Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Why Cakes in NOLA Have Ribbons

There's a tradition in New Orleans weddings that make our cakes look a little odd. Silver charms, attached to a piece of ribbon, are placed under the bottom layer of the cake so the end of the ribbon is visible. It's a tradition that seems to be unique to New Orleans, brought over from France and adopted by the Creoles.
Here's a beautiful set of cake pulls from Mignon Faget.

Before the cake is cut by the bride & groom, the bride chooses a number of single ladies, and each chooses a piece of ribbon which they pull out from beneath the cake. Each charm has a meaning. Here are the meanings of some typical wedding cake pulls:
WEDDING RING.....Next To Marry
HEART.....Love Will Come
FLEUR-DE-LIS.....Love Will Flower
RED BEAN.....Luck
ANCHOR.....Hope
CLOVER.....Good Luck
WISHBONE.....Good Luck
HORSE SHOE.....Good Luck
DIME.....Riches
PENNY.....Poverty
BUTTON.....Old Maid
THIMBLE.....Old Maid

What local traditions will you incorporate into your wedding celebration?

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