Perhaps one of the most practiced yet least appreciated of Western superstition is at weddings where traditional forms are followed without realising their significance. The bride's veil is to protect her from evil spirits who are jealous of happiness. Similarly, the bridesmaids are there as decoys to distract the bad spirits. The bride is carried over the threshold to stop her from tripping which is considered bad luck and therefore a bad start to the marriage. Rice, thrown after the ceremony, has always been a symbol of fertility to encourage procreation. And wedding rings are gold and plain, a symbol of eternity, and are worn on the left 'ring finger' because it was believed that a vein runs from that finger to the heart.
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