When were in New Orleans last year I did my usual amble down Royal Street pining for all the pretty antiques when I saw Jack veer towards Cohen & Sons Inc., an antique treasure trove filled with antique weapons, rare coins and other collectibles. As Jack checked out a civil war flintlock pistol I strolled around the store until I came upon a collection of sixpence. Jackpot! I bought three; one for myself, my sister and now my future sister-in-law (yes, I was hoping my brother would eventually propose and he did!). Both my brother and I will be getting married within a year of each other so it's a very exciting time for my family.
But I was curious; why is the "lucky sixpence in your shoe" incorporated in traditional Western rites of marriage? I knew right off the bat that the sixpence, a tradition heavily incorporated in Victorian times, symbolized wealth and prosperity to the married couple. Perhaps Queen Victoria, the ultimate wedding trendsetter started this tradition. She was after all the impetus behind our modern constructs of what a bride is supposed to wear; that being blinding virginal white. Then I thought...probably not. Queen Victoria did not have a wish for wealth, she had plenty of it. But then again prosperity she had in spades. Here's a photo of her wedding day shoes: {Image Source}
After doing a little research it turns out the tradition started way before Queen Victoria's time. The sixpence was first minted in 1551 and became associated with weddings when land holders or the "Lord of the Manor" would give tenant brides to be a sixpence as a wedding gift. As time passed the tradition changed and it became the custom for the bride's parents to give the coin as a dowry gift. It wasn't until Victorian times that the sixpence amalgamated into a good luck charm. The father of the bride to be would place the sixpence in the bride's left shoe for good luck. The "left" seems to have a great import in weddings; the bride walks to the left of her father down the aisle, you are always supposed to start a procession with your left foot ect.
I love the idea of the sixpence but is it uncomfortable to wear? Would I have to stick it on with tape or something? If any of you have tried it, let me know. Another great option I found was on Weddingbee. Mrs. Bird of Paradise bought sixpence cufflinks to give to her husband. Awesome.
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