One of our daughters and her husband
This is my post for @freewriters 2360 prompt rice shower hosted by @mariannewest
How are we supposed to believe anything that we are told?
From the time I was a child until my children were in their teens, it was common to give a bride and groom a rice shower while they were leaving their wedding ceremony. Then one day we were told that by doing this we were killing birds, they said the birds would eat the rice and it would swell in their stomachs and kill them. no one wanted to kill the birds so everyone stopped throwing rice and started blowing bubbles or using birdseed, but some places did not want birdseed thrown either, which was crazy. Now you can't feed the birds either.
Many people still believe rice will kill the birds, but it is like many things that we are told today, it is false. I read an article about how birds eat rice before taking a long trip, squirrels can eat it, too.
I changed some of the wording but found this on a quick search.
Throwing rice on the bride and groom represents fertility, nourishment, and sustenance, and the shower signifies the couple's hope for a harmonious and prosperous marriage. It also shows support for the couple by showering them with rice, which is said to bring good fortune and abundance. By abundance, I think they mean many children, but I might be wrong.
Could it be that when they stopped the rice shower it might be the reason so many marriages have failed? I read the real reason that many places wanted it stopped was because of the mess it caused, and people were slipping on the rice. There was also the concern of it attracting rats.
I wonder who the nimp-come-poop was that started the rumor of it killing birds?
I googled my question and found this, In the mid-1980s, Connecticut passed legislation banning the tossing of rice at weddings. The bill made national headlines, but prominent ornithologists spoke out against it, saying the rumors were urban legend and may have been created by church staff who didn't want to clean up after weddings. This makes more sense to me and it should not surprise me that a government agency believed it and banned something that has been a tradition since ancient Rome. The tradition is thought to have originated with the Celts, who would toss rice, millet, and other grains to appease spirits and ask for blessings.
our wedding, we are on the right, his Mother married us and my 2 sisters
I must say that I do not believe getting rice thrown at you will make your marriage last, it is only a tradition. To make your wedding last you need to care for the other person's feelings and be able to talk to each other and compromise on things. It is a give and take agreement between two people.
38 years married
photo is mine