The Origin of the June Bride
Coalition Technologies: “The Origin of the June Bride”
Everyone knows that June is a popular month for weddings, but when the question of
why comes up, most people are stumped. Is it merely because summer’s just around the
corner? Or is it actually good luck to get married in June? To find out the answers to
these questions and more, read on to discover how the June bride tradition came to be.
To understand why the month of June has become so closely linked with weddings, we
need to go back – way back. It all began during the Roman Empire. June was named for
the goddess Juno, who was the protector of marriage and childbirth. Starting on June 1,
festivities would be held in her honor, which eventually included wedding celebrations.
However, having weddings in June also stemmed from more practical concerns. As we
all know, the weather typically tends to get warmer in June. For individuals who lived
hundreds of years ago, June might have been the first time that they had bathed since the
winter. Therefore, planning a wedding during this month would allow for the bride to be
fresh and clean before the event. The tradition of carrying flowers during the wedding
ceremony may have also arisen from personal hygiene matters during that time. In short,
they were used to mask body odor!
Until very recently in human history, marriages were simply considered a business
contract between families. Not only were love and a diamond ring absent from the
marriage equation, but also the bride and groom may have met for only the first time
upon their wedding day. Rather, marriages were intended to fortify unions between
relations or towns. They could be used to smooth over past grievances between
individuals, to act as a monetary transaction, or to produce heirs to the throne. Sometimes
marriages were arranged for all of these reasons. As such, the bride was expected to
become pregnant soon after the ceremony. A June wedding would hopefully result in a
baby the following spring. This was considered an auspicious time to have child, as the
danger of winter had passed and the baby’s chances of survival increased. Furthermore,
having a spring baby meant that the bride could still be useful during the harvest season
that fall. Considering how important it was to store enough grain and other foodstuffs
for the long and lean winters, all hands were necessary to avoid starvation in the coming
months. As you can see, the June bride tradition was based upon significant life and death
considerations.
Though needless to say, much has changed since then. Between that unforgettable
moment of going down on one knee and offering the promise of eternal love with a
diamond ring to hearing, “You may now kiss the bride,” weddings are a thing of much
joy and festivity. Now seen as an act of commitment and love between two individuals
that want to spend the rest of their lives together, marriage may still be considered a very
serious matter, but for very different reasons. June bride or otherwise, get married has
thankfully become an event that can be celebrated during all seasons.
