Most wedding rituals are to encourage fertility, and so it is with the wedding cake.
The tradition began in the Roman Empire with the Romans breaking small cakes of wheat and barley over the bride’s head.
Back then, the tradition was a symbol of his dominance in the marriage and over her.
During the reign of Charles II, the three-tier cake with white icing we use today was introduced.
The cake takes its shape from the spire of Saint Bride’s Church in London.
The couple cuts the first piece together as a gesture of their shared future, whatever it might bring.
Related Posts
-
How Did the Custom of the “Bridal” Party Originate and Where Did the Tradition of a Wedding Reception Come From?
The expressions bridal feast, bridal bed, and bridal cake, among other bridal references, all date back to around 1200, when a wedding was a rather boisterous and bawdy affair. The word bridal comes…
-
Where Did the Tradition of Wearing Wedding Veils Come From and What Does it Symbolize?
Although veils for women are today associated with Muslims, their origin goes back at least three thousand years before Mohammed was even born. Outside of the Middle East, this symbol of modesty had…
-
Where Did the Christmas Cake Tradition Come From and What Does Fruitcake On Christmas Symbolize?
A dish of porridge that once ended the fast on Christmas Eve evolved into a pudding with dried fruits and spices as a tribute to the Wise Men. By the sixteenth century, the…
-
How did St. Patrick’s Day originate and when was the tradition of serving corned beef and cabbage first celebrated?
St. Patrick's Day is only about a hundred years old, and it didn't actually originate in Ireland. It came from ye old Emerald Island, Manhattan in New York City, at the beginning of…
-
How Did the Custom of Serving Turkey For Christmas Dinner Originate and When Did the Tradition Start?
Up until the nineteenth century, mincemeat pie was the common Christmas feast in both North America and Europe, with preferred birds being pigeon, peacock, guinea hen, and goose. Turkey was introduced from America…
-
How Did the Wedding Ring Originate and Where Did the First Wedding Rings Come From?
A school of thought persists that the first wedding rings were used by barbarians to tether the bride to her captor's home. This may or may not be true, but we do know…
