In case you ever wondered about the origins of the phrase”tying the knot,” the answer is in the ceremony that’s working its way back into weddings all over the United States. Originally referring to the practice of “handfasting,” the ancient tradition is a call back to ancient pagan marriage rituals, where a couple was literally bound together with the help of a piece of string, though it came as just one part of a more intricate ceremony.

There’s a good reason this trend is on the rise again, however, and it has little to do with pagan religious practice. Especially for couples who have no other spiritual grounding in their ceremony, it’s one of the myriad of ways they’re putting a personal spin on the act of getting married.

Handfasting is only one kind of practice that falls under the umbrella of unity rituals. An increasing number of couples are opting to add a personalized element that more concretely binds them together.

While some have chosen to make sand jars or light candles together, many of the unity rituals can be performed in addition to the handfasting ceremony. The biggest difference is that while the others ask the couple to perform a ritual together, handfasting is the only one that physically joins them. Some choose to only have their right hands joined together, while others choose to tie both of their hands together.

The practice originated in pre-Christian Britain, at a time when it was less likely that the commoners could afford a big church wedding, which shows just how little things have changed in the ensuing years. The practice was “re-discovered” in a sense as neopaganism began to emerge in the 20th century. For many couples seeking a spiritual element without going fully religious, they find that handfasting is just the element they need.

Going out to eat at a restaurant can be a great way to spend some quality time with your family or your partner. Whether it’s a little family dinner or date night with your significant other, it’s a great way to relax and just enjoy yourself with the people you love most. This is not always the case, however — especially for these people who have nothing but embarrassing stories to share.

Can you imagine? You’re out to a nice birthday dinner with your family and significant other. The whole night is filled with laughter, stories, and love.

Even the servers partook in the birthday fun and decorated your table with tons of balloons! The whole night goes by without a hitch — that is, until you stand up to leave. Naturally, you don’t expect to be choked out by one of the balloons!

It’s refreshing to eat outside once in a while, whether that be in the comfort of your own home or at an outdoor restaurant. There’s just something special about sitting in the crisp, breezy air in the company of your loved ones.

Of course, though, if you do choose to sit outside, you have to prepare for the sun to go down. This OP’s dad didn’t and mistook a ketchup bottle for a candle. We guess it could have been worse…

There are often people that can get on your nerves when you go to a restaurant, especially individuals who think they’re above everyone else just because they’re paying for the table’s meal.

This OP’s father is incredibly rude anytime he goes to a restaurant. It’s gotten to the point that the OP himself has to constantly apologize to the waitstaff out of fear that they’ll do something to the food out of spite!

Language barriers can cause a great deal of trouble. It can be something that allows people to misinterpret what you’re trying to say and sometimes, they might even misconceive your words for an insult.

Since the waitress of the restaurant wasn’t a native English speaker, she had trouble understanding the OP’s mother. Of course, it would be fine had mom acknowledged this, but she kept on going and ignored her daughter — who was just trying to help out.

Do you know how your family sometimes gets together to celebrate a relative’s birthday, family event, or just a cousin returning from a faraway place? While most people can relate to that, what they may not relate to in their everyday life is going out for lunch to celebrate their cousin getting out of jail.

These siblings were taken to lunch by their relatives. You can just imagine how awkward that could be for two kids who are meeting their cousin fresh out of jail.

Sometimes, families tend to go a bit overboard when it comes to celebrating their child’s birthday. Take this OP’s experience, for instance.

The OP’s mother wanted to celebrate her daughter’s birthday and decided to take it a step further by getting the waiters to sing to her daughter. But, this Reddit user wasn’t into it and didn’t want the waiters to sing to her. So, her mother slapped her in the face. Because that makes sense…

You know how, sometimes, people tell you a story and they include way too much information? Perhaps it was a few embarrassing or unnecessary details. Well, for this family, it was the former.

During a family dinner out at a restaurant, this grandfather decided to tell everyone the story of his coming out, which was totally fine — until he started oversharing details and private matters that his grandkids should know nothing of!

There are people out there who live by this statement — “don’t waste food.” While this is a virtuous statement to follow, since food really should not be wasted, this man takes it to a different level.

According to this woman, her father-in-law always makes sure that he takes every last bite of food as leftovers. Once he went as far as to pick up uneaten breadsticks from people’s plates on his way out of Olive Garden. This is next level.

When you’re in another country and see things or places that represent your own culture, you’d probably want to make sure that they’re doing it right. But, this Thai mother may take that sentiment a bit too seriously.

This OP’s family is from Thailand, and they’re very careful anytime they go out to eat at a Thai restaurant. Why? Well, mama bear here has no issue walking straight into the kitchen and yelling at the chef if she’s not happy.

This family took their little kids, a three-year-old and one-year-old, to a beach in Northern California. They spent all day splashing around in the water; playing around in the sand. Then, after a fun-filled day, the family made their way to a Denny’s diner.

Of course, looking at the sunburnt little daughter, the waitress asked her if she had a fun time at the beach. The daughter, without even missing a beat, exclaimed, “Yeah! But, I got sand all in my butt!” The entire restaurant burst out laughing. Kids really do say the darndest things.

We’ve all seen people with fake teeth or dentures. It’s nothing new. However, this mother’s day lunch story was quite the funny one. During lunch, the OP’s older uncle had ordered beef, so he took his fake teeth out to eat.

Naturally, the family left after they finished their meal, but uncle forgot his fake teeth at the restaurant! When the OP’s mother went to pick the dentures up, the waiter just yelled out, “She’s here for the teeth!” Classy.

Sometimes parents just pick the worst of places to give their children “the talk.” The same goes here, as these parents thought it would be a brilliant idea to give their daughter “the talk” at a fully packed Red Robin.

They didn’t just stop there — they proceeded to take their daughter’s phone and read some very private texts between her and her then-boyfriend. It all ended with the OP hysterically crying in the fast-food restaurant… before they even had their orders taken.

This mom studied abroad in Malaysia when she used to be in university. It was really only for a few weeks, but when she returned, she made it seem like she had lived in Malaysia her whole life. She tried teaching her children some of the phrases and words she’d learned there.

She even went as far as taking her kids to Malaysian restaurants to show them the food that she ate during her time abroad. She even told the waitress “thank you” in Indonesian — only for her to respond saying that she doesn’t speak the language.

There will come a time in every child’s life that they’ll learn the truth about Santa, The Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny. Of course, some kids find out the truth all by themselves — but some have to go through this devastating experience of being told that it was their dad the whole time.

This kid’s dad and brother told him the truth while they were all having dinner in the middle of a packed restaurant. The kid just felt so betrayed that he started crying loudly right then and there.

This 14-year-old girl was eating out with her family and 17-year-old cousin who had been teaching her to punch. He told her that people with brown eyes aren’t cool — and while it was a joke — the OP and her mom both have brown eyes.

The OP’s mom told her to jokingly punch the cousin for that remark and so, she decked him right in the face. Of course, he could not do much since her dad was there, but it must have been an awkward dinner after that.

Once the kids have grown up and flown the nest, it’s important to stay in touch and make occasional plans with the family — whether that means hanging out or going to dinner with them. This family does just that.

But, the OP’s brother failed to divulge this little detail to the lady that he was on a second date with. Of course, he hadn’t warned his family either. And so, you can imagine how awkward this encounter must have been.

This couple was at a restaurant celebrating a special occasion together. The OP’s boyfriend got her a pair of knee-high boots that she had been wanting for ages. The girl was in the aisle of the restaurant, showing off her new boots.

But then, she fell, and in the process of saving herself, she grabbed the cloth from the table closest to her. She ended up pulling the whole cloth off the table, along with the food that it was holding. She also fell over a server, causing him to spill vino all over another customer.

These parents took their kids out to eat dinner to celebrate a birthday. The youngest kid refused to eat the garbanzo beans that were on his salad, but the parents were strongly against the idea of wasting food.

And so, they made the boy eat every single bite. Little did they know that he swallowed each of them whole — that is, until he projected vomited all over the OP.

During a family dinner, this girl and her sister brought along friends. They all went to a restaurant and ordered their food. When the food came in, the older sister was starting on the salad that she ordered.

However, since her stomach is really sensitive, she had to get up and run to the nearest restroom. Unfortunately, the only restroom was locked. So, the OP went back to the table only to end up throwing up all over herself, the floor, and even the table full of food.

This family was eating at a steakhouse and the OP’s dad had a little much to drink. It was to the point that he ordered all of the appetizers on the menu and then proceeded to yell at his daughter because she didn’t want steak — obviously because she filled up on the appetizers.

He also continued to force his wife to drink when she wasn’t in the mood, given the situation. He also forced the waiter to bring his children Virgin Strawberry Daquiries, which would have been a nice gesture had he not been so aggressive about it.

You have to act a bit sophisticated and well-mannered when you’re eating at a fancy restaurant. This OP was at one with their family including their grandma, their great grandparents, and their five-year-old little brother.

The little brother had just recently watched the movie Dumb & Dumber and liked a specific scene. So, the moment the waiter brought over the lava cake, the little brother began quoting — or rather, screaming — the film. The problem is, it wasn’t the most appropriate of lines to quote in public.

This person was on their annual visit to New England from South Carolina with his family. While they were still driving, the kids began getting hungry. So, they went to a sports bar next to their hotel.

Once they sat down and got their drinks, the OP’s brother blew the paper off his straw, and it landed directly in someone’s dinner at a table nearby.

To celebrate their mother’s birthday, the OP and the rest of the family went to Benihana. While there, the mother decided to have a little bit to drink. After they finished their meal, their server took a polaroid photo of the family, but due to the glare of the lights, the OP’s brother had to look down.

Suddenly, mom burst into tears, screaming that the picture had been ruined thanks to her son. She continued this until they got home. We guess that ‘it’s her party, she can cry if she wants to’?

Sibling relationships aren’t always smooth-sailing but they do make for some pretty entertaining moments at times. A sister lent her sibling her car. Instead of being grateful, the little sister was rude the whole time.

When a remark was made about her boyfriend, things went downhill with some non-family-friendly activities. They ended up getting into a fistfight, but at the end of the day, they had to sit together for dinner with their mom whilst she tried to make light of the situation.

Kids are one of the greatest sources of laughter and sometimes, their clumsiness can be adorable — especially when they feel bad about it. This OP was at a buffet with his friends enjoying a meal when a kid behind him accidentally dropped a plate of food down his back.

The child and his mother wasted no time in apologizing, but the guy wasn’t too angry about it — which he tried to reassure to the embarrassed little dude.

Ever been curious about what it would be like to have an entire crowd hate you? This guy probably does. Someone forgot to turn off the bar hose and the nozzle had fallen off.

He was busy bartending, so he wasn’t able to see what was going on to his left — that is, until someone yelled out to him. When he looked up, he realized what the commotion was all about.

The greatest love stories might not be what you expect because, in reality, it’s more of a comedy than one of your favorite dramas. A guy took his date to a French restaurant and, when leaning in to gaze into her eyes, he accidentally set the menu he was holding on fire.

It could be safe to assume that no one got hurt because this turned out to be a fond memory for both. Also, they ended up getting married. How sweet!

Being a new waitress in training can be difficult, especially when your customers are a bunch of high rollers, including local politicians. This OP was carrying a huge tray filled with bowls of food, en route to the politicians’ table, but it looks like she wasn’t being careful enough…

She ended up losing her balance, resulting in a splatter of food on the floor. Quick to think on her feet, she cracked a joke about missing the councilman. It seemed it was enough to get the whole table laughing.

This is one of those stories that make you cringe in disgust because of a restaurant’s service. In the pizza business, it’s not uncommon for the staff to pull some toppings off the pies after they’ve just come out of the oven. As gross as it may be, at least they’re discreet about it?

This waitress pulled off a meatball and ate it, then served the pizza to its designated table. She was surprised to find people staring at her but what she didn’t notice was the string of cheese connecting the pizza to her mouth.

There’s nothing more youthful than a group of friends making clowns out of themselves in a public space. While waiting for their pizza, the OP decided to goof around by pushing two straws up his nose.

He pushed a bit too hard and, as a result, blood started gushing out. His friends thought this was hysterical, meanwhile, he was busy grabbing every napkin he could find to stop the blood. He then had to make the walk to the restroom with tissues up his nose.

A father of two took his wife and daughters out for a stroll along the French quarter of New Orleans. It was here that the OP’s daughters each got themselves a balloon animal. The family then sat down at a local restaurant.

The table they sat down at was too small, though, so one of the kids dropped an entire glass bottle of ketchup on the floor. It wasn’t long before the ballon dropped onto the shards of glass. Naturally, a loud series of popping sounds followed. This had the whole restaurant laughing, including the OP.

Everyone who’s ever blown straws knows what it’s like to launch them across the room as if it’s a dangerous weapon. These kids were having fun when their dad decided to show them what a real straw shooter looks like.

He blew it so fast that the straw ricocheted off one of his kid’s friends’ shoulders and gained more speed as it hit a random lady. The lady was shocked and started shouting, half in Arabic and half in English, about how there were flies in the restaurant.

A 10-year-old spent the night out at dinner with his friend and his friend’s parents. The service at the restaurant was slow and, coincidentally, the dad was dressed the same as the waiters there.

To waste some time, the dad picked up a random white cloth and decided to act like a waiter, taking random people’s orders. This had the mom, son, and his friend laughing in no time. When he took his own family’s orders, another waiter spotted him and realized they were tired of waiting. Their meals were then promptly delivered.

To celebrate their first anniversary, a guy called up a restaurant to get a romantic table arrangement he had seen at this place before. When they were sitting at the restaurant, the overhead light was annoying them.

So, instead of asking a waiter to fix it, the guy decided to unscrew it himself. The whole thing failed and sparks fell onto the table burning a hole through the cloth. This affected the entire row of lights as they all shut off and, in the end, everyone looked over at the couple in confusion.

One of the kids was flirting with a girl the entire high school trip to Paris and things seemed to be going well. While they were sitting at the table, the guy decided to play footsies with the gal he was crushing on.

Only the leg he ended up rubbing belonged to his best friend and the dude was quick in yelling that point out. As a result, the OP jumped back in his chair and his head ended up in a plate of spaghetti.

This person was celebrating his wife’s birthday in Sydney. One of their mutual friends who had just gotten back from America somehow managed to bring pepper spray into Australia, even though it’s illegal there.

After downing a ton of drinks, he was trying to show another friend what pepper spray is like, so he sprayed out the tiniest bit. This caused the entire restaurant to start coughing — to the point that they eventually had to evacuate. Some people even had to be given oxygen from the ambulances that showed up.

As kids get older, they go through all sorts of awkward phases. This 12-year-old girl was out at a restaurant with her parents and two older brothers.

There was a bit of awkward silence at the table after the waitress had said it until the mother realized what she meant and explained that her 12-year-old was a girl.

When this person was working at a restaurant as a waiter, two women who were vacationing sat in his section. These women ordered steamed lobsters for themselves.

When it was time for the waiter to clean up the table, he managed to lose grip of one of the plates and poured a dish of greasy and smelly lobster right on one of the lady’s laps. There goes his tip!

This guy wanted to surprise his crush by taking her out to his favorite place to eat. Of course, she had no idea where they were going. He picked up his crush from her place and they were flirting the whole car ride to the restaurant.

Things were going well until they got to the restaurant and the OP’s date went all quiet. She ended up crying and revealing that this was the last restaurant she went to with her father before he passed.

This person took their four-year-old daughter out to a Chinese restaurant, and the daughter had decided that she wanted to put pepper on all of the dishes. So, this person told their daughter to try out a bit in her hand first.

Just a bit later, she tried it out and proceeded to throw up all over the plates full of food. She wanted to get another plate, but the OP took her home to make PB&Js instead.

This 13-year-old kid went out to eat with his family at an Italian restaurant. When they got there, he decided that he wanted fettuccine alfredo. Since he was just getting that, the family made him also get broccoli and grilled chicken on the side.

He was pretending to be gagging on the broccoli after he had finished his pasta and caused himself to throw up involuntarily. After that, they had to wait for the bill in the middle of a very packed restaurant.

Another gender mixup confusion happened when this couple came into a restaurant! The waiter went up to them and asked, “Would you like anything to drink, ma’am? Would you like anything to drink, sir?”

The “guy” stares at the waiter for a bit, and then in a feminine tone, orders her drink. Obviously realizing his mistake in that moment, the waiter becomes filled with embarrassment — yet continued to refer to his customer as “sir” for the remainder of the meal. Facepalm, indeed.

Prom is most certainly the highlight of any high school experience. Teens, especially girls, spend the day getting ready with their friends — everything from their hair to their makeup, and even their dress needs to be absolutely perfect.

So, you can imagine the horror that this OP must have felt when they spilled a whole cup’s worth of soy sauce all over someone right as they were about to head to prom.