Historical Handfasting
Historical Handfasting The term Handfasting from the old Norse Hǻnd festa and the Anglo Saxon word handfaestung both meaning ‘to strike a bargain by joining hands’. This is likely the source of the action of clasping arms and later to shake hands. Historically, a handfasting ceremony bound two people together for a year and a day, as a promise marry. They did this by simply holding hands in front of witnesses and making a verbal promise . As time went on and, a ceremony was created with the act of binding or making Fast the hands of t...