Wedding Cake Traditions
Through the years there have been many wedding cake traditions and superstitions - most of them having to do with love and fertility. Over time, the wedding cake has evolved into the center of the whole wedding feast.
WEDDING CAKE TRADITIONS AND SUPERSTITIONS - Ancient Greeks served piles of small hard biscuits at their wedding feast. These cakes were seasoned with sesame and sweetened with honey to symbolize the sweetness and bitterness of life.
Small pieces from these cakes were crumpled over the bride's head to insure fertility. This may be the origin of throwing rice at the bride and groom. - Sharing food is a sign of love. This is why the bride and groom cut and eat the first piece of cake together.
- Why does the bride eat first? It is believed that if she doesn't her fertility could be cut in half.
- Traditionally, the top layer of the cake is taken home and frozen by the bride and groom.
When they celebrate their first anniversary, they will share the cake again. If the cake is still good after a year, it guarantees a long marriage. - Another belief is that the bride should eat some of the cake in order to become a full member of the grooms family, and that the bride's mother-in-law should break a piece of cake on the bride's head as she enters the house after the ceremony, so they will be friends for life.
- Another wedding cake superstition is the belief that a small piece of the cake, tucked under a pillow, will bring good luck to a woman hoping to marry. Some believe she will see the face of her future husband in her dreams.
- Some people believe that the number of tiers on the cake represent the number of children the couple will have.
THE MODERN WEDDING CAKE Today's wedding cakes can be made from almost any flavor you like, such as mocha, carrot, orange, or lemon. If you can't decide on one flavor for your cake, then have each tier made from a different flavor. If you are having a groom's cake, you can choose to have it made into a design that represents something special about the groom, such as a hobby or sport he likes. You can also have a slice of the groom's cake boxed and sent home with each guest. The cake boxes can be made special by having the bride and groom's names and their wedding date printed on the box. This makes a great favor for the guests. CAKE PULLS There is an old Victorian tradition, where small silver charms are attached to ribbons and baked inside the wedding cake. (The end of the ribbons should be showing outside the baked cake.) Before the cake is cut by the bride and groom, the bridesmaids pull out the charms. The charms come in a variety of symbols: - A ring or bell means the next to marry.
- A heart predicts love is imminent
- A flower means love will bloom.
- A clover or horseshoe will bring good luck.
- A coin is for riches.
- A rocking chair predicts a long life.
- An anchor stands for travel.
- A thimble predicts a spinster's life.
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