Handfasting

Is anybody doing this as a part of your ceremony?

If so, can you direct me to any information you've found about it's history/significance?

TIA!!

Handfasting

I've been thinking of doing this (if I can convince FH) so I would be interested in any information anyone has as well!

Handfasting

I thought this was another way to lose weight!

Handfasting

I believe it is part of an irish tradition

Handfasting

FH said that he wants to do it but I haven't done much research on it. I will be this week and I'll let you know!

Re: Handfasting

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Posted by msktomrsc

FH said that he wants to do it but I haven't done much research on it. I will be this week and I'll let you know!

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Thank you! We've just started looking into it. We like that it is a Celtic tradition, as we both have Celtic roots.

My big concern is that I've seen in some places that it was a ceremony for a 'trial' marriage or meant to last 'a year and a day,' and, I dunno... I'm not sure I want to begin our future together with a ceremony that was originally performed to signify a *temporary* arrangement.

Am I being silly? Overthinking this? I think FH thinks I am.

Re: Handfasting

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Posted by saxtrevNmeg

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Posted by msktomrsc

FH said that he wants to do it but I haven't done much research on it. I will be this week and I'll let you know!

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Thank you! We've just started looking into it. We like that it is a Celtic tradition, as we both have Celtic roots.

My big concern is that I've seen in some places that it was a ceremony for a 'trial' marriage or meant to last 'a year and a day,' and, I dunno... I'm not sure I want to begin our future together with a ceremony that was originally performed to signify a *temporary* arrangement.

Am I being silly? Overthinking this? I think FH thinks I am.

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The only reason I'm considering it is because FH is ScotIrish so he wants to incorporate it. He might want to include his son on it, but I'm not too sure on that one. I read about the whole one year thing, I thought this explained it pretty well:

The Scottish Hebrides, particularly in the Isle of Skye, show some records of a 'Handfast' or 'left-handed' marriage taking place as recently as the late 1600s where the Gaelic scholar, Martin Martin, notes 'It was an ancient custom in the Isles that a man take a maid as his wife and keep her for the space of a year without marrying her; and if she pleased him all the while, he married her at the end of the year and legitimatised her children; but if he did not love her, he returned her to her parents.'

I got that from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handfasting

I kind of like it too once I saw it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah4w4RDh-oo

I think I'm going to go for it. I want to give FH whatever is important to him for the wedding, and this is one thing that I think really is for him.

Handfasting

Thank you for the video. I may utilize some of that for our ceremony. I also considered doing a renewal of vows in a year, including a handfasting, because I have read that those 'trial' marriages could end one of three ways after the 'year and a day': the couple could do another 'trial,' they could go their separate ways, or they could officially marry. I guess the renewal just seems to me to 'finish' the ceremony.

Silly?

Handfasting

Hmmm I never thought of that, it makes sense to me!