Weddings on the half hour, funerals on the hour?

Question

Someone told me that it is tradition to have weddings when the hands on the clock are moving up, and funerals when they're moving down. Is this true? If so, how did this originate?

Answer 1

I had never heard of it either, although I've known of superstitions about the best month and day to get married...a google search did bring up something at snopes, as follows:

The Time:

It is auspicious to exchange vows while the clock's hands are rising. Therefore, weddings taking place before noon (while the clock's hour hand is rising, from the six towards the twelve) are lucky, and doubly so if the key part of the ceremony is reached while the minute hand is ascending from the half-hour towards the hour. An 11:32 AM plighting, therefore, would be set to attract good fortune to the union.

The opposite is also held as true: marriages contracted while the clock hands are falling will pull in bad luck. And yes, this goes double if the hour and minute hands are diving, making, say, a 4:15 PM joining especially ill-starred.

Few tie the knot after dark, which is just as well, considering the ill-luck a dark-hours wedding is said to draw to its newlyweds. To marry after dark is to foreshadow a troubled married life, children who die prematurely, or an early death for this new husband and wife.

Source: http://www.snopes.com/weddings/customs/date.asp

Clearly it's not a superstition that has remained in any way "in vogue," and obviously it's just that: a superstition. Similarly, as noted, there are days of the week that, according to superstition, are better suited if you want an auspicious beginning for a marriage...months as well...and it's all just interesting folklore.

As for the origins of the particular superstition about time of day, that I can't tell you.

I don't remember the exact time of our wedding ceremony off-hand, but my wedding took place on a Saturday evening in October which, according to the lore, set things up for a lousy marriage. October: toil and hardship. Saturday, "no luck at all." Evening wedding, well, we just heard about how *that's* bad, too. Thank goodness it's all a bunch of hocus pocus! My marriage has been great.

Answer 2

My aunt insisted that we get married at the half hour ~ she said it's good luck to get married "on the upswing"

Re: funerals, I have (unfortunately) been to & helped plan my share of plenty. I've never heard of a specific time to hold the funeral. Honestly, though we were all so overcome with grief that I have no idea if someone suggested anything like this ~ or if we even payed attention to it.

Answer 3

I´ve only heard about times for weddings-
On the hour means things can go downhill from here, on the half hour means things are looking up.

Needless to say, we wed at 5:30 and things are looking up!

Answer 4

I've never heard of that in my life. We got married at 3:30, but there was no superstition behind it. Most weddings I've been to start on the hour.

Answer 5

Yes I have. When my husband and I got married my mother-in-law freaked when I told her it was 4:00pm. She said it was because things should be looking up not down. But honestly I think it doesn't matter what time you get married. It's just an old tale that is passed on by family members. Get married at what ever time you want.

Answer 6

Never heard it. It's probably something made up by someone once because they were bored. All the weddings I have ever been too are on the hour.

Answer 7

I am going to a funeral this Friday at 11.45am. Is this up to the hour or 45mins down from the hour? Never heard this saying.

Answer 8

yes it is a greek tradition you should be going into and not away dont know how much of it is ture or myth they say to start at 30 or 45 and not 00 or 15

Answer 9

I've heard of it but I have been to plenty of weddings that have been on the hour. It is just one of those old wives tales, like "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue".

Answer 10

My first time to know there's such a tradition