A bit of history...

[Everose]

I think a wise mod read that, got to the third paragraph and thought "oh heck, Everose is going to jump all over that one, I might as well put it in the lounge now."


Peat Moss: Don't blow my cover. You will ruin my bad reputation.

[j2k4]

Why was this moved from TDR?

I may be wrong, but I thought this is where I put it...

[Rat Faced]

In the 1500's, most people just hitched up with a handfasting.. it was mostly the rich that "got married".

It wasn't until the Council of Trent decreed in 1563 that if people got together, they should at least hold their Handfasting (which was about 95% of "marriages" at the time) in front of a priest and/or 2 witnesses, that it even got initial attention from the church for peasants.

The flowers have always been there for handfasting, and is a pagan thing.....Before the use of flowers in the "bridal" bouquet, women carried aromatic bunches of garlic, herbs, and grains to drive evil spirits away as they walked down the aisle. Over time, these were replaced with flowers, symbolizing fertility and everlasting love.

Specific flowers have special meanings in many cultures. In Hawaii, the bride and groom wear leis; newlyweds in India don floral headdresses.

It has nothing to do with the stink.. again, something that happened to the rich and in cities. The peasants in the country (the majority of the population in the 1500's) usually ended their days bathing in the local river to cool off, and so bathed quite often.

[FWD]

It has nothing to do with the stink.. again, something that happened to the rich and in cities.

so is that where the phrase "filthy stinking rich" comes from?

[Rat Faced]

Theres money in muck...