ORIGIN OF SILVER WEDDINGS

New Zealand Tablet, 10 July 1913, Page 62

ORIGIN OF SILVER WEDDINGS

The fashion of silver weddings dates, back to the ireign of Hugues Capet, King of France in 987. Once •as Hugues was arranging his uncle’s affairs he found ■on one of the estates a servant who had grown gray in the service of his relative. He had been such, a friend of his master that he was almost looked upon as one of the family. On the farm with this old man was also a serving woman, who was as old as he and also unmarried, and who had been the most devoted and hard-working of the women servants of the king’s ancle. When the king heard these praises of the two, lie ordered them to be brought before him, and said to the woman : ‘ Your service is great, greater than this man’s, whose services were great enough, for the woman always finds work and obedience harder than a man, and therefore I will give you a reward. At your age I know of none better than a dowry and a husband. The dowry is —this farm from this time forth belongs to you. If this man who has worked with you five and twenty years is willing to marry you, then the husband is ready.’ * Your majesty,’ stuttered the old peasant confusedly, ‘ how is it possible that we should marry, having already silver hairs?’ ‘ Then it shall be a silver wedding,’ answered the king, ‘ and here I give you a wedding ring,’ drawing a costly ring from his finger and placing the hands of the thankful old people together. This soon became known all over France, and raised such enthusiasm that it became a fashion, after a twenty-five years’ marriage, to celebrate a silver wedding.