Hand Fasting

Hand fasting is an ancient Celtic ritual, especially common in Ireland, in which the hands, or more accurately, the couples’ wrists, were literally tied together. This practice gave way to the expression “tying the knot” which has come to mean getting married or engaged. You may decide to incorporate this into your ceremony.

In traditional Celtic hand fasting the ribbons that bind the couple’s wrists are made up of different colours, each with its own special meaning.

Here is a list of each colour and its meaning:

o Red: passion, strength, lust, fertility

o Orange: encouragement, attraction, kindness, plenty

o Green: finances, fertility, charity, prosperity, health

o Yellow: Charm, confidence, joy

o Blue: tranquillity, patience, devotion, sincerity

o Purple: Power, piety, sanctity, sentimentality

o Black: strength, wisdom, vision, success

o White: purity, concentration, meditation, peace

o Grey: neutrality, balance

o Pink: unity, truth, romance, happiness