Home
>
Marriage & Wedding
>
Like Sand Through an Hour Glass

Like Sand Through an Hour Glass

Symbols! Weddings are full of them. Exchanging rings. Exchanging roses. Tying hands with ribbons. Merging coloured sands. Lighting candles. Releasing doves or butterflies. Ringing bells and kissing chimney sweeps. But when it comes to real drama, no symbol can match smashing a glass or two.

Of course, you don't need a wedding if you feel the need to break something. Go to a Greek restaurant when they're having one of their celebratory dinners. At the end of the night you, and the other diners, will be invited by mine host and hostess to pick up a plate and smash it to smithereens. Even though, as I understand it, the china is specifically designed for this, being more fragile and a great deal less expensive than that on which you have your meal, nonetheless it's a highly therapeutic and exhilarating activity.

Films would have you believe that peeved wives are forever tossing their good china at erring husband. Perhaps in a screenwriter's dream they do. In real life a dozen sensible questions would present themselves in defense of the innocent crockery. Is this piece expensive? Is it part of a set? Can it be replaced? Will it make a mess? Who's the dummy who's going to have to clean it up?

By the time you start looking for some less attractive alternative, he's out the door, whistling down the stairs.

So the custom of that toast that a man makes to his bride, followed by smashing the glass in which the toast was made, is an intriguing one. Of course, it would be a tradition started by a man. He didn't have to tidy up afterward. But even why a man could be so wantonly destructive is hard to fathom.

There is an apocryphal story suggesting that it could have started with a Russian Prince entertaining a hundred or so of Englishmen at the betrothal of his son to a minor English Princess.

They had all been poured a cup of tea ? the Russians were almost as famous for their tea-drinking as their vodka-drinking ? when the Prince rose to propose a toast. His cup was almost at his lips when he started and began to roar at an elderly servant standing near by.

'What are you playing at, Katrina?' he howled like a bear in a trap. 'You call this tea?'

'Why are you making a spectacle of yourself, Mihal Mihailovich?' she returned unperturbed. Having known the man when he used to crawl around in his nappy, and sometimes without, she was in no way intimidated.

'Look at this tea, woman,' the cup was shaking in his hand, while his face was a volcano about to erupt. 'It's so full of tea leaves five flies could get bogged down and never be heard of again.'

'One fly, perhaps,' was the infuriating answer. 'Five never.'

'Why, why, you, you,' like a Marat Safin on the losing end of a tennis match he had to let loose with something, and his tea cup being closest at hand he hurled it against the fireplace.

The Englishmen who hadn't understood a word of this interchange, looked at each other in bewilderment and decided when in Rome. Dozens of the finest pieces of china which had managed to survive the Napoleonic wars, went flying at the fireplace. The room looked as if a bomb had gone off. And needless to say, the English Princess and her Russian Prince never did tie the knot.

Since that time men have taken the opportunity of their upcoming nuptial to smash their toasting glasses against any available fireplace.

Some would have you believe that this strange custom was started by a highly romantic Frenchman. However, while a Frenchman makes a romantic lover, he could never be accused of lacking common sense. Tossing glasses at a fireplace could never be attributed to anything but a temporary loss of sanity ? or temper.

Vlady is an Australian Civil Marriage Celebrant. She is also an author of "Complete Book of Australian Weddings" and "The Small Organisation Handbook". She is a member of Australian Civil Marriage Celebrants of Queensland and Celebrants Training Association. She is also a member of Australian Authors and Romance Writers of Australia association.

You can visit Vlady at her website http://www.vlady-celebrant.com

after renovation cleaning Northbrook ..

In The News:

A 2025 data breach at fintech company 700Credit exposes personal information of more than 5.8 million people through compromised third-party integration partner.

Retailers lose $76.5 billion annually to return fraud as nearly 10% of U.S. retail returns involve fraudulent activity, with $850 billion in returns expected in 2025.

ShinyHunters claims responsibility for stealing 94GB of Pornhub user data affecting over 200 million records and demands Bitcoin ransom.

ChatGPT 2025 now connects to Apple Music, Canva, Expedia, TripAdvisor and OpenTable through built-in apps that help users create playlists, design graphics and more.

Apple releases emergency patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited in attacks. iPhone and iPad users urged to update immediately.

DoorDash launches Zesty, an AI-powered social app that recommends restaurants through conversational search, now testing in San Francisco and New York.

Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Like Sand Through an Hour Glass

Marriage & Wedding