2014004010The first wedding in Lake County almost didn’t happen because the only preacher in the area at the time had “left the ministry.”  Pastor and Mrs. Moses Parks accompanied Ebenezer Merry at the end of the 18th century to Marsh Settlement near what is now the Mentor Marsh. Mr. Parks was a Baptist minister who decided to try his luck at pioneering instead of pastoring. A young fellow by the name of John Hamilton who lived in Newburgh (what is now the south eastern section of Cleveland) wanted to get married.   Hamilton heard of a widow named Mrs. Mingus living in Harpersfield who was widowed.  He decided to visit her and persuade her to return with him to Newburgh as his wife.  Mrs. Mingus returned with Hamilton riding on horseback with her feather bed as her saddle.  When they arrived at Marsh Settlement where Mr. Parks lived, he at first refused to marry them. However, he relented and performed the ceremony after all and the Hamiltons traveled on to Newburgh, the first couple to be married in Lake County.

Traditions –

African American

According to the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, “Cleveland’s African American community is almost as old as the city itself. George Peake, the first black settler, arrived in 1809 and by 1860 there were 799 blacks living in a growing community of over 43,000. As early as the 1850s, most of Cleveland’s African American population lived on the east side. But black and white families were usually interspersed; until the beginning of the 20th century, nothing resembling a black ghetto existed in the city. Throughout most of the 19th century, the social and economic status of African Americans in Cleveland was superior to that in other northern communities. By the late 1840s, the public schools were integrated and segregation in theaters, restaurants, and hotels was infrequent. Interracial violence seldom occurred. Black Clevelanders suffered less occupational discrimination than elsewhere.”

One African American tradition is when the bride and groom have their wrists tied together with cloth or braided grass.  Today’s modern couples may have a friend tie their wrists together with kente cloth or strand of cowrie shells during the ceremony. Cowrie shells, indigenous to West Africa represent fertility and prosperity. Cowrie shells are also used in bridal attire. Use of the shell design in favors, food serving, cakes and decoration or table centerpieces is another way to represent the tradition. Tasting the four flavors that represent different emotions is known as Yoruba ritual. The four flavors typically used are sour (lemon), bitter (vinegar), hot (cayenne), and sweet (honey). By tasting each of the flavors, the couple symbolically demonstrates that they will be able to get through the hard times in life, and, in the end, enjoy the sweetness of marriage.

Irish

The Western Reserve, being part of Connecticut was first settled by pioneers from Connecticut and New York, but in the 1840’s and 1850’s the Irish arrived escaping the potato famine.  They brought with them their special traditions.

There are many dances at an Iris wedding, but one of the more notable is the “janting char” where the groom is carried in a chair to present him to the guests. An old Irish tradition calls for the couple getting married to walk together to the church to exchange their wedding vows. As they walk down to the church, onlookers would not only throw rice to bless the marriage, but larger items as well, such as pots and pans. The traditional Irish bride might wear a blue wedding dress on her wedding day, believing blue to be a lucky color. The herb English lavender is often mixed with her wedding flowers. It is traditional for the bride to braid her hair, as this is considered a sacred way to keep feminine power and luck. St. Patrick’s Day is considered one of the luckiest wedding anniversary dates in Ireland.

Ever wonder where the term “honeymoon” comes from?  In Irish it is mi na meala, which means the month of honey. It was an Irish custom for the newlyweds to spend a month together drinking honeyed wine, secluded, in case their families tried to separate them.

Finnish

The Finnish arrived in the Western Reserve to work on the widening of the Youngstown Railroad.  The first immigrant was Charles Hilston in 1873.  Many Finns settled in Fairport Harbor.

Traditional Finnish music for weddings include playing the Kantele, the Finnish national instrument.  Known as the Finnish harp, it is played like a zither and is held in the lap. Karjalanpaisti, Karelian stew, is a traditional meat stew of pork, beef, or lamb cooked in a hot pot placed inside an over.  It is served with Karjalanpiirakat, Karelian pastries. For a wedding cake, Finns prepare a cream and sponge cake filled with raspberries and strawberries (or sometimes chocolate or toffee).

Hungarian and Slovakian

Hungarians and Slovaks arrived in the 1880’s and settled in Fairport.  Paul Locotosh is considered the first Slovak.  Frank Wayner and Mike Bartish were Hungarians who arrived in 1889.

A tradition of Slovakian weddings is the Slivovica drink made out of plums. It is quite strong (usually 40% or 50%), which is why it is taken as shots. It is usually drunk for ‘good health’ at weddings or other celebrations.

Traditional Hungarian bridal dress is colorfully embroidered with floral patterns and worn with multiple underskirts. A traditional head piece for the bride would be made of woven wheat. The wedding planning, including the invitation of the wedding guests is the responsibility of the best man in the Hungarian wedding tradition. A Hungarian wedding celebration can last three days and is filled with lots of eating, telling jokes, and dancing.

Slovenians

Not to be confused with Slovakians, Slovenians began arriving in the area in the 1880’s.  The Cleveland area now boasts more Slovenians than live in Slovenia.  A significant part of the Slovenia tradition is the unveiling of the bride.  The bride’s veil is removed and a red carnation flower is pinned in her hair, symbolizing the transition from maidenhood to married life. At the same time, the white boutonnière of a groom gets replaced with a red carnation.

Italians

The first group of Italians was brought to the Western Reserve by Harry Coulby to work on the imported marble that was used to build his home which is now the Wickliffe City Hall. Other Italians arrived and lived in Madison forming the foundation of the vast nursery industry of that area.

Italians traditionally use diamond engagement rings because Italians have long held that diamonds are created by the flames of love. In preparation for her wedding day, the bride assembles a trousseau, consisting of household items, clothing, and sometimes even her future husband’s clothes.  A ribbon was often tied in front of the wedding chapel or attached to the door to symbolize the bond between the couple getting married.

The actual wedding ceremony (sposalizio) is officiated by a priest or civil authority. Old church tradition warns against marrying during Lent and Advent, and marriage is also avoided in the months of May and August. A lengthy celebration begins with a mass in the morning; and the dancing and feasting that follows may continue well into the wee hours of the morning.

At the reception there is the traditional breaking of the glass; the pieces of shattered glass represent the number of happy years you’ll enjoy together. No Italian-American wedding would be complete without the Tarantella folk dance, a fast tempo dance accompanied with tambourines.

Polish

By 1920, the Polish population in Ohio was about 68,000 people. Most of these Poles settled along Lake Erie, especially in Cleveland. The Polish immigrants lived in their own communities and being of an eastern European Roman Catholic religious background, established their own Catholic church.

Polish wedding reception traditions usually include lively polka music and dancing.

“…as a small boy I remember going to many weddings.  My mother had 5 sisters and a brother and they all got married when I was growing up.  There were two weddings on my dad’s side of the family.  I do remember that there was usually a Polka band at a local dance hall so I learned to Polka at a very early age.  The typical traditions like the money dance where everyone dances with the bride or groom and pays to dance is one thing but I think that’s done at most weddings.  One thing that always took place was that the next morning everyone went to the bride’s parents’ home for left-over food.  Nothing was wasted,” said Jim Skrocki who grew up in Cleveland in the 1940’s.

Sharing bread, salt and wine is important in Polish weddings.  The parents of the newly married couple would give them rye bread sprinkled with salt and a glass of wine.  The bread represents never going hungry, the salt represents the acknowledgement that there can be difficult times, and the wine symbolizes health and happiness.

Incorporating traditions into modern weddings from personal cultural backgrounds helps distinguish a wedding from all others and helps to add memories everyone can enjoy.  There are innumerable websites dedicated to wedding traditions by cultural heritage.  Investigate them and be creative.

If you want to see some real life examples, come check out our new Weddings of the Western Reserve exhibit at the Lake County History Center.