Pagan weddings - often called handfastings - are now recognised as legal in Ireland.According to the pagan website Pagan Magic, couples can now be legally married in Ireland after a ceremony that concludes with jumping over a broomstick to mark crossing over from an old life to a new one. In another part of the wedding rite, the couples' wrists are bound together with a rope to symbolise their union, which is where the term handfasting originates.
The Pagan Federation Ireland campaigned for five years for the change in the law, which took effect in February this year. Before this, Irish couples wanting to get married at a stone circle or other outdoor location by a druid or wiccan priest and priestess had to also have a civil service at a register office.
That is still the case in England, as far as I know, although hopefully this will change soon. If you know any more about this situation, do leave a comment below.
Pagan weddings have been legal in Scotland for some time.
Links
http://info-wars.org/2010/02/21/pagan-weddings-now-allowed-in-ireland/
http://www.co-me.net/faqs/pagan-blessing.php
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/rites/weddings.shtml
http://www.legalpaganweddings.com/page3.htm
http://www.paganweddingguide.com/legal.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article7035084.ece
http://www.pagan-magic.co.uk/shop/newsdesk_info.php/pagan-weddings-allowed-ireland-n-476?osCsid=4ac7a4580075b6bde760fae3426d6df9?ad=badwitch
http://www.freewebs.com/paganfederationireland/
2 comments:
That's interesting, England is behind the times it seems on this one.
What about gay pagan hand fastings?
A x x
Register Offices in England do civil ceremonies for gay couples, so hopefully if the law changes to allow handfastings in general, then gay handfastings should become legal.
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