May 23rd is Lucky Penny Day – a day for people around the world to appreciate the good luck of the penny.
Finding a penny is considered lucky. We all know the saying “See a penny pick it up, all day long have good luck.” But did you ever hear of putting a penny in your shoe for good luck on your wedding day?
It comes from the saying “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue,” but the saying doesn’t end there. The last part of this rhyme is “a lucky sixpence for your shoe.” The sixpence is an English coin, and the tradition which associates it with weddings started during the reign of Elizabeth I.
At that time, the Lord of the Manor where the bride lived would give her a sixpence as a wedding gift. Toward the end of the 17th century, parents of the bride gave the groom a sixpence as dowry. Eventually the coin became thought of as a lucky charm which brought wealth and happiness to the married couple.
The tradition of the bride’s father placing a sixpence coin in his daughter’s left shoe on her wedding day dates back to the Victorian era. It is said to guarantee the newlywed couple a lifetime of health, happiness, wealth, and wedded bliss.
Instead of using a sixpence, many brides instead will use a penny with her birth year, the year of her wedding or any other special date. However, any coin that holds special meaning will do.
The custom of giving the sixpence as a lucky coin continues today.
Hearts, Joy, Love!
Jean
For more wedding traditions and ideas, or if you need some help with your wedding plans contact me at jean@weddingsfromtheheheart.net or at 937-235-2586.
photo credit: Maura Teague via photopin cc