Ancient Folk Lore  
Birth Marriage Death Moon Days Months

Marriage - stories from ancient folklore

Wedding - the best time for marriage

The month of May has at all times been considered as unlucky for marriages; a notion which dates back eighteen centuries ago, even the great poet Ovid alluded to the Roman objection to marriage in this month...

Nee viduae tsedis eadem, nee virginis apta Tempora. Quse nupsit, non diuturna fuit. Hac quoque de causa, si te proverbia tangunt, Mense malas Maio nubere volgus ait.

In the North of Scotland, the Highlander of the past would never begin anything of consequence on the day of the week on which the third of May falls, which is styled La Sheachanna na bleanagh, or the dismal day. And from many other sources, it appears, that marriage has been carefully avoided throughout this month.

At one time the Church had an absolute rule, forbidding weddings between Rogation and Whitsunday. Which thus prohibited marriage during the greater part of May, a common country expression throughout England has been ...

Marry in May, and you'll rue the day.

A well documented Scottish Minister around 1800 made various observations of his congregation ...

None choose to marry in January or May; or to have their banns proclaimed in the end of one quarter of the year, and to marry in the beginning of the next.

other county sayings on the same theme are ...

Who marries between the sickle and the scythe, Will never thrive.

and from East Anglia ...

Marry in Lent, And you'll live to repent.

It is very generally believed that it is unlucky to marry on the feast of St. Joseph, and this day is therefore specially avoided

It is supposed that as this day fell in Mid Lent, it was the reason why all the Councils and Synods of the Church forbade marriage during that season of fasting; indeed, all penitential days and vigils throughout the year were considered unsuitable for this joyous ceremony.

In 1559 an almanac published the acceptable dates for weddings ...

the tymes of weddinges when it begynneth and endeth. Jan. 14, weding begin. Jan. 21, weddinge goth out. April 3, wedding be. April 29, wedding goth out. May 22, wedding begyn.

Childermas, or Holy Innocents' Day, has been at all times a black day in the calendar for impatient lovers. On account of this, few marriages ever take place, being generally postponed until the ensuing day.

An interesting ancient rhyme lays out the prospects for each day

Monday for wealth, Tuesday for health, Wednesday the best day of all, Thursday for crosses, Friday for losses, Saturday no luck at all.

this website has been put together from a series of old texts that i came across, while researching fairies and the world of fae in folklore, i thought there was enough here to share with other people on these other topics. these pages are meant as an introduction or a bit of fun reading, for those interested in delving deeper,
find the source material on the reference page

website content © ancientfolklore.co.uk