Why do we say "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue"?

Meaning:

Items a bride should traditionally carry on her wedding day.

Background:

This rhyme dates from the mid-19th century, and it’s believed to have been coined in Northern England. Its first reference in print comes from London’s St James’ Magazine, April to September 1871, in a story entitled “Marriage Superstitions, and the Miseries of a Bride Elect.” The phrase appeared in an American publication in October of that year and quickly gained popularity.

The saying is a compilation of several superstitious traditions that were thought to ward off the “evil eye” — a curse believed to cause infertility — as well as bring happiness and good luck to the bride.

Something old: This can symbolize continuity, extending a happy courtship into what all hope will be an equally joyous marriage. It can also serve to connect a bride to her ancestors, encouraging her to continue her family’s lineage into the future.

Something new: An item never before used can represent hope and optimism for the future. As the couple begins a new life together, something new becomes a symbol of their fresh start, unmarred by the problems they’ll likely face together over the course of their marriage.

Something borrowed: This item should ideally be obtained from a woman who’s had a happy marriage as well as many children, the theory being that these properties will rub off on the bride.

Something blue: According to The Pioneer Woman website, “The color blue is meant to ward off the evil eye, and also stands for love, purity, and fidelity, which is what the Old English considered to be the three key qualities for a strong marriage.”

“And a silver sixpence in her shoe” is sometimes added to the traditional four items. This is a late-Victorian Era amendment to the rhyme, although it’s unknown where this part of the saying originated. The idea is for the father of the bride to add a small coin to the bride’s shoe to bring luck and prosperity to the happy couple (it’s always supposed to be the left shoe, but no one knows why this should be so). Since sixpence are no longer minted, most substitute a penny.

This tradition is still widely practiced in both England and the United States. In 2018, for example, when Meghan Markle wed Prince Harry, she observed the custom: “Something old” was a piece of fabric from Princess Diana’s wedding dress; the “new” item was her Givenchy wedding dress; she borrowed her tiara from Queen Elizabeth II; and she had blue forget-me-nots in her bouquet as well as blue fabric in the hem of her wedding dress.

Of course, the superstitions don’t always have the desired effect. Diana Spencer carried something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue when she married Prince Charles, and we all know how that turned out.

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