Hey grooms you’ll get a kick out of this!
The tradition of the Best Man standing with the Groom at the Groom’s wedding all started with a little something called kidnapping!
The Best Man
Many centuries ago, before the women's rights movement, men who had decided upon a wife often had to forcefully take her with him (or kidnap her) if her family did not approve of him. The tradition of a "best man" probably has its origin with the Germanic Goths, when it was customary and preferable for a man to marry a woman from within his own community. When women came into short supply "locally," eligible bachelors would have to seek out and capture a bride from a neighboring community. As you might guess this was not a one-person operation and so the future bridegroom would be accompanied by a male companion who would help. Our custom of the best man is a throwback to that two-man, strong-armed tactic, for; of course the future groom would select only the best man he knew to come long for such an important task. The role of the best man evolved.
Many centuries ago, before the women's rights movement, men who had decided upon a wife often had to forcefully take her with him (or kidnap her) if her family did not approve of him. The tradition of a "best man" probably has its origin with the Germanic Goths, when it was customary and preferable for a man to marry a woman from within his own community. When women came into short supply "locally," eligible bachelors would have to seek out and capture a bride from a neighboring community. As you might guess this was not a one-person operation and so the future bridegroom would be accompanied by a male companion who would help. Our custom of the best man is a throwback to that two-man, strong-armed tactic, for; of course the future groom would select only the best man he knew to come long for such an important task. The role of the best man evolved.
Brides imagine being kidnapped in the middle of the night to marry a man you may have never even met before! How scary would that be?
My husband brought up a good point that men really had “possession” over women till around the 60’s when the first few women’s rights protests were just beginning.
Which brings us to our next quirky fact: Giving Away The Bride
The father who "gives away" his daughter at her wedding ceremony is following an ancient tradition that has evolved over hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The custom dates back to the time when a daughter was considered property, and the groom had to pay a price to her family before he could be permitted to marry his intended.
How crazy it is to think nowadays that women were really and truly once considered property and on top of that it was only roughly 60 years ago! Whoa!
These are just two of the interesting facts that can be found on my website. www.MyBlushingBrides.com
