Many traditions in Jewish wedding have changed over time, including the ring, the shattering of the wine glasses, the phrase “mazol tav,” and the chuppah. These items symbolize various aspects of the wedding, and some of their meanings have changed through history.
The Marriage Coin and Wedding Ring
In BCE and early CE, a Jewish wedding was viewed as a financial transaction. Therefore, coins were exchanged during the ceremony. During the Common Era, a wedding was viewed more as a union between two people and less of a financial transaction.
With the change of wedding values, the coin was replaced with a ring.
The wedding band, still held as a tradition today, had to be pure gold and without gems. The ring also came to have its own meaning during a wedding. Most importantly, it became “a symbol of eternity, and a token of the permanence and unending happiness.”
The Shattering of Wine Glasses
The most well-known part of a Jewish wedding to non-Jews is the when the wine glasses are shattered. During a wedding, both the bride and bridegroom drink from the wine, expressing “their willingness to share the joys and sorrow of life.” The shattering of the glass (both during the engagement party and at the end of the wedding ceremony) symbolizes good luck. One interpretation is that the shattering glass represents the stopping of the negative effects from excessive celebration.
“Mazol Tav”
Another well-known aspect of Jewish marriages to non-Jews is the phrase “Mazol Tav.” It is often heard after the bride and groom have been wedded (after the glass has been broken). Originally, the term mazol was in reference to the constellations and the “universal belief that the fate of men and the success of their enterprises depended upon the position and aspects of the stars.” Nowadays, the phrase mazol tav is generally interpreted to simply mean “good luck.”
The Chuppah or Chupo
The chuppah/chupo, has gone through changes throughout time, both in the physical object and also what it stands for. In biblical times, the “chupo was a wedding tent or chamber…[and] by entering the chupo-chamber the bride passed from her father’s authority to that of her husband.” In the Middle Ages, its meaning became lost by different regions. In some regions, it refers to “the veil with which the bride covers her face.” In modern times, the chuppah is now a “portable canopy beneath which the couple stands while the [wedding] ceremony is performed.”
The biggest changes occured with the meaning of marriage and how this was symbolized: from a coin to a ring. The two famous aspects of a Jewish wedding, "mazol tav" and the wine glasses, are different ways to bless the marriage with luck. The chuppah/chupo, where couples are wed, has changed both its appearance and its meaning through time. Even though some traditions have changed, the importance of a Jewish marriage has not.
Visit History of Jewish Weddings to find out when and why the symbols of marriage changed.
References:
- A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice. Isaac Klein. (The Jewish Theological Seminary of America) 1979.
- Jewish Ceremonial Institutions and Customs. William Roseanue, Ph.D. (Boch Publishing Comp), 1929.
- The Liftetime of a Jew: Throughout the Ages of Jewish History. (Union of American Hewbrew Congregations) 1950.
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