I received a great book this Christmas which looks at customs and traditions here are some that I wanted to share

In Russia buying carnations or roses is a prerequisite for a first date and must be given in odd numbers as flowers in even numbers are reserved for funerals.
In olden days in Britain a green wedding dress was considered unlucky unless you were Irish as it implied promiscuity i.e. she had been rolling about in the fields!
It was once a custom in France for a bride to step on an egg before crossing the threshold of their new home.
An old …read more

In the Daily Mirror yesterday there was a wonderful article about 2 couples who decided on a winter wedding day.

Jess Ivens and Stuart Brookes chose a romantic castle in Prague. She chose an outfit that had a snow queen look with hooded cape with fake fur which she wore over a silk dress. The groom chose a velvet suit. The married at Karlstein Castle and it snowed making it a winter wonderland. Prague is a woderfully romantic city and a great choice for a wedding to remember.
Yvonne Leonard and Colin Petford  married in an ice bar in Stockholm which is 200km inside the …read more

…Well that is exactly what my mum did all the way back in 1959. I can never understand why anyone would get married on that day, so while she is staying with me I thought I would ask her
 So mum, why Boxing Day?
Mum: I never really enjoyed Christmas, being the eldest in the family it meant that Christmas to me was always working hard. This way I had a Christmas when I could enjoy it, and others were helping me.
How did your family react?
Mum: My dad was not happy as he always went shooting on Boxing Day, and he had …read more

The Independent online reports one of the strangest wedding stories of the year – now here’s a few brides that  would have looked dog rough after the hen party!!
“A Hindu wedding ceremony of 18 dogs has been called off in India after hardline religious groups and animal rights activists said it was a mockery of the religion and cruel to the canines, a newspaper reported on Sunday.
The marriage of nine dogs to nine bitches to promote canine culture was expected to take place on Sunday in the northwestern town of Jaipur, the Times of India reported.
But the wedding which, according …read more

While the wonderful Christine is away, I am delighted that I will be writing on Our One Heart. I love the blog and it is great that I get the chance to add my thoughts. Christine is a great writer and a tough act to follow but I look forward to keeping her writing pad warm!
A little about me – I am (keep this quiet!) 40, live in the UK, called Anna and love the world of romance, probably because I am a Piscean so a true romantic!
Keep the comments coming and help me keep the “Heart” beating….