The marriage ceremony is a special moment to celebrate the union of the couple full of history. During the wedding, there is a more or less strict protocol, depending on the couple’s tastes, which must be respected. And within this protocol, the bride and groom’s courtship plays a fundamental role. The parents, witnesses and arras childrenAll of them accompany the bride and groom on their big day, walking with them both at the entrance and exit of the church.
The arras children are one of the main protagonists on the wedding day. The tenderness and happiness they inspire form a very special part of the ceremony. And so special that we always expect to see them and miss them if they are not there, but… where does this tradition come from?
What do the arras symbolize
In the rite of the marriage ceremony nothing is done at random. The bride’s bouquet, the rings, the rice… all have a special meaning. Like all of them, the arras also have their own. One full of history.
The origin of the arras tradition dates back to Antiquity. Nation in the East and was later taken up by Roman Law, which has carried it to the present day.
The arras itself consisted of 12 “real” coins of gold or silver and one of bronze or other noble material of lesser quality. Over the years, this combination has evolved to 13 equal coins.
Why are there 13 coins? What is the significance of this thirteenth coin? The first 12 coins evoke the months of the year. One coin per month of wealth to be shared by the bride and groom in the future marriage for the years to come. The thirteenth coin is to share with the needy. This action is intended to receive good luck in the link.
Traditionally, the arras are paid by the godfather or the godmother and arepresented at the altar by the niños de arras.
The children of arras
The arras children are usually between 2 and 8 years old and are in charge of opening the bride’s entrance into the church. It is important that the children in the arras are not too old, since we distort that representation of innocence, nor too young, since it is more difficult to keep them calm or to get them to carry out their task.
Throwing petals, flowers, carrying the arras and, on occasion, the rings are her special duties. They tend to be both boys and girls and are generally dressed in matching suits within a range of similar colors and prints and according to the decoration of the ceremony.
Once the children give the arras to the bride and groom, the groom places them in the bride’s hand. The symbolism of this act is not entirely clear, as some say it is a representation of the dowry, others speak of a gift in gratitude for the virginity of the bride and there are those who point to the arras as a guarantee of the agreement or promise of marriage. It is most likely that this ceremony has meant each and every one of these assumptions, having acquired a different meaning from Antiquity to the present day.
At Quémono! we have a beautiful collection of dresses for girls wedding guests to ensure that the children will be tastefully dressed on the day of the wedding.. If you have any doubts about how to dress them for that special day, you can check in this other article everything related to colors and tips for choosing the attire of the little ones. Always remember that children should always feel at ease with their attire on that special day. They must be able to move easily and not suffer discomfort caused by fabrics or seams.
If you want to know more about the children of arras, do not hesitate to read this other article with tips for dressing the arras children in winter weddings.