This Bizarre Pre-Wedding Tradition of Scotland Will Make Couples Twice About Getting Married

Strange Scottish Pre-wedding Ritual That Might Make Couples Rethink

Weddings and their traditions hold different meanings for people around the globe. However, some countries followed specifically unusual traditions that, while strange, held meaningful values. One such tradition was the 'Blackening' pre-wedding ritual in Scotland. This practice might have made you feel uncomfortable or even questioned these wedding customs. If you thought planning a wedding was stressful, you would have seen the intricacies of this bizarre Scottish ritual that might have made couples think twice before getting married. Let’s explore the tradition in detail.

Scotland’s 'Blackening' Pre-wedding Tradition

One of the unusual traditions that completed the pre-wedding events in Scotland was the 'Blackening' of the couple. The ritual started with family and friends abducting the couple and then covering their faces with messy substances like eggs, flour, soot, and sometimes even fish. Ross Brebner, from Lonmay in Aberdeenshire, a big fan of the tradition, told BBC Scotland’s Hidden Lives , 'I was at a pal’s blackening and I took out the best man. He was on crutches for the wedding." He added, "It was the one part of the wedding they had no control over."

Is Public Embarrassment the True Essence?

The tradition continued with the bride and groom, covered in filth, being paraded through the streets, sometimes tied to a tree or cart. This event, though publicly embarrassing, was done in a fun and festive way, testing the couple’s strength, according to AberdeenLive . It was believed that this ritual prepared them for the ups and downs of married life. Knewz.com noted that the whole event ended with a celebration where family and friends cleaned up the couple, making it a memorable part of their wedding preparations.

Origins of This Peculiar Tradition

Dr. Sheila Young from the University of Aberdeen’s Elphinstone Institute explained that before the 1980s, this blackening ritual was called 'feet-washing.' It was seen as a cleansing ritual that prepared women for marriage and its challenges. Traditionally, the ritual involved blackening a woman’s feet with soot from a chimney and then washing them, which indicated her intention to go through with the wedding. Dr. Young told the BBC , "As the feet-washing moved outdoors, behavior changed. It shifted from being a cleansing ritual to becoming more of a dirtying ritual."

Speculative Theories Behind the Ritual

Besides preparing the couple for marriage, many believed there might have been other reasons for the ritual. It was thought that covering the couple in muck and parading them around was meant to scare away evil spirits and protect them from bad luck. According to Orskye , another theory was that the ritual was performed to frighten local fairies who might have tried to steal the groom. Another idea was that the ritual was supposed to bring the couple good luck. As part of the ritual, a married woman from the community dropped her ring into the messy mixture poured over the couple, which was a dramatic way to wish them a long and happy marriage.