In many Spanish and Hispanic weddings, there is a moment that often goes almost unnoticed by many guests. After the exchange of rings, the groom gives the bride several coins\u2014traditionally thirteen\u2014placed in a small tray or box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The priest pronounces a blessing and speaks about prosperity, shared goods, and a common life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This gesture is called the giving of the arras<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What many people do not realize is that this is not simply a cultural tradition<\/strong>. The wedding arras have a millennia-old history, a profound theological meaning, and a spiritual richness that connects directly with the Christian vision of marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, this small rite speaks about providence, fidelity, responsibility, trust, and family mission<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Understanding it well can transform the way we see Christian marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The arras<\/strong> are coins that the husband gives to the wife during the celebration of the marriage<\/strong>, as a sign of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Traditionally there are thirteen coins<\/strong>, although the number is not strictly obligatory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the rite, the husband usually says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cReceive these arras as a pledge of God\u2019s blessing and a sign of the goods that we will share.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Then the wife responds by accepting them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This gesture expresses a profound truth: marriage is not only an emotional union, but also a communion of life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Love, work, sacrifices, finances, projects, and the future become a shared reality<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The arras did not originate in the Middle Ages nor in Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their origin is much older<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They come from a legal practice in the Roman world called \u201carra sponsalicia.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In Roman law, arras<\/strong> were a material sign confirming a pact or contract. They served as a guarantee that what had been promised would be fulfilled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Christianity began to evangelize the Roman world, many customs were purified and integrated into Christian life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is what happened with the arras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Church did not understand them as a purchase of the bride<\/strong>, but as a symbolic sign of responsibility and provision for family life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the centuries, especially in the Hispanic tradition, this gesture became incorporated into the marriage rite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spain and the territories evangelized by her spread this tradition throughout the Hispanic world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today the arras are common in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The number thirteen has received several spiritual interpretations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most common are the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Twelve coins represent the apostles and the remaining coin represents Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This reminds us that Christian marriage does not walk alone: Christ is at the center<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the Lord said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.\u201d Christian marriage is not simply a human alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is a covenant blessed by God<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another interpretation sees the twelve coins as the twelve months of the year<\/strong>, and the additional coin as an offering for the poor<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This reminds us of something essential:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Christian marriage should not live only for itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The family is called to be generous, supportive, and open to others<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At a superficial level, the arras may seem to refer simply to money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But their real meaning is far deeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In reality, they speak about the economy of Christian love<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marriage involves sharing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The arras remind us that material life is also part of the path to holiness<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Money, work, and family finances are not matters unrelated to faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They can become a path to sanctification<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the husband gives the arras, he is saying something very important:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou will not walk alone.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n He promises to work, strive, and care for the well-being of the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But at the same time, the arras remind us of something fundamental: true providence comes from God<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sacred Scripture states this clearly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSeek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.\u201d The arras are not a promise of wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They are a sign of trust that God will care for the family<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the past, it was often interpreted that the husband provided the goods and the wife administered them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today pastoral theology emphasizes something more balanced:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The arras symbolize the shared stewardship of family life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Christian marriage is a communion of persons<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For that reason, important decisions must be lived in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this way, the family becomes a small community of love and responsibility<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The arras also contain a very beautiful spiritual dimension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They are a pledge of the future<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Bible, the word \u201carras\u201d also appears with a spiritual meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Saint Paul uses this word to speak about the Holy Spirit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGod has given us the Spirit as a pledge in our hearts.\u201d The arras are an anticipation of something greater that will come<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Something similar happens in marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marital love is an anticipation of the eternal love to which God calls us<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Christian marriage is an image of the love between Christ and His Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In many modern weddings, the arras have become simple decoration<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beautiful coins are purchased, photos are taken\u2026 and little more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if we lose the deep meaning, the gesture becomes empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The arras remind us that marriage involves:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Romanticism alone is not enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marriage requires virtue, patience, and faith<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The true value of this rite appears after the wedding<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The arras are lived every day when the couple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not from selfishness, but from the pursuit of the common good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Financial transparency is a concrete form of fidelity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Working responsibly, but trusting in God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dialogue about material goods strengthens love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prosperity and poverty can both become paths to holiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The arras remind us of something the modern world has forgotten:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marriage is not only about feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is a total covenant<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It involves sharing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everything becomes common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For this reason, Christian marriage is not simply a contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is a sacrament<\/strong>, that is, a visible sign of the grace of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a society where marriage is weakening and commitment is feared, rediscovering the meaning of the arras can be very valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This small gesture teaches great truths:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The arras are a silent catechesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They speak about trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They speak about covenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They speak about fidelity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It may seem surprising, but thirteen small coins can contain a great spiritual lesson<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The arras remind us that Christian marriage is not based only on emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is based on concrete promises, shared life, and trust in God<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each coin says something:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMine is yours.\u201d And above all, it proclaims a truth that runs throughout the entire history of salvation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n True love always expresses itself in self-giving<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because in the end, Christian marriage is a reflection of the love of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A love that holds nothing back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A love that gives everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A love that, like the arras, is a promise of fidelity that seeks to last forever<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In many Spanish and Hispanic weddings, there is a moment that often goes almost unnoticed by many guests. After the exchange of rings, the groom gives the bride several coins\u2014traditionally thirteen\u2014placed in a small tray or box. The priest pronounces a blessing and speaks about prosperity, shared goods, and a common life. This gesture is …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5423,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[55,39],"tags":[1760,1761],"class_list":["post-5422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-family-and-marriage","category-morality-and-christian-life","tag-arras","tag-wedding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5422"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5422\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5424,"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5422\/revisions\/5424"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\n\n\n1. What are the wedding arras really?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\n
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\n\n\n\n2. A surprisingly ancient origin<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\n3. Why are there thirteen coins?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
1. Christ and the twelve apostles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
(Matthew 18:20)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n2. The twelve months of the year<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n4. The deep theological meaning of the arras<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\n5. A symbol of providence<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\n
(Matthew 6:33)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n6. A gesture of shared responsibility<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\n7. The arras as a prophecy of faithful love<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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(2 Corinthians 1:22)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n8. The spiritual dimension that has been forgotten today<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n\n\n9. How to live the spirit of the arras in everyday life<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
1. Shares goods with generosity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Practices mutual trust<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Lives Christian providence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Learns to manage together<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Remembers that everything is a gift from God<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n10. Christian marriage: a total covenant<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\n11. A tradition worth rediscovering<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nConclusion: thirteen coins that speak of eternity<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour life is my responsibility.\u201d
\u201cWe will walk together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n