Wedding Cake Traditions
The history of the wedding cake goes back as far as the Roman Empire well before the concept of icing a cake was invented. Through the years, the wedding cake has become the focus of a variety of customs and traditions. Some of these customs have survived through time. Some have not. The custom of breaking the cake over the bride’s head is no longer practiced. This tradition has been practiced as far back as Roman Times.
The groom would eat half of a loaf of bread baked especially for the wedding and break the other half over his bride’s head.
As wedding cakes evolved into the larger, more modern version, it became physically impractical to properly break the cake over the bride’s head. The tradition disappeared fairly quickly but there were still reports of breaking an oatcake over the bride’s head in Scotland, in the 19th century. It’s reported that in Northern Scotland, friends of the bride would put a napkin over her head and then proceed to pour a basket of bread over her.
I for one am glad this tradition didn’t stick!!
Author - Fay
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Pauline wrote all about wedding cake tradtions here