, or (English: arrhae, wedding tokens, or unity coins''Hispanic Wedding Traditions''
, worldlyweddings.com) are

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

paraphernalia Paraphernalia most commonly refers to a group of apparatus, equipment, or furnishing used for a particular activity. For example, an avid sports fan may cover their walls with football and/or basketball paraphernalia. Historical legal term In l ...

used in Christian wedding ceremonies in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

n countries, and the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. The tradition is also followed, with varying names and customs, in other countries and communities bearing degrees of Hispanic influence.''Weddings in the Philippines''
seiyaku.com Traditionally, in Spain and Latin America, it is made up of thirteen

gold coin A gold coin is a coin that is made mostly or entirely of gold. Most gold coins minted since 1800 are 90–92% gold (22karat), while most of today's gold bullion coins are pure gold, such as the Britannia, Canadian Maple Leaf, and American Buf ...

s''Hispanic Wedding Traditions''
weddingarras.com presented in an ornate box or chest; in the Philippines, it is in an ornate basket or pouch. After being blessed by a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

, they are given or presented by the groom to the

bride A bride is a woman who is about to be married or who is newlywed. When marrying, the bride's future spouse, (if male) is usually referred to as the '' bridegroom'' or just ''groom''. In Western culture, a bride may be attended by a maid, bri ...

Origins and representation

The word ''arras'' is

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

, meaning "

earnest money An earnest payment or earnest money is a specific form of security deposit made in some major transactions such as real estate dealings or required by some official procurement processes to demonstrate that the applicant is serious and willing to ...

" (arrhae, plural of '), "

bride price Bride price, bride-dowry ( Mahr in Islam), bride-wealth, or bride token, is money, property, or other form of wealth paid by a groom or his family to the woman or the family of the woman he will be married to or is just about to marry. Bride dow ...

", or "

bride wealth Bride price, bride-dowry (Mahr in Islam), bride-wealth, or bride token, is money, property, or other form of wealth paid by a groom or his family to the woman or the family of the woman he will be married to or is just about to marry. Bride dow ...

". The custom of using coins in weddings can be traced to a number of places, including

and

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. The book ''An Introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies'' claims that origin of ''arras'' was from gold rings or coins in Visigothic law, whereas the ''Sex and Society'' claims the practice emerged from

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages * Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany * East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...

marriage ceremonies. The ancient Roman custom includes the act of breaking gold or silver equally into two pieces. This signifies the promise to marry by two individuals. The

tradition of Mozarabic origin does not include treating the set of coins as a representation of the bridal

dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment ...

or a way of hastening prosperity. As to the number, the thirteen coins placed inside the decorated boxes, pouches, or trays represent the twelve months of the year and the poor (the thirteenth). Perhaps trying to make sense of it all, Reynolds & Witte wrote that the Franks during their weddings gave 13 pennies while the Spanish gave coins or some sort of marriage gift. These two practices then merged in the 11th century. The thirteen coins today have the alternative meaning of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

and the

twelve apostles In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...

. The exchange of the coins represents the groom's promise to provide for his family and the bride's trust in his ability to do so. In Filipino and Hispanic weddings, an "arrhae-bearer" or "coin-bearer” is included as a second page in the entourage, in addition to the ring bearer. Unlike the ring bearer, however, he carries the actual arrhae in its case on a cushion. This optional Hispanic rite and its Spanish text was approved by the

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (US ...

in 2010. In September 2016, an English language version was approved and placed in the English Order of Celebrating Matrimony, along with the wedding cord.

Other usage

Depending on the culture in which this tradition is followed, the tradition of may be used on different occasions, although it is rare in most Hispanic countries. They may be used for quinceañeras,

debutante ball A debutante ball, sometimes called a coming-out party, is a formal ball that includes presenting debutantes during the season, usually during the spring or summer. Debutante balls may require prior instruction in social etiquette and appropriate ...

s for young ladies, and at bat mitzvahs.''Wedding Unity Coins/Arras Coins/Arras Wedding Unity Coins''
weddingunitycoins.com In 1833 Balzac wrote ''(

Eugénie Grandet ''Eugénie Grandet'' is a novel first published in 1833 by French author Honoré de Balzac. While he was writing it he conceived his ambitious project, ''La Comédie humaine'', and almost immediately prepared a second edition, revising the names ...

)'':

The “marriage dozen” is an old custom sacredly preserved and still in force in many parts of central France. In Berry and in Anjou, when a young girl marries, her family, or that of the husband, must give her a purse, in which they place, according to their means, twelve pieces, or twelve dozen pieces, or twelve hundred pieces of gold. The poorest shepherd-girl never marries without her dozen, be it only a dozen coppers. They still tell in Issoudun of a certain “dozen” presented to a rich heiress, which contained a hundred and forty-four ''portugaises d’or''. Pope Clement VII., uncle of Catherine de’ Medici, gave her when he married her to Henri II. a dozen antique gold medals of priceless value.

Other definitions

In legal terminology, an is a civil law

contract A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tr ...

. Legally, it could also mean

money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are as ...

or items with value given by a buyer to a vendor. The purpose of giving such a payment is to provide an evidence of "contract earnest". It is usually part of a pre-contract.

References

Bibliography

* - Total pages: 1521 * * - Total pages: 519 * - Total pages: 916 {{DEFAULTSORT:Arras Wedding objects Token coins Arras, Las Spanish culture Mexican culture Marriage in the Catholic Church Marriage in Spain