Finding the true love of your life is a genuine miracle. Nothing compares to the bond between soul mates, and the perfect Celtic engagement ring can help you express your love when you propose marriage. Celtic engagement and wedding rings are handcrafted to symbolize the lifelong bond of marital commitment with elegant design elements like the Trinity Knot. Once you’ve chosen the perfect Celtic ring, you can begin planning the perfect proposal.

Keep It Personal
Celtic engagement and wedding rings are unique pieces that speak volumes about love, passion and friendship. The perfect proposal begins with planning an event that is highly personal. Consider what places, foods and activities mean the most to your soon-to-be spouse. Do you have a restaurant that is special to the both of you? Is there a park where you had your first kiss? Has she always dreamed of visiting a foreign country?

Of course, the location you choose will obviously depend on your budget. And making your proposal personal is all about finding a place that is sentimental more than breathtaking. And if you can get both in one spot—all the better! Be sure to have her favorite food on hand, a glass of champagne and a sweet few sentences prepared detailing how much she means to you.

Make It Memorable
Now that you’ve planned the location, food and what you’re going to say, when will you pop the question? An anniversary is an obvious (and timeless) choice, but you can also opt for a holiday. Christmas is a special day in the Celtic tradition that has nostalgic as well as religious significance. If a big holiday isn’t ideal, a New Year’s proposal may be an excellent option as well. No matter which day you choose, though, the main goal is to create a unique experience on a day she will never forget.

You’ve got the ring, the place, the food, the champagne, the date and the words. With your stunning Celtic engagement ring, you’re bound to make a lasting impression that will bring tears to her eyes and happiness to her heart. Happy proposing!

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Starting Off the New Year Right!
Many people choose to present Celtic engagement rings at a time that has traditional meaning for the Celts. Samhain, which essentially means “summer’s end” and marks the beginning of the new year for the Celts, is a great time to get engaged with Celtic jewelry.

Samhain is tied up in the modern holiday Halloween, but it is really so much more than that. Celtic tradition says that during Samhain (which actually was celebrated over a period of several days), the barrier between our world and the spirit world became thin, and as a result the dead could cross back over for a short time as spirits or ghosts. Dressing up in costumes was a way of impersonating the dead, and was supposed to help keep the spirits happy.

Samhain was also a practical tradition. Since the holiday marked the division between fall and winter, it was also when the people started getting ready for the hard winter ahead of them. This was the final harvest, when the last of the food was brought in and the people were able to take stock of what they had to get them through the winter. This was also when they slaughtered livestock for the winter, since feeding the animals would be more difficult from here on out, and the cold weather meant that the meat would keep.

The more romantic traditions surrounding Samhain include divination. Apples and nuts, both of which were harvested during this time, were used to tell the future. Examples of things the people might want to know included what would happen in the coming year, who they might marry, and how many kids they would have. Bobbing for apples, which is now a common Halloween party game, referred to myths explaining how the dead became immortal.

Despite the similarities to modern-day Halloween celebrations, Samhain was much more than just an old-fashioned Halloween. This tradition marked the division between the dark half of the year (winter and early spring), and the light half of the year (summer and fall). It also celebrated the end of an old year, and the beginning of a new one.

If you have been shopping for Celtic engagement rings and plan to use Celtic jewelry to celebrate your union with your loved one, what better time to do so than with the start of the new year? In a way, this symbolizes a new life for the both of you. Or you could work it into a mock-divination ritual where you determine that your name is the name of your significant other’s future spouse — and produce the ring as proof.

However you celebrate Samhain, we hope you have a blessed start to the new year!

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A Celebration of Arthurian Tradition

If you and your loved one are considering getting married in a Celtic-themed ceremony — for instance, exchanging Celtic wedding rings or claddagh wedding rings — Christmastime is a good time for this. Many of the roots of Christmas as we now know it stem from Alban Arthuan, the Celtic equivalent of Christmas.

Alban Arthuan is celebrated on the winter solstice, December 21. Translated into English, the name means “The Light of Arthur.” The holiday is also called Yule, and many of the traditions were adopted by Christianity. In fact, you would be surprised how many of the Christian traditions you are familiar with actually have Celtic roots! But we’ll talk about that more in a future post.

The name Alban Arthuan, or “The Light of Arthur,” is assumed by many to refer to King Arthur. Legend had it that King Arthur was born on the winter solstice, much like Christian tradition celebrates Jesus’ birthday on December 25. Although the name may refer to one of the purposes of the holiday — celebrating the rebirth of the sun, and the coming of longer days — legend also had it that the great King Arthur was sleeping in a mountain. Someday when his people needed him again, he would awaken and return to save them.

Arthurian legend has gone through many changes over the years. The earliest accounts in literature hailed him as a great warrior rather than a king, while later writings established many of the legends of King Arthur that are still well known today. All of these legends of Arthur establish him as a hero in the fight against the 6th century Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain.

The legends of King Arthur may also have stemmed from earlier myths about a god named Artaius, found in the early mythology of the Celtic country, Gaul. Many of the other names in Arthurian legend can be found in Gaulic mythology, as well: Gwenhwyvar (Guinevere), Myrddin (Merlin), and Medrawt (Mordred), just to name a few. Some scholars theorize that the god Artaius evolved into a legendary warrior and king, who was credited with doing great things in battle and as a ruler. In fact, his feats may have been real, just performed by many different people instead of just one man. The Celts needed a savior, and they found one in Arthur.

Regardless of how the Arthur legends came about, one thing is for sure: The Christmas season is rich with Celtic heritage, and therefore a meaningful time for lovers to exchange Celtic wedding rings.

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