HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-02-14, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1990.
fir,
TO
r ’
^7
r'-’X
1 X
vpR YOUR WEDDi]yc
Wedding traditions
Many date back to ancient times
Weddings abound with tradition.
From the diamond engagement
ring to the bride’s white wedding
dress, many of the symbols in
weddings are traditions that date
back thousands of years. Here is a
look at some wedding customs that
are based in ancient times.
To symbolize a couple’s engage
ment, it’s traditional fo«- the bride
to wear a diamond engagement
ring. Because of the diamond’s
durability and beauty, Italians from
the medieval era believed it to be a
symbol of enduring love. The
Greeks also chose the diamond to
represent love because they felt the
flame in a white diamond reflected
the flame of love.
The Egyptians felt that a ring
was a perfect symbol for unending
love since a ring has no beginning
or end. They also believed that gold
symbolized purity and beauty and
that tradition has been carried onto
today with the gold wedding band.
It was in medieval England that
the tradition of wearing the wedd
ing band on the third finger arose
for when a bride married then, the
ring was placed on three of the
bride’s fingers to symbolize the
Holy Trinity. Then the ring would
remain on the third finger.
Before the wedding, friends and
family may throw a shower for the
Wearing a veil was a sign of
youth and purity to the Greeks
and Romans.
bride which is a custom believed to
have originated in Holland when a
Dutch maiden fell in love with a
poor miller. Apparently, the father
was not pleased with the match so
he refused to give his daughter a
dowry to marry the miller. But, the
miller’s friends then “showered”
her with gifts so she could start a
new home.
Wearing a veil was a sign of
youth and purity to the Greeks and
Romans. While in ancient times,
the entire wedding party used to be
dressed the same as the bride and
groom to confuse evil spirits and
make it more difficult to find the
pair.
First, the father usually gives the
bride away. This tradition dates
back to ancient times when a bride
was considered her father’s pro
perty. By walking his daughter
down the aisle, it would indicate to
the guests that the parents approv
ed of the marriage.
The throwing of rice and ringing
of bells at the ceremony are
customs dating back in time. Rice
grows abundantly and it was
believed to be a symbol of fertility
and life of plenty. The ringing of
bells and honking of horns were
used to frighten away evil spirits.
After the wedding, many couples
enjoy a honeymoon to spend a few
intimate days together but in
ancient times when some marri
ages were accomplished by cap
ture, a man would keep his bride
hidden until her relatives gave up
hunting for her!
02
beautiuuu
SHE WILL CHERISH
forever m
The Saga
See our wide se {urnishings,
copper, wicker & tal&lace,
brasstouch a P^ chmore.Allwind chimes&mucn, mu
at affordable prices.
HOURS: MONNAT 9-5:30
CLOSED WEDNESDAYS
Also wedding serviettes
cushions, beds, streamers.
HalS cafds and foil gif^ap-
c
Couples must learn to
manage two-income budget
The two-income household is
certainly no rarity these days; but
what about managing the two-in
come budget?
A common practice is for the wife
to pay the household bills, while
the husband puts money into
savings and investment. In most
cases, this is all wrong.
A basic principle of two-income
money management is that the
spouse with the least tax liability
should be making the investments.
“Mr. Mom” aside, the person with
the lower income these days is
generally the wife.
his (or her) RRSP savings into a
spousal RRSP for the other spouse.
At retirement, both spouses have
RRSP savings to convert into
retirement incomes. You are then
living on two smaller incomes,
instead of one fat one, and are both
in a lower tax bracket.
One way to transfer income from
higher-earning spouse to the lower-
earning one for investment pur
poses is to set up a loan. The
husband loans, for example, $1,000
interest-free to his wife for invest
ment purposes. Although he is
taxed on the princpal, income from
Any interest income over
a year is taxed with your
income, at the marginal rate. On —
dividend income, the taxable por- Z.
tion is also taxed at your marginal
rate. So it clearly makes sense for
the person with the lower marginal
rate to be paying taxes on invest
ment income.
taxed to the wife,
at a lower rate. This transfer should
be documented for tax purposes,
with a repayment schedule.
Income-splitting requires a ma
ture attitude towards finances, and
open communication between
spouses. Incidentally, it is also
appropriate for households in
which the wife does not work
A spousal RRSP works on the
same basis, except that you have to
wait for retirement to reap the
tax-splitting rewards. The spouse
with the larger income puts part of
outside the home. If anything, it is
even more important in providing
financial and psychological security
to a woman who has sacrificed a
paycheque to raise a family.
V
J
MITCHELL
•> WE CARRY:
' Favours for your guests-
\ baskets, bonbon cups,
7* mini champagne or
( brandy glasses (to hold
is mints), ribbon and nylon
/ tulle in a host of colours,
i Candies and mints in any
r> quantity. Glass wine
/ glasses available on a
\ rental basis. Helium
y- balloons. Personalized
( champagne glasses (with
is. the bride’s & groom’s
( names are also available)*
WEDDING CAKES:
Rentals - any size, any \
design. Custom made - )
your design or ours, fruit \
cake or styrofoam. /
Choose from our large
selection of tops, decorat- \
ing supplies including J
fountains. Homemade <4
fruitcake. We will cut and \
wrap. Homemade j
Almond Paste. Fruitcake
pieces. We have the j
wraps, doilies, ribbon,
etc. Decorations for every \
occasion. Bells and \
. streamers, etc. I decorate <4
head tables with a colour-
ed cloth covered in lace to J
' match your dress and
! complete it with J
garland. My specialty, 7
of course, is y
cake decorating. }
Dorothy s
Specialty Shoppe
348-9482
-
•: