The Salt Covenant
It is very common is many ceremonies to have a symbol of the unity of the couple. This is commonly a unity candle or a sand ceremony. However, a trend that is both new and thousands of years old is appearing in ceremonies - the salt covenant.
The Covenant of Salt ceremony is used in many Biblical
traditions. Salt is referred to in the Bible many times, since it was a very
important and valued commodity. The salt covenant in Bible times was a covenant of loyalty.
Salt is used because historically salt was priceless and sometimes more valuable than gold.
Men were paid for their labor in salt. We still have the word “salary”
from the Latin word for salt because Roman soldiers were paid partly in salt. This history also created the saying "...not worth his salt."
In the Bible, when a contract was made, each party would recite the details of the covenant, put a pinch of salt into the others pouch of salt, and then shake the
pouches. It was said that when each grain of salt could be sorted,
identified, and returned to the rightful owner, the contract could be broken. So, once the covenant of loyalty was spoken and made, it was bound on earth and recorded in heaven.
