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Celtic engagement rings
are not just popular among those of Irish heritage, although it is
the meaning behind the Celtic engagement rings that makes them a choice
for many couples.
Celtic Irish Promise Rings
Unlike other engagement rings the Celtic Irish promise rings do
not have expensive diamonds as the central feature of the ring. Instead
the Claddagh is first step in the beginning of an Irish wedding.
This Celtic engagement
ring brings with it a special promise that
goes far beyond attraction and infatuation. The Irish Claddagh is
a symbol of promise and engagement but also has the added meaning
of friendship.
Taking the second
promise ring meaning into account – friendship – Celtic
rings make a great familygift or a special friend. The ring
can be fashioned out of yellow or white gold and symbolize a promise
for future marriage or a promise to always remain close friends – or
even better, it can represent both at the same time.
Irish Wedding Traditions
Beyond the giving of the Claddagh ring or the Celtic engagement
ring, there are several other Irish wedding traditions. For example,
many Irish weddings have a special cake and the singing of the Irish
Wedding Song. It is also believed that getting married on the last
day of the old year is a lucky time and will bring many added blessings
to the new couple.
A tradition where
the bride and groom run away is still carried out in many weddings
in the form of the couple taking off in a car to begin their honeymoon.
In 18th and 19th Century Ireland the couple would stay away for
a few days, then meet up with friends and family at the bride’s parent’s
house before going to their own home to begin life together.
In the old days,
most Irish weddings were arranged based on the economic or social
benefits. Friends and family were the primary people involved in
helping the couple to meet and father’s
even arranged weddings and negotiated the woman’s dowry
that would accompany her on her wedding day. Not many of these
prearranged weddings take place, but friends and family are
still a very big part of the Irish wedding. The strongest lasting
tradition of times gone by is still the design of the Celtic
engagement rings.
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