Salaam,

Whats going on all, trust the week gone by was pleasant and the week ahead holds much promise. Another addition to the mailing list Mrs Fatima Martin, welcome. The weekend was much fun so far, how people go thru life without friends I know not! Even the silliest of things are memorable anyway…

Last week I said I’d try and write about weddings well here’s what I found thanks to the www once again.

When and where the first wedding was held no one can be sure of, but research traces the origins of the institution of marriage back to ancient Egypt, surprised? Why? Afterall they did build the pyramids without cranes J. Pharaos used to take daughters and sisters as wives to preserve the bloodline (I don’t think the thought of incest and down syndrome children was an issue at that time). They also came up with the concept of engagements which was seen as an opportunity for the couple to get to know each other better and to see if they are indeed compatible. There was a marriage contract in place which stipulated what the rights of each party was and what is expected of them before and during the marriage. The groom and his family would then pay the bride and her family a visit and he would make a payment to them for their daughter to symbolize that he was capable of earning and keeping their daughter bling blinging J. And this romantic notion of ours called love, pah, what was that? It was not a necessity to get married back then

Initially weddings were only for the upper class. U see in the past its either u were royalty or you were not! No amount of hard work would see you join the gravy train, you couldn’t even pay your way there, I suppose if you could pay your way then you would already be a part of the elite.

Marriage was an institution established way before the Christian world came into being. The word marriage came into being in the 14th century. It was derived from the French word marier which means to marry.

Here’s an interesting fact about the engagement ring, do you know why it’s on the left hand? Well it was believed then that the nerves and the veins in the left hand ran straight to the heart. The engagement ring served to show society that she was spoken for. The round shape of the ring (other than making it practical to fit on the fingers) symbolizes eternity which meant the union was intended to last forever. Put it all together and it all makes sense, put it on your finger which is connected to the heart and you hold it in your heart that the union is forever and ever.

St Paul changed the concept of marriage later on from it just being a contract to comparing the union between a man and a woman to that between Christ and his church.

In the 1500’s many a marriage took place without a ceremony or a witness. The council of Trent (“The Council of Trent, the 19th ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic church, was held at Trent in northern Italy between 1545 and 1563. It marked a major turning point in the efforts of the Catholic church to respond to the challenge of the Protestant Reformation and formed a key part of the Counter-Reformation. The need for such a council had long been perceived by certain church leaders, but initial attempts to organize it were opposed by Francis I of France, who feared it would strengthen Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and by the popes themselves, who feared a revival of Conciliarism. The council eventually met during three separate periods (1545-47, 1551-52, 1562-63) under the leadership of three different popes (Paul III, Julius III, Pius IV). All of its decrees were formally confirmed by Pope Pius IV in 1564.”) decreed that every marriage that took place had to celebrated by a priest and at least 2 witnesses.

The tradition of the bride wearing a white dress was to symbolize purity and virginity and the bride not seeing the groom before the wedding day were superstitions carried over from Celtic customs and rituals of Mitra (Hindu deity). The dress was initially quite simple, with the only complication being a knot tied in the sash holding it up. The purpose of the knot was apparently to tease the groom and test his patience on the wedding night. The idea of the veil came from women called Flaminca Dialis who were the wives of priests called Flamen Dialis.

Weddings have been known to be instrumental in healing and building or destroying nations. The most famous one being the story of Marcus Antonius who together with Marcus Lepidus and Octavian avenged the assassination of Julius Ceasar in the battle of Phillipi against Brutus and Cassius. Over time the relationship between Octavian (who later became Augustus when he became emperor of Rome) and Marcus Antonius became strained, and in the pursuit of peace between the 2 of them he arranged for him to marry his sister Octavia. This didn’t last cos we are all well aware, that Mark Anthony’s love was with the lovely Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. And we all know how that story ended, joint suicide, Octavians forces destroying the Egyptian forces...

Well if you didn’t know now u do.

Birthdays
18th Thuli and Chetan
21st Shareen and Mike K
23rd Si Black, Gills 1 year anniversary
24th Vaughan

“if we don’t change we don’t grow. If we don’t grow we are not really living. Growth demands a temporary surrender of security. It may mean giving up a familiar but limiting patterns,safe but unrewarding work, values no longer believed in. As Dostoevsky put it, ‘taking a new step, uttering a new work is what people fear most’ the real fear should the opposite course” – Gail Sheehy

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not, but remember, that whoat you have now was once among the things you only hoped for.”

On that note I am out, sun is shining out there and I am holding myself captive in this office. Maximum respect as always. Have a great week.

Y