Everyone has heard the rhyme “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…” in relation to the bride on her wedding day, but not many know where it comes from.
There is a lesser known line in this saying that hints at it’s origin, “…and a silver sixpence in her shoe.” This suggests that the rhyme is only as old as the 1950s, as the “sixpence” wasn’t minted until this decade. However, it is widely believed that this tradition dates all the way back to the Victorian era.
Each line in this saying refers to a good luck token that the bride should wear on her wedding day. Each object promises a different thing, so lets break down this rhyme and discover exactly what it means.
Something Old: This is supposed to represent the bride’s link to her side of the family, particularly her mother or grandmother. It represents continuity, by passing an object from the bride’s current family into the new family that the bride and groom will make together. It can be a ring passed down through the family, a piece of lace from your grandmother’s wedding gown, a handkerchief, or anything that holds a special meaning to you.
Something New: This contrasts the ’something old’ by promising good luck in the bride and groom’s future. Often bride’s make the natural choice of choosing their wedding dress, rings, or flowers to be the ‘new’ item, however it can be anything purchased new for the wedding. This shows that you are beginning a new life with your husband.
Something Borrowed: This assures the bride that her friends and family will be there for her on her wedding day, and in the future, if ever help is needed. The rule that you must follow with this object, is that it must come from a married woman, who is then passing on part of her marital happiness to the new bride. And of course, you must return it after the wedding. It can be a piece of your friend’s jewelry, maybe something she even wore on her own wedding day, as a way to remember her friendship.
Something Blue: The bride wearing blue dates all the way back to ancient Rome, when the color represented love, modesty, purity, and fidelity. In the past, both the bride and groom used to wear blue bands on the border of their attire to represent these virtues. And up to the nineteenth century, it was a popular color choice for wedding dresses, which gave birth to proverbs such as “Marry in blue, lover be true.” Today, this object often takes its form in a blue garter, or a blue flower worn or apart of your wedding theme.
And A Silver Sixpence In Her Shoe: This is very literal, and promises the newly married couple financial security and wealth in their future. Some think the origin of this is the Scottish custom of a groom putting a silver coin in his shoe for good luck. If you want guaranteed fortune, wear it in your left shoe. Today you can even purchase a keepsake sixpence sold specifically for weddings.
