The dowry chest - the gift that starts the home

Call me old fashioned… but I had one, and my boyfriend had one, and my daughter has one now! I thought that this fact alone is worth it to write a blog upon, isn’t it? I believe that to the most of you this custom is rather strange, if not unknown at all. So let me explain what it is:

This rite has its roots in the ancient Italy from the 15th/16th century. And the first American settlers brought this tradition with them across the Big Pond all the way to Pennsylvania.

But what is it now? When young people got married, young men had a farm or land, or a house, or similar. And the bride brought either money into the marriage, or her trousseau/endowment, which her family collected for her over the years.

Usually it held items of clothing (especially a special dress), or household linen, table linens, towels, bed linens, quilts and occasionally dishware.

Those boxes were rather fancy and heavy, meaning they were unmovable. They got artistically carved in, or painted on. Rich families used to have them. Later along the line, because the bride would leave the house and marry into another family, those chests were made movable, with drawers, or double doors (a so called SHRUNK, in German). These could be put upright and used as closets with wingdoors.

For my boyfriend/husband to be and me it was a good thing, being able to start our household with all kinds of household stuff, not having to buy so much on our own. Even though it was weird for a guy to do so, in the 80’s both of us had it. Both of us hadn’t a box to put the stuff into, but I always dreamt about owning a Hope Chest, as it is also called. It would look impressive and sit at the foot end of my bed. *sigh* Well, that never happened…

The real funny part were our double things, so we ended up with like 4 tea sets, or triple glass sets and alike. But that way broken dishes weren’t a major issue. ;-)

I always told my teenager about this dowry chest, and believe it or not, a couple of years ago SHE came up with the idea of wanting one, too. Somehow it’s a getting ready to spread her wings and wanting to leave the family hoard. For years on any occasion, she’s collecting household stuff now. Not just linens, but dishes, cutlery, an iron, a coffee maker e.g.

To her Sweet Sixteen party we finally made it possible to buy her (a not unexpensive) box to be used as her dowry chest and it’s quite full already! *lol*

For me as a parent, who’s not poor, but not really rich either, it is such a comfort that I’m not pushing her into the big, wide world with empty hands. This way I’m able to give her at least a small head start.

Are we old fashioned? Maybe, but most definitely unusual, because I don’t know any other person who had that, or has. I believe that is a good rite to pass on to our children. Plus I would be delighted if I’d give YOU an idea for gifting to your children.

And this is our dowry chest:
it's plaited out of banana leaves, very heavy, and covered with black paint inside.

Later on it even can be used as a table, if you put a glass plate on top!

2009 March - Future and faith

You want to get what you want?
Then begin to like what you got!