In Caithness as elsewhere, it was believed that only the people who were stark raving mad marry in May. All other months were lucky. There was a popular marriage rhyme--
Monday for wealth,
Tuesday for health,
Wednesday the best day of all,
Thursdays for crosses,
Friday for losses,
Saturday no luck at all.
yet Friday is in Caithness by far the most popular wedding day. The only explanation given of this is that Caithness people are economical, and as wedding feast always take end on the Sunday a great spread has not to be provided. When the day arrives, the bride ought to be careful to put on her right shoe first, as to put on the left spells bad luck; and as to her dress she must wear "Something old and something new, something borrowed and something blue.'

Of course the bride expected a sunshiny day for her wedding: 'happy is the bride that the sun shines on!' And when she left her father's house, after the ceremony, to proceed to her new home, she had old shoes flung after her and some corn or rice -- indulgences common to other countries. It may be observed here that originally the newly webbed pair had to sleep the first night on a shake-down bed, to teach them due humility, at the start of life.

To be continued.

Source: "Scottish Customs from Cradle to the Grave" by Margaret Bennett.

You can find more articles in the archive under Fada 's Farsaing (Far and Wide)

Since May 1, 1999