Catching the Bouquet--Divination?

[LinkH]

The only time, that I can think of is at weddings when they ask for all the single young ladies/young men to come forward to catch the bouquet and garter. Then......everyone knows why they are being asked.

This is from another thread about the definition of 'single', but this would have been off topic in that thread.

My question is the practice of catching the bouquet or garter a form of divination. I've always heard the one who catches it will get married next or get married soon.

The Old Testament forbids divination. In history, divination could be cutting open an animal liver to read the filaments to predict the future, examining the flight paths of birds to predict the future, throwing down arrows to determine which way to go, etc.

Is this a form of divination, throwing bouquets to see who get's married next?

It does create a comical and sometimes frightening situation. I remember seeing a rather large girl in her 20's get her hand on a bouquet along with the fingers of some girl once. Maybe she really believed in catching the bouquet as a form of divination and was determined to secure her lot in the near future.

 

[Tainted Scrolls]

No, it is people having fun, I wouldnt think any deeper into it.

 

[WolfGate]

LinkH -I have to agree it is just fun. OK. maybe somebody really does believe the myth and it might be a concern. But for those for whom catching is just a fun contest and the comments are jokes, no, it most certainly would not be divination.

 

[ChristianGolfer]

Well it certainly doesn't work, I know that. lol. I caught my first bouquet when I was 22 or 23. Most of the young ladies competing with me that day married before I did.

 

[contango]

This is from another thread about the definition of 'single', but this would have been off topic in that thread.

My question is the practice of catching the bouquet or garter a form of divination. I've always heard the one who catches it will get married next or get married soon.

The Old Testament forbids divination. In history, divination could be cutting open an animal liver to read the filaments to predict the future, examining the flight paths of birds to predict the future, throwing down arrows to determine which way to go, etc.

Is this a form of divination, throwing bouquets to see who get's married next?

It does create a comical and sometimes frightening situation. I remember seeing a rather large girl in her 20's get her hand on a bouquet along with the fingers of some girl once. Maybe she really believed in catching the bouquet as a form of divination and was determined to secure her lot in the near future.

I wouldn't call it divination, it's just a bit of fun. The bride throws the bouquet and garter, someone catches it, and it's a bit of a joke to think they will be the next to be married. Bonus marks if the man who catches the garter ends up marrying the woman who catches the flowers...

Divination is an attempt to see into the future. Throwing a bouquet is a bit of fun. Sometimes people who are already married end up in the group trying to catch, and if they catch the bouquet it's unlikely they will be the next to marry unless something goes horribly wrong for them in very short order.

 

[Tainted Scrolls]

Sometimes people who are already married end up in the group trying to catch, and if they catch the bouquet it's unlikely they will be the next to marry unless something goes horribly wrong for them in very short order.

Horribly wrong and then horribly right really quickly

 

[Hetta]

I have never caught a bouquet but I did get married. It's just a fun thing, no divination required.

 

[ValleyGal]

Just fun...like teasing someone who tried blowing out the birthday candles and just missed one - does that indicate they have a girlfriend? It's a North American (maybe other countries as well, I don't know) tradition...and I'm sure it's a recent tradition just like wearing a white gown for the ceremony. No divination.

 

[Hetta]

Yes, it is a western tradition, not just an American one. It exists in Europe also. I had on the other hand never heard of having a gf because you miss blowing out a candle! Oh the teasing opportunities I have missed!

 

[Hetta]

I think that as Christians we need to be really careful of turning quite innocent customs into "works of the devil".

 

[LinkH]

Just fun...like teasing someone who tried blowing out the birthday candles and just missed one - does that indicate they have a girlfriend? It's a North American (maybe other countries as well, I don't know) tradition...and I'm sure it's a recent tradition just like wearing a white gown for the ceremony. No divination.

I've never heard of the girlfriend thing.

 

[CounselorForChrist]

Yeah this is not a big deal really. Its simple fun. In my wifes country when we married, the woman that caught the bouquet would sit down and the man that caught the garter had to put it on her (not all the way up her leg of course). This was more or less a funny tradition of saying "These two may be married next!". It provides comedy really because the guy is nervous about putting it on her leg and the woman giggles about it.

Then after this My wife stands with her back against the bouquets catcher. And I look at my wife and put my arms nearly behind her and grab the guys hand that caught the garter. THis symbolizes love and a possible future marriage for the other two. Again its meant to be funny, but in america some might think two guys holding hands is gay despite the fact thats not how we are doing it.

 

[Tropical Wilds]

A tradition, a custom, and the first step to a celebratory aspect of the wedding celebration. Nothing else.

 

[ValleyGal]

I've never heard of the girlfriend thing.

Maybe it's a Canadian thing...or maybe English. It was common in my hometown all my growing up years.

 

[Verve]

I caught the bouquet at both the weddings I attended, while single, prior to meeting Thunder. The only wedding I attended before we were engaged was the weekend he proposed. I didn't catch the bouquet that weekend...then again I got something better than a bouquet.

 

[haidee]

Tis interesting. Will have to look into it.

 

[illudium_phosdex]

I think that as Christians we need to be really careful of turning quite innocent customs into "works of the devil".

This pretty much sums up my thoughts. You can turn just about anything into a "work of the devil" if you think too much about it.

 

[LinkH]

Some of my wife's relatives offer food to their ancestors. They cook food and make offerings. They say they know the offering is accepted if the food is cold, and sometimes the tea in the glass will be cold on one side and hot on another. So they say.

There was also a relative whose adult child was a victim of 'kerasukan', which might be translated as possessed by a spirit. The father wanted to try to cast it out, but the spirit claimed to be a spirit of an ancestor. It asked for a certain kind of ring. They gave it to him, and it said it would watch over the young man. He came out of it and dropped out of theology school and became a witchdoctor.

I can hear stories like this and perceive a lot of what I consider synchretism and compromise. But what about my own culture? In the US, people dress up like ghosts and monsters on the date that the Druids believed spirits roamed around. There are various other customs.

In the Old Testament, a lot of those pagan festival must have been a lot of fun. I bet the guys had a blast in the incident of Baal of Peor. Moses must have seemed like such an uptight fuddy duddy to some of these guys. Everything was a sin against the Lord, even the festivals of the people around them and the practices they grew up with in Egypt. I can't think of any verses in scripture telling us not to be too afraid things are of the devil. I can find a lot of Old Testament passages about Israel practicing pagan customs that were likely well-engrained in their culture for many generations. There were also those groups of false teachers who probably thought mainstream Christians were too legalistic and too inclined to call things evil or of the devil, things like committing fornication and eating meat offered to idols.

If no one believes catching the bouquet signifies anything, maybe we could argue isn't divination. But if a person there is superstitious and actually believes in this stuff, doesn't doing this support their superstition? What is the substantive difference between historical methods of divination like reading goat livers, examining the flight paths of birds and reading tea leaves and this sort of thing? I don't believe Christians should be throwing pinches of salt over their left shoulder or afraid of curses if a mirror breaks.

 

[seeingeyes]

Just fun...like teasing someone who tried blowing out the birthday candles and just missed one - does that indicate they have a girlfriend? It's a North American (maybe other countries as well, I don't know) tradition...and I'm sure it's a recent tradition just like wearing a white gown for the ceremony. No divination.

For us it was always that you make a wish, then blow out the candles, but if you didn't blow out every last one in one breath, you didn't get your wish.

I've never missed a candle in my life. Never got my wish either. But I'm one of 'those' people who wishes for infinite wishes.

 

[mkgal1]

What is the substantive difference between historical methods of divination like reading goat livers, examining the flight paths of birds and reading tea leaves and this sort of thing? I don't believe Christians should be throwing pinches of salt over their left shoulder or afraid of curses if a mirror breaks.

The difference (I believe) isn't so much in method----it's in what a person is putting their hope and faith into....and, even for what purpose. Like Simon (in Acts 8:9-24).......he believed in the power of Christ----yet, he (Simon) wished to use that power for his selfish end. So....there can even be evil in desiring God's power. In fact.....I've heard it said many times----that's where evil often thrives (hidden in plain view)....in a "sacred" environment.

Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

Acts 8:9-24 NIV - Simon the Sorcerer - Now for some time - Bible Gateway