Hand Festing It was a common practice for the bride and groom to hold hands and proclaim their unity to witnesses. The couple could then live for a year and a day as a married couple. After this time period had passed, should the couple wish to part ways, they could with no hard feelings. Should they wish to stay together, a priest was usually called in to perform the marriage rites to make the union legally binding. There are a few variance to this but this is basic. It is a Pagan tradition. MP Debbie -----Original Message----- From: gordon crooks [mailto:glcrooks@bcpl.net] Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 3:40 PM To: MDWASHIN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [MDWASHIN] Hand Festing Marriages This was a custom back in Scotland in early times, does anyone know if it was done here? Gordon -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 266.0.0 - Release Date: 2/18/2005

Actually in the ancient Christian Church where clergy were itinerant there was a similar tradition called "betrothal" in which the couple were blessed to live together by their church community until a clergyman traveled through to solemnize the union. Vestiges of this ancient custom are found today in the Orthodox Christian Wedding ceremony (I speak from experience here, :-) )when the couple is greeted at the door of the Church by the Priest and accepted as a couple. Once the Religion became more institutionalized the ancient custom gradually disappeared since it was no longer necessary to wait for matrimony which is simply the church's full celebration, blessing and acknowledgement of the couples commitment to one another and their joint faith. Alice ----- Original Message ----- From: "Debbie" <dbpc5153@ligtel.com> To: <MDWASHIN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 5:46 PM Subject: RE: [MDWASHIN] Hand Festing Marriages > Hand Festing > > It was a common practice for the bride and groom to hold hands and > proclaim > their unity to witnesses. The couple could then live for a year and a day > as > a married couple. After this time period had passed, should the couple > wish > to part ways, they could with no hard feelings. Should they wish to stay > together, a priest was usually called in to perform the marriage rites to > make the union legally binding. > > There are a few variance to this but this is basic. It is a Pagan > tradition. > > MP > Debbie > > -----Original Message----- > From: gordon crooks [mailto:glcrooks@bcpl.net] > Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 3:40 PM > To: MDWASHIN-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [MDWASHIN] Hand Festing Marriages > > > This was a custom back in Scotland in early times, does anyone know if it > was done here? > > Gordon > > > -- > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 266.0.0 - Release Date: 2/18/2005 > > > > ==== MDWASHIN Mailing List ==== > Keep informed of the latest news and new databases, webpages and mailing > lists at RootsWeb. Subscribe to the weekly RootsWeb Review. To > subscribe, start here: http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ > > ============================== > New! Family Tree Maker 2005. Build your tree and search for your ancestors > at the same time. Share your tree with family and friends. Learn more: > http://landing.ancestry.com/familytreemaker/2005/tour.aspx?sourceid=14599&targetid=5429 >