Why do we use the phrase “Tying the Knot” in reference to two people getting married?

As you have seen thus far, many of our wedding traditions go back centuries, so too with the term “tying the knot”.  This term pre-dates Christianity and can be traced to the Ancient Celts.

At those times, when couple chose to get married, they pronounced their engagement before a Druid Priest who bound their hands together. This was the original engagement ring.  After going through “Handfasting” the couple was then married after a year and a day.  What is interesting is that during that year, either couple could break the engagement and walk away, free to get married again.

So, the term “tying the knot” actually comes from the ‘Handfasting”.  Once the couple’s hands were bound, at the conclusion of the ceremony, each person grabbed an end of the binding cord or cloth and removed their hands.  While doing this the cord or cloth created a knot, and hence the term “tying the knot”

What becomes more interesting is the addition of wedding rings to the ceremony. The rings become symbolic of the cords or cloth that was used by the couple for the “handfasting”.  Often, the couple’s hands were not removed until after the exchange of rings, then the withdrawal of the hands, grabbing the ends of the cords, would creating the knot.

In today’s ceremonies, depending on how they are crafted, the Hand-Fasting ceremony can replace both the Declaration of Consent and the Wedding Vows, or just the wedding vows.