A light in my lamp went out, so I took it on our patio, put it in a paper sack and tried to step on it. It shot out of the open end of the bag the first time but I got it on the second try.
I broke a light bulb by stepping on it with a very satisfying POP and I took out the bulb element to examine it closely. As a Jewish wedding custom, a light bulb or glass cup is crushed by the groom's foot following a ceremonial drinking of wine. This custom is shrouded in mystery but many theories exist. The definition from wikipedia.org states: "The breaking of the glass represents the Jewish community's continuing sorrow over the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem; no celebration is totally complete without the temple." (Historically, two jewish temples were destroyed: first by the Babylonians in 587 BCE and second by the Romans in 70 CE). I prefer jen365's definition of "let this be the only thing that breaks between you."
Traditionally, it is actually supposed to be a glass cup that is crushed by the foot, but a light bulb has been substituted. Reasoning? I have no idea. Here are some guesses: It's cheaper, less likely to do real damage to the person stepping on it, and since it's pressurized it makes a nice "pop" so everyone can hear it.
1 comment:
mmm, i've always wanted to do that! and one of my lightbulbs is out in my bathroom....
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