The Salt Covenant: An alternative unity ceremony + wedding gift from Centered Ceramics
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on June 11, 2010
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During ancient times, agreements and promises were sealed by a salt covenant. Each person would take a pinch of salt from their pouch and place it in the pouch of the other. This agreement could not be broken unless an individual could retrieve their own grains of salt.
Centered Ceramics is bringing back this awesome symbolic exchange in style with their raku-fired salt eggs.
What does an egg have to do with salt? What does salt have to do with marriage and how can you possibly get one of these for free? Keep reading to get the answers to all these questions and more…
Each Centered Ceramics Raku Salt Egg comes with
- Glazed egg sat cellar
- Names of the couple and their wedding date on the bottom
- An informational card about Salt Covenants
- A spoon
- Two custom labeled salt bags made from recycled table cloths (the labels can be customized to reflect any union and/or blended family)
- An Informational card about Raku
- And a fabric gift bag made from recycled material
And every piece is totally unique — there are no two identical pieces of Raku pottery! The eggs even range in size and shape, so these make awesome wedding gifts.
So what does salt have to do with marriage, exactly?
Salt is all about adding flavor, melting ice and preserving stuff — I'm sure you can get all those analogies on your own. And when ya think about it like that, I can see why this could easily take the place of sand ceremonies and unity candles.
And after the wedding day covenant has been made, Centered Ceramics' egg can then used daily as a salt cellar that sits on the kitchen counter.
Okay, yeah, fine, that whole salt thing makes more sense now, but what does an egg have to do with salt?
Well, as Centered Ceramics put it, "The egg shape symbolizes the full cycle of life, and therefore encompasses all that you will enjoy, create, and love with in your life together." Plus it's freaking adorable and easy to hold!
So how can you get one for free?
Centered Ceramics does giveaways for your best "how we met" and "proposal stories" every two months via their Facebook page. And if you'd rather not take your chances then head over to their Etsy shop and scoop one up for yourself or for your favorite engaged couple!
Read more posts about: ceremony, commitment ceremony, eco wedding, etsy.com, gifts, salt ceremony, sand ceremony, unity candle, unity ceremony« Previous post
About Megan Finley
Megan Finley is the Managing Editor for Offbeat Bride and the Associate Publisher for the Offbeat Empire. When she's not slaving away for the Empire, she's sharing her dork side on her own blog and on Twitter @meganfinley.
Jessica_Iowa said
What a great use of raku glaze and the raku firing process. I made raku tiles in high school.
The salt covenant sounds like a great alternative to the unity candle.
Krystal Geibel said
I really like this and want to do it now – it's so symbolic and it really struck a cord with me (more than a unity candle or sand ceremony ever did TBH – They never appealled to me much.)
Andrea D said
This! I was pondering something for my ceremony but was equally blah about unity candles and sand ceremonies. I think this might be the way to go!
Elisabeth said
I third this sentiment. Also, these can be passed around and held in hands, so separate table (or extra space!) needed
Yana said
Thanks for the positive feedback. I love to hear the reactions to them. I started cultivating the idea a year ago. (I had 7 weddings to attend in 3 months.) After I started giving them as gifts, I started getting requests for them. When I found out people were going to use them in their ceremonies I was so honored.
Trish said
Just a not so random question-are salt covenants Biblical? I'm a teacher in a private Chrisitan school and I don't recall (but I'm going to definitely research it!) I love this idea. But marrying a PK, with about 10 pastors/ministers on the 50 person guest list, it could EASILY cause an uproar if it stems from a pagan ritual. (or offends the 20 others from the Jewish side of the family) Not to offend any pagans out there by my lack of knowledge either! I'm one of those black sheep born-agains who still believes God loves us all.
Yana said
Salt covenants are vaguely mentioned in the bible, but there is no scripture describing how to create a salt covenant. Most churches allow for salt covenants, but in fact it is a better known ritual in the Jewish community. During all my research while developing this I never stumbled upon any pagan references to the salt covenant. That is not to say it couldn't be used in a pagan ceremony.
Trish said
Well, I got my answer! Yes, salt covenants are in the Bible. They are in the First Testament which makes them also PERFECT for my absolutely crazy born-again Christian/converted from Judiasm-got people we love of all colors, religions, sexual orientations that we do not want to offend wedding. (PS eloping would have been so much easier!)Ordering our egg now!
Emily MB said
What a neat idea. I really love this.
Hannah said
Hey Trish,
(just fyi, as I KNOW how hard it is to plan a wedding with people saying "that's pagan, that's pagan!" (which makes my pagan friends laugh very hard
))
Using stones to mark a covenant is a very biblical concept, generally there was a pile of them that marked a place where an historic covenant was made.
Also, lights are still biblical, as are lamps.
as well as this, if you are interested, the bride wearing a veil, jewelery and white is ALSO biblical (and yes I do have specific verses for each of these)
but at the end of the day, many cultures traditions overlap, (for instance I believe the salt ceremony is also used in some parts of India) and as hard as you try, SOMETHING will slip through that people will point at and go "PAGAN!"
But I commend you for being sensitive to your family, but also going for what feels right to do, believe me, I KNOW how hard it is to walk the line!
bless,
Hannah.
KatietheClassicist said
Can I throw my history geek/ Classicist two cents in here? It's all pagan (and I say this as a practising Anglican). Christian ritual is largely derived from the pagan Greco-Roman context in which it developed. Of course, many elements of Christian practice are derived from Jewish customs, but even these are shaped by the pre-monotheistic customs of the Levant.
Frankly, if you ask me that is the really cool thing about weddings! It is a demonstration of the things that human beings across time, places, and beliefs all share in common. Or at least that is what I keep telling myself as I plan a multi-ethnic, multi-national, "Well, that is traditional if you consider blah blah blah…" wedding
Hannah said
It is MOSTLY pagan (particularly within the western church)
However there are still a few (and I say few, because many customs were influenced by Babylonian practices etc) that are completely and utterly Jewish.
Sonia said
Thank you for sharing this. I think the notion behind these Raku Salt Eggs are beautiful. I am getting married in September and have a registry on MyRegistry.com…and I am going to add these precious gifts from Centered Ceramics to my wishlist. They're lovely….
Candice said
Love this…ordered.