英语词汇broomstick marriage的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

broomstick marriage. Broomstick marriages were common in remote districts of England, Scotland, and the southern U.S. in the 18th century. In order to avoid paying clerical fees and waiting for the preacher to ride by, rural folk devised a ceremo- ny that was regarded as perfectly legal and binding in many communities—all the prospective bride and groom had to do was jump over a broomstick held by two people who knew them and they were declared man and wife. It has been sug- gested that the broomstick has something to do with “witches riding on their broomsticks to their unholy pleasures,” but no one really knows why the superstition developed. At first broomstick marriage meant only a rural marriage, but its mean- ing deteriorated over the years as laws grew more uniform and it is now regarded as a mock marriage or a common-law marriage.

词汇	broomstick marriage
词源	broomstick marriage. Broomstick marriages were common in remote districts of England, Scotland, and the southern U.S. in the 18th century. In order to avoid paying clerical fees and waiting for the preacher to ride by, rural folk devised a ceremo- ny that was regarded as perfectly legal and binding in many communities—all the prospective bride and groom had to do was jump over a broomstick held by two people who knew them and they were declared man and wife. It has been sug- gested that the broomstick has something to do with “witches riding on their broomsticks to their unholy pleasures,” but no one really knows why the superstition developed. At first broomstick marriage meant only a rural marriage, but its mean- ing deteriorated over the years as laws grew more uniform and it is now regarded as a mock marriage or a common-law marriage.
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