 15.425 points. The leader of Romania’s women gymnastics team, who has thus become the sixth Romanian to win the Olympic gold in the floor event, in a series initiated by Nadia Comaneci back in 1980, was the last one to enter the competition, thanks to her good performance in the qualifiers. The Romanian gymnast entered the floor competition determined to complete the exercise designed jointly with chief coach Nicolae Forminte. Izbasa’s vigorous and elegant performance, a hallmark of the Romanian school of gymnastics, kept the Olympic gold medal for the floor event in Romania, after Catalina Ponor had won it in Athens in 2004.

Gold in the marathon event

Athlete Constantina Dita-Tomescu (photo) has won the Women’s Marathon event, thus winning Romania’s third Gold Medal in this competition, after the medals won by Alina Dumitru (Women’s Judo) and the women’s rowing team (Georgeta Andrunache and Viorica Susanu). 38-years-old Dita-Tomescu finished the 42.195 kilometers marathon in 2 hours, 26 minutes and 44 seconds, managing to surpass Kenya’s Catherine Ndereba (2 hours, 27 minutes and 6 seconds), the former title holder, and China’s Zhou Chunxin (2 hours, 27 minutes, 7 seconds). Romania’s other representatives in this race, Lidia Simon and Luminita Talpos, ranked 8th and 18th.

Gold and bronze for women canoeists

Also yesterday the Romanian Women’s Eight team has won the Bronze Medal in the rowing competition, finishing the race in 6 minutes, 7 seconds and 25 hundreds of a second. The Romanian rowing team, consisting of Constanta Burcica, Viorica Susanu, Rodica Serban, Eniko Barabas, Simona Musat, Ioana Papuc, Georgeta Andrunache, Doina Ignat and Elena Georgescu was surpassed by the US team (6 minutes 5 seconds and 34 hundreds of a second), and lost the Silver Medal to Netherlands (6 minutes 7 seconds and 22 hundred of a second). Romania had won the Gold Medal in this event in the last three editions of the Olympic Games – Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.

On Saturday the Romanian women’s pair, consisting of Andrunache and Susanu, won the Gold Medal, finishing the race with a time of 7 minutes, 20 seconds and 80 hundreds of a second. China won the Silver with a time of 7 minutes, 22 seconds and 28 hundreds of a second, while Belarus won the Bronze, with a time of 7 minutes, 22 seconds and 91 hundreds of a second.

 http://www.nineoclock.ro/index.php?page=detalii&categorie=sports&id=20080818-17366

Now i am feeling better, but still a little bit dissapointed by the fact we didn't qualify for all apparatus as in the old times. We used to be the best. Now we are fighting for keeping our good fame.

Yesterday, I had two more proves that the biological age doesn't matter at all. All that matters is how you manage to "preserve" your body and how you manage to deal with mentalities. Because you have to succeed in making those around to accept the way you are and for what you can do. To prove that you can do smth your way and finally to manage to succeed in doing it until the end. 

The two examples I was impressed to find out about are the 38-years-old athlete Constantina Dita-Tomescu who, despite her age, managed to take the golden medal and thus to be Gabi Szabo's successor and the 33 years old, Oksana Chusovitina, now representing Germany, who won the silver medal in women's vault.

I was impressed, because Chusovitina's career in elite gymnastics has spanned twenty years. She won the USSR Junior Nationals in 1988 and began competing at the senior international level in 1989, before many of her current rivals were even born. She is the only female gymnast ever to compete in five Olympic Games, and is one of only two female gymnasts to compete at the Olympics under three different national teams: the Unified Team in 1992; Uzbekistan in 1996, 2000 and 2004; and Germany in 2008. Chusovitina has also competed in ten World Championships, three Asian Games and three Goodwill Games. In addition, Chusovitina holds the record for the most individual World Championships medals on a single event (9, on the vault).

She was capable to participate in Olympics Games and managed to reward the trust and the help Germany offered her, because she has a 4 years old boy diagnosed with leukemia for whom she decided to go on with gymnastics.

http://www.nj.com/olympics/index.ssf/2008/08/germanys_chusovitina_33_a_role.html

Current Mood: cheerful

A million begonias for... one single carpet? This is certainly an extraordinary achievement. 

The famous Carpet of Flowers covers 300 m² right in the centre of the Grand Place. This year, it's a traditional carpet: end of the Middle Ages. With a different design each time, it is the work of flower growers from Ghent, the great specialists in growing begonias. These flowers offer a wide range of vivid and glowing colours and easily resist the burning sun. After all, the craftsmen assemble them directly on the cobble-stones of the square without a layer of soil. The coloured plant tapestry can be admired best from the balcony of the City Hall, which is open to the public for the occasion.

This event takes place every two years (on even years).
Inauguration on 14 August at night (set-up in the afternoon) and visits possible from 15 to 17 August. 

http://www.flowercarpet.be/site/main.php?lg=en

Current Mood: curious

On 15th of August each year the orthodoxs commemorates The Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ. 

The commemoration of the Dormition of the Virgin Maria and the preparation for the Feast begin on August 1 with a period of fasting. A strict fast is followed on most of the days (no meat, dairy, oil, or wine), with the exceptions of fish on the Feast of the Transfiguration (August 6) and the day of the Dormition. Oil and Wine are allowed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Today we celebrate the name day of those who are Maria, Mariana, Marioara, Maia, Mariuca, Ana-Maria, Magdalena, Marian, Marin. 

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY and also HAPPY NAME DAY to my mother-in-law :)
Also HAPPY NAME DAY to my sister-in-law's mother and brother  :)
HAPPY NAME DAY to all the persons I know who celebrate their name day today :)

Current Mood: happy

A new wave of heat has rushed upon the South of the country. Yesterday, there were 37-38 degrees C in the shade. At ground level, the thermometers pointed even to 45 degrees C. The temperature-humidity thermal comfort index (ITU) has exceeded the critic

Although we are at the middle of August, the temperatures keep rising. The meteorologists have issued a yellow code for heat valid yesterday and today, the mercury in the thermometers rising to 37-38 degrees C in the shade. In spite of the outdoor temperature, the requests received by the Ambulance Service of Bucharest remained within the normal limits. According to medic Alis Grasu, during 8.00 and 12.00 h there were 231 calls, 17 of them for persons fallen in the streets, fewer than on Wednesday, and 18 for lipothemias and syncopes. In order to cope with all the requests, the Ambulance Service worked yesterday with 28 medics and 30 paramedics, while the number of teams was supplemented by six.

Bucharest City Hall has taken several measures. One of them is to maintain operational the ten tents where the Bucharesters receive drinking water. The tents are located in Victoria Square, Romana Square, Gara de Nord Square, Lucretiu Patrascanu with Basarabia Blvd. junction, Elisabeta Blvd. in front of Bucharest City Hall – Cismigiu, Bucur Obor underground passage, Leu Square, Chibrit Square, Drumul Taberei and Sos. Panduri junction, Unirii Square, Agerpres informs. The locations were chosen close to metro entries.

During the dog days, the sanitation firms will water the streets according to the survey “Integrated management of waste in the metropolitan area.” Thus, the boulevards and the main streets will be watered 12 times a day, while the secondary streets six times a day.

Bucharest Lakes, Parks and Leisure Administration will see to the functioning of the artesian wells until 23.00 h in the hot days and of the hydrants permanently. The swimming places under the administration of the same institution will also be opened longer hours or even at night.

Bucharest City Hall has also ordered the public utilities services to repair urgently any damage of the water supply and sanitation networks and also of the warm water network, the quoted source also mentions.

Temperatures below 10 degrees C on Valea Bargaului

If in the South we have difficulties to cope with heat, in the mountains from Bistrita-Nasaud County it is mandatory to get warmly dressed. This is the case of those living on Valea Bargaului, close to Straja, where the temperature fell to less than 10 degrees C in the past few days. People say that the summer has already passed, the first snowfall being expected in about two months. Similar is the situation at Muresenii Bargaului, a locality in Tihuta Pass. The people in this area say that summer in only in July when in the “hot days” the temperature rises as high as 30 degrees C. But in the past few days the temperature in Tihuta Pass dropped to 6 degrees C.

http://www.nineoclock.ro/index.php?page=detalii&categorie=homenews&id=20080815-9481

Indeed, it's hot outside, but still last year the temperatures were much higher. As we managed to survive, we'll do this year too, for sure :)

Current Mood: lethargic

China won the Gold Medal (188.900) and the United States won the Silver Medal (186.525)

On Wednesday the Romanian women’s gymnastics team has won the Bronze Medal within the gymnastics team competition, part of the Olympic Games in Beijing. Romania competed in the uneven bars event first, where Gabriela Dragoi and Anamaria Tamarjan scored an identical 14.425, while Steliana Nistor scored 16.150. After the first event the Romanian gymnasts scored a total of 45.000 points, ranking 5th in the intermediary table. Russia took the lead, followed by the United States and China. Romania went on to take part in the balance beam event. The Romanian gymnasts’ scores grew, with Anamaria Tamarjan scoring 15.425, Steliana Nistor scoring 15.150 and Sandra Izbasa scoring 15.600. Romania ranked 4th in the table after the first two events, with a total of 91.175. China ranked first, followed by the United States and Russia. In the floor event, the Romanian gymnasts’ favored event, the scores did not confirm the expectations, being lower than the ones obtained in the balance beam event. Steliana Nistor scored 14.575, Anamaria Tamarjan scored 14.950 and Sandra Izbasa scored 15.550. Nevertheless, the Russians fared even worse in the floor event, allowing Romania to rank 3rd just ahead of the last event, with a total score of 136.250. China and the United States continued to rank first and second respectively.

In the vault event, the last event of the competition, Romania and Russia competed for the Bronze Medal. Nistor scored 15.050, Tamarjan scored 15.125 and Izbasa scored 15.100. The Romanian gymnasts finished the competition with a total score of 181.525 and watched the Russian gymnasts in order to find out who would win the Bronze Medal. Despite registering good scores in the vault event, Russia did not manage to recover the points that separated it from Romania, so the gymnasts coached by Nicolae Forminte won the Bronze Medal. China won the Gold Medal (score 188.900), with the United States winning the Silver Medal (score 186.525). Nicolae Forminte the coach of the national gymnastics team, has stated that he is pleased with the Bronze Medal that Romania won in the Olympic Games in Beijing, opining that nothing more could have been achieved. ‘We are happy with this second Bronze Medal because there was nothing more we could have done’ Forminte stated. Romania has always won a medal in the women’s gymnastics team competition, having a record of 4 Gold Medals, 3 Silver Medals and 2 Bronze Medals. The Olympic Games in Montreal, 1976, were the last ones in which Romania failed to rank in the top three teams.

http://www.nineoclock.ro/index.php?page=detalii&categorie=sports&id=20080814-17354

I must admit gymnastics is my fave sport ever. Every time we were participating in Olympic Games we knew one thing: no matter how poor medals we would win as a country, we always had several medals in gymnastics. Names like Nadia Comaneci, Lavinia Milosovici, Claudia Presacan, Andreea Raducan, Catalina Ponor etc brought us, as nation, happiness, celebrity, honor, respect and the pride that we are Romanians like these little, tiny girls, who since an early age found that the sweet taste of victory and succes come in fact from the bitter taste of the thousands hours of hard work in not so good conditions. For years in a row they were our own passport to the world, through each people could find out that Romanians, despite their "bad reputation" in Europe and not only, are on the podium beside the big nations of the world. Now, we are stronger as country, fighting with our bad reputation and trying to regain our status in Europe, still, we are there, on the podium, and although I was expected to become stronger due to better conditions, we are fighting in gymnastics with "mediocrity". And Forminte's resignasion: "We are happy with this second Bronze Medal because there was nothing more we could have done" really left me a bitter taste. I do regret the times when Octavian Belu and Mariana Bitang hold the rein in our gymnastics.

Current Mood: disappointed

Today is 13th of August, a number which thrills me from time to time only. I am not entirely superstitious, but I must confess I have my bad moments when I do believe something really bad could happen to me right on such a  day. In fact I do remember I avoided to book my flight on 13th of November last year :), instead I think I reconsidered the matter meantime and this year, on 13th of September I fly and see for myself if this superstition will work or not. lol 

It's also true that I had some really bad days on Tuesdays 13th or Friday 13th but I am still (sometimes) more than aware that they were simple coincidences. Still, I like to "play" with the idea of blaming something or somebody for my lack of inspiration in doing smth or for my mistakes. ;)

Neverthless, superstitions have been a part of our everyday life since the beginning of time. The basis for these beliefs has its source in fear, not having been based on rationale and practical thought. The most famous superstition revolves around the number 13, with the date being an inspiration for a series of horror films entitled Friday the 13th. There are many different stories that have evolved to give this date its notoriety, among them:

• The biblical reference to the Last Supper, with Judas betraying Jesus. He was the 13th guest at the table. Jesus was reportedly crucified on Friday.
• In ancient Rome a witch's coven comprised 12, with the 13th member being the devil.
• A Norse myth tells of 12 gods dining at Valhallah, their heaven. A 13th uninvited guest, Loki, arrived, persuading the god of darkness to slay the god of happiness.

Numerologists consider the number 12 a complete number for several reasons: the number of apostles, the total number of tribes in Israel, the number of months in a year, the number of Olympian gods, the zodiac signs and Hercules' labours. 13's association with bad luck is the simple, unavoidable fact that it exceeds a complete number by just one.

Despite de bad day I had today :( :) 13th of August remains a dear date for me, as my grandpa (May he rest in peace) was born today many many years ago ...

Current Mood: amused

Well... after more than 3 years I decided to come back with some fresh news and not only :)

Current Mood: energetic

TE IUBESC, SUFLETELULE, MULT DE TOT !!!!! :))))))))))))))))))))

Current Mood: ecstatic

Women's views on the issue tend to differ depending on their age

Italians are going to the polls on Sunday and Monday in a referendum that the Roman Catholic Church has asked them to boycott on moral grounds.

They will vote on proposals to ease controversial rules restricting assisted fertility. A 50% turnout is needed for the law to be changed.

Feelings are running high over the Church's right to influence people's political as well as moral choices.

The current law is among the most restrictive in Europe.

It was passed by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right government last year.

Women's groups and Italy's Radical Party have collected four million signatures to force the referendum on whether to ease the rules.

Italians will be asked whether they want to lift the following restrictions:

the rule that only three embryos per treatment can be created, all of which have to be implanted at the same time.

The law was drafted and passed amid concerns that Italy had become one of the world's most liberal countries regarding assisted fertility.

Controversial cases that fuelled the debate included that of a 62-year-old woman who gave birth after fertility treatment.

But critics say Italy has now the most restrictive legislation in Europe, forcing infertile couples to seek treatment abroad and thereby discriminating against poorer couples.

'Interference'

Newly elected Pope Benedict XVI last month congratulated Italian bishops on their decision to urge people to boycott the referendum.

I think that Italian Catholics are liberal. They are not fundamentalists. They voted in favour of divorce and abortion Daniele Capezzone Italy's Radical Party

But those who are trying to get the law changed say it is an unwelcome and unwarranted interference by the Vatican in Italian domestic politics.

"The Catholic Church has every right to spread its word, to send out its message, of course," said Daniele Capezzone, secretary of Italy's Radical Party, a leading promoter of the current referendum.

"But we cannot allow the legitimate moral convictions of some to result in others being forced or forbidden to do certain things."

Fence-sitting

Many top politicians have failed to speak their mind on the issue, choosing to be cautious in order not to alienate the Catholic electorate and the Vatican.

Mr Berlusconi has not indicated whether and how he will vote, and opposition leader and former EU Commission President Romano Prodi has only said he will vote, without specifying which way.

Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini, who also leads the right-wing National Alliance, has been one of the few to take a clear stand, saying he will vote "Yes" to the majority of the proposed changes.

He has created a split within his own party and attracted fierce criticism.

Nobel prize laureate Rita Levi Montalcini and other high-profile Italian and international scientists have urged voters to ease the legislation.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4083728.stm

Current Mood: thirsty

Ms Aubenas appealed for help in videotapes French journalist Florence Aubenas and her Iraqi interpreter Hussein Hanoun al-Saadi have been freed after five months of captivity in Iraq.

Ms Aubenas' newspaper Liberation said she was "in good health". She is being flown back to France on Sunday, France's foreign ministry announced.

No details have been given about Ms Aubenas and Mr Saadi's ordeal.

They were seized on 5 January. French media have been running high-profile campaigns to have them freed.

After the abduction in Baghdad their captors issued videotapes in which Ms Aubenas appealed to the French government for help.

Ms Aubenas, 44, is a senior correspondent who has covered many of the world's hot spots in her 18 years with Liberation.

Two other French reporters seized in Iraq last year, Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot, were released in December.

French officials have denied that a ransom was paid for their release.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4083728.stm

Current Mood: relieved

Today Mircea, Vali's father could have been 61 years old... :((

Unfortunately he isn't with us for more than 4 years...

Instead of celebrating his birthday as we used to in the good old times, we went to the church and burnt a candle in his memory...

May God rest him in peace!

Current Mood: depressed

Bucharest - The Heroes Day has a special meaning for those who celebrate the memory of the fighters for “the Romanian people’s freedom and democracy ideals,” stated on Thursday National Defence minister Teodor Atanasiu, during the ceremony of laying flowers at the Unknown Warrior Memorial from Carol Park. On the Heroes Day, the Romanians pay homage to those 1,419,200 victims of the independence war, of the second Balkan war and of those two world wars. According to an official statistic conducted on May 26 by the National Office for Heroes Cult, in all these armed conflicts Romania registered 317,638 dead, 371,987 missing, 356,656 prisoners and approx 373,000 wounded and mutilated. The Heroes Day has been recently considered on the state’s institutes’ agenda as a legislative regulation through the 379/2003 law. Before celebrated on May 9, it is now celebrated on the Ascension Day, a popular religious celebration. This date is significant, as the celebration of this day is, first of all, a return to the traditions before the communist period.

http://www.nineoclock.ro/homenews_details.php

Current Mood: melancholy

Some of early French wedding traditions have persisted today, transplanted to other parts of the world and influenced modern wedding ceremony  as it is known today.

French Wedding Costume

During the medieval and renaissance periods, wedding dresses were basically more elaborate versions of contemporary dresses and did not require any distinctive coloring. The bride’s best dress was transformed into a wedding dress, embellished by jewelry, embroidery, laces and small bits of finery such ornamental tags, bow knots, tassels, ribbons, beading etc. In fact, up until the late 19th century, brides wore just about any color for their wedding, including black if the intended bridegroom was a widower. The white wedding dress as a token of the bride’s purity and innocence, is a relatively new concept. In biblical tradition, the color white symbolized joy whereas blue represented purity.

The French custom of the all-white wedding gown had been introduced with Ann of Brittany, daughter of Francis II. She wore white at her third marriage in 1499 to Louis XII of France in 1527. However, it did not come into popular vogue before19th century.. Along with the impact of neo-classic fashion, brides from French aristocracy and bourgeoisie are reported to wear all white dresses, trimmed with golden or sliver embroidery.  Major social weddings such as described by the gazettes, from then on, were always seen in white.The elaborate styling of modern wedding gown is attributed to Empress Eugenie, her wedding to Napoleon III in 1853.

Bridal trousseau and wedding armoire

French term, Ť trousseau ť literally refers to a bundle of linens, clothing. The trousseau usually  would contain clothing for Sundays, everyday dresses, lingerie and embroidered linens she had prepared with initials of her future family..

According to French tradition, wedding armoire, also known as hope chest is used for the bride's trousseau. It is hand-carved with symbols of wealth and prosperity by the father of a future bride and is given to her when she is still an adolescent. As she grew up, she would fill it up with her own wardrobe and take it with her to her new home.

During the 18th century wedding armoires were manufactured by craftsmen and offered to the newlyweds as a wedding present. Over the years the trousseau has evolved to denote the special outfit she will wear after doffing her gown and take with her on her honeymoon. Also the concept of trousseau has given rise to the modern bridal shower, designating all the chief household articles to raise her future family.

Wedding procession

Still practiced in small villages today, it is a traditional French custom for the groom to call on his future bride at her home on the morning of their wedding. The groom escorts her to the wedding chapel in a procession, headed by musicians, followed behind by the bride with her father, guests and the groom with his mother at the end of line. It is also customary that French village children blocked the bridal couple’s route with white ribbons which the bride must cut.  In Brittany beggars plaited a hedgerow briar across the newlyweds until bribed to remove .All these symbolic obstacles are created for the wedding couple to overcome together and thus to signify their common path in a new life.

Wedding ceremony

In a church filled with incense and flowers, the couple stands beneath a silk canopy. A predecessor of the veil, a square of silk fabric,"carre'," is held over the head of the bride and groom as the couple received the priest's final blessing. They were designed to protect the couple from descending malice. The same veil is used for the baptism of their new born child.

Wedding reception

The tradition of garter is originated from the ancient Jewish society where fidelity was symbolized by the ribbon worn by the bride on her wedding day. Tossing of the bride’s garter became popular in 14th century. In France, it was a best man who was in charge of stealing it off from the bride or the groom who would take off garter and sell it into small pieces to wedding guests.  Or it is said to be the bride who would throw her garter to the guests before sometimes unruly drunken mob tearing it off from her.   What is in common, though, a belief that pieces of brides attires would bring good luck to whoever caught it. There is no such tradition in the Maritime Provinces.  Today the bridal bouquet toss gets to less trouble for her instead.

Current Mood: creative

English Traditions

Getting Married in Great Brittain

Wedding flowers are scattered by a small girl preceding the English bride and her wedding party, who walk together to the wedding chapel or the wedding site. The flowered path and symbolic walk express hope for the bride's path through life to be happy and lovely. English bridesmaids wear wedding dresses very much like the bride's, so she cannot be singled out by any jealous evil wishers, who might curse her for her happiness.

Brides sew a good luck charm, such as the silver horseshoe of royal British brides, to the hem of their wedding dresses. Old English wedding tradition also calls for the bride to carry a horseshoe, streaming with ribbons, for good luck.

English Wedding Ceremony

Traditionally, an English couple getting married will exchange their vows outside the wedding chapel doorway, allowing the ceremony to be witnessed by anyone who might want to watch.

Traditional English Wedding Receptions

Traditional English wedding cake is a fruitcake, usually made with raisins, ground almonds, cherries and marzipan. The top layer of the wedding cake is called the "christening cake" which the couple is saves for the baptism of their first child.

The fruitcake is served at the wedding reception along with another traditional cake -- the groom's cake -- which originated during the Tudor period. It was once English custom for this to be a fruitcake as well, but today, the groom's cake is likely to be chocolate.

A unique Victorian wedding reception event is called a 'ribbon pull'. A sterling silver charm is purchased for each of the bridesmaids. A ribbon is tied to each one, and the baker places them between layers of the wedding cake as it is being assembled. Before the bride and groom share their first slice of cake, the bridesmaids gather so that ech can pull one ribbon, claiming for herself a future good promise.

The wedding tradition of tying shoes to the cars of newlyweds also began in England during the Tudor period. Originally, wedding reception guests threw shoes at the newlyweds as they were leaving the church for good luck. The modern tradition is to tie shoes to the honeymoon vehicle. The English consider rain on a wedding day a sign of good fortune.

Irish Wedding Traditions

The Irish Claddagh Ring

An Irish bride's wedding ring is called a Claddagh ring. It is a heart held by two hands with the heart topped by a crown. The hands represent faith, the crown symbolizes honor, and the heart signifies love. The ring’s motto is: “Let love and friendship reign.”

If a woman wears a Claddagh Ring on her right hand with the heart facing outward toward the end of her finger she is signifying that she is a single woman, free to see whomever she desires. If the ring is worn on the right hand with the heart facing inward, toward the woman’s knuckle, then she is signifying that she is engaged.

And finally, if a Claddagh Ring is worn on the left hand it means that the woman is married.

Wedding Day Traditions in Ireland

An old Irish tradition calls for the wedding couple to walk to the church together before exchanging their wedding vows. As they walk down the main street to the chapel, onlookers would not only throw rice to bless the marriage, but larger items as well, such as pots and pans.

The traditional Irish bride often wears a blue wedding dress, rather than a white dress. This is because blue symbolized purity in ancient times. It wasn’t until the year 1499 that a white wedding dress began to symbolize virginity and purity.

English lavender, an ancient symbol of love, loyalty, devotion and even luck is often mixed with the bride’s wedding flowers to help insure a happy and long-lasting union

Another tradition is for the bride to braid her hair for her wedding day. Braided hair is an ancient symbol of feminine power and luck. Another symbol of luck is to be married on St. Patrick's Day, considered the luckiest wedding anniversary date in Ireland.

An Irish Honeymoon

The Irish translation for "honeymoon" is mi na meala, which means “the month of honey.” It was an Irish custom for the newlyweds to spend a month together drinking honeyed wine, secluded, in case their families tried to separate them. This was especially true if the couple had eloped. The belief was that after a month had passed the bride would become pregnant and her family would then desire her to remain with her new husband.

Even today many couples mix ancient beliefs with modern customs to create wedding traditions which pay homage to the past while at the same time keeping pace with the present.

Scottish Wedding Traditions

Scotland had always had its own way of doing things, and that includes weddings. Today’s Scottish weddings are a blend of ancient Highland traditions and the more modern, streamlined rights.

Wedding traditions in ancient times

Scottish wedding traditions started as far back as the thirteenth century. Back then the medieval church would announce each wedding in church for three successive Sundays. Such announcements were called the “banns of marriage.” The practice of proclaiming the banns in church lasted for more than six hundred years. Finally the banns gave way to a simple announcement of intent to get married and the obtaining of a marriage license from the local registrar.

Today it is no longer required to proclaim the marriage banns in church for three successive Sundays, but it is still necessary for all couples wishing to marry to give notice of their intent. In this way the ancient forms are still respected – but in a more modern way.

Another ancient custom was called “creeling the bridegroom.” This custom required the bridegroom to carry a large basket (a creel) filled with stones on his back. He had to carry this weight from one end of the village to the next and continuing carrying it around the town until his intended bride would come out of her house and kiss him.

On the day of the wedding virtually the entire village would turn out to form a procession leading the happy couple to the church, where two wedding services were traditionally held. The first service was held just outside the doors of the church, where the priest would marry the couple in the Scottish language. Once the Scottish ceremony was finished, the priest would lead the entire procession into the church where the ceremony would be performed once more, only this time in Latin.

At the end of the ceremony the bride and groom would exchange rings, the circular ring with no beginning and no end being the symbol of never-ending love, and then the couple would kiss their wedding kiss in front of all their assembled witnesses.

Following the ceremony the entire wedding party would be piped (led by bagpipers) to a relative’s home for a lavish wedding reception/party. Here the pipers would play lively up-beat tunes for hours on end and outdoor feasting and dancing and general merrymaking would begin and often last the entire night. Traditionally the first dance of the night, customarily a reel, was led by the wedding couple, after which everyone joined in and the festivities went on non-stop.

Finally, when the celebration was over, the new couple were led to their house where the groom, wishing to protect his new bride from the evil spirits that inhabit the thresholds of doors, would lift his new bride’s feet from the ground and carry her across her new threshold and into her new home. The priest would then bless the new home and would often bless the couple in their wedding bed before they would finally be alone together for the first time as husband and wife.

Modern Scottish wedding traditions

Today the wedding ceremony is not quite so formal or so ritualistic – but many of today’s traditions still hearken back to the traditions of the past. Usually about a week before the ceremony the mother of the bride will hold a “show of presents” for her daughter. This corresponds to the bridal shower in other cultures. During the show of presents the female guests bring gifts to help the new couple establish a home of their own. The presents are opened for everyone to see and the bride’s mother serves tea and cakes.

A slightly more raunchy tradition is the groom’s stag party. Just before tying the knot the groom and his male friends go out for a wild night of partying and drinking. Often the groom is so drunk by the end of the evening that he hardly notices that his friends leave him in the street in front of his home, partly or even fully naked, sometimes tied up.

The modern Scottish bride will wear a traditional or contemporary white wedding gown, while the groom dresses in traditional Highland kilt, kilt jacket and sporran. The couple are either bag piped down the isle or traditional Gaelic hymns are played as they walk to the alter. The Highland Wedding is played at virtually all Scottish weddings.

Once at the alter the couple may choose to recite their vows in ancient Gaelic or to recite them in modern English. Following the vows the groom often pins a strip of his clan’s tartan colors to the bride’s wedding dress to signify that she is now a member of his clan.

Following the ceremony the bride and groom and all their honored guests head to a private home or to a restaurant for a lavish reception feast. At the typical Scottish reception you can count on the bride and groom being “piped” to the table of honor, where the bride will cut the first slice of wedding cake using a dirk (a long-bladed knife) that is provided to her by the piper. As the bride slices the first piece of wedding cake, custom dictates that her hand is guided by the hand of her new husband.

The wedding reception is filled with music, signing, much drinking and toasting to the health and happiness of the new couple. The celebrations can go on into the wee hours of the morning.

One custom that hasn’t changed for more than 700 years is the custom of the groom carrying his new bride over the threshold of their new home together. Today’s husband may not be aware that the custom originated to keep evil spirits from entering his wife through her feet, but the custom is performed nonetheless.

Modern Scottish wedding traditions are far more relaxed than they were in the olden days, but even today remnants of the ancient traditions still linger – making Scottish weddings the festive and joyous occasions that they are.

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