In the past when the marriage proposal was a more formal procedure, the
prospective groom sent his friends or members of his family to represent his
interests to the prospective bride and her family. If they saw a blind man, a
monk or a pregnant woman during their journey it was thought that the marriage
would be doomed if they continued their journey as these sights were thought to
be bad omens.
If, however, they saw nanny goats, pigeons or wolves these were good omens which
would bring good fortune to the marriage.
During Medieval times in Brittany the man proposed by leaving a hawthorn branch
at the door of his beloved on the first of May. By leaving the branch at the
door she accepted his proposal. She made known her refusal by replacing the
hawthorn branch with a cauliflower.
