Handfasting
The ritual of handfasting dates back centuries. Indeed, it is one of the oldest marriage unity rituals. We often hear phrases such as ‘tying the knot’ or ‘the bonds of matrimony’ when we talk about weddings, but we don’t really think about where these phrases originated. Hundreds of years ago, when priests had to cover many churches, moving from parish to parish on horseback, or on foot, it could be up to a year before a couple would see their priest, in order that they could be married. Whatever was a couple in love to do? This is where handfasting came in. The couple would be handfasted – literally, their hands would be symbolically tied – by the village elder. This would give them the right to live as husband and wife for a year and a day, or until the priest passed by their village again. There is no agreement whether Handfasting was first used inside or outside the church, but it is still very much used today both spiritually and within the church.
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