The nuptial veil, which is also referred to as the care cloth, is an ancient wedding tradition where a cloth is held over the heads of the bride and groom during the Nuptial Blessing. It is a rectangular linen or silk sheet smaller than a Chuppah, typically features a red pattern or a red cord, and is white in color. St. Isidore of Seville explained that the white represents the purity of Christian and marital love, while the red signifies the continuation of the family bloodline. Palsgrave refers to the fabric as "carde clothe" and implies it was no longer used in 1530. Use Traditionally, the Care cloth had two distinct uses during the solemn nuptial blessing of the mass. Firstly, it would be draped over the shoulders of the groom and over the head and shoulders of the bride as they knelt for blessing. This use symbolized the yoke of marriage, which binds the couple together. Alternatively, the Care cloth may be suspended over the kneeling couple by the best man and maid of honor, or by two designated sponsors each holding a side. This use serves as a reminder to the couple to maintain decorum and privacy, as it partially conceals them from view. During formal periods, this practice had an additional function. If a couple had a child born out of wedlock, placing the child under the care cloth with the parents would confer legitimacy upon the child. History The mention of Care cloth can be found in John Brand's work "Observations on the Popular Antiquities of Great Britain," which chiefly illustrates the origin of vulgar and provincial customs, ceremonies, and superstitions. Thomas Blount, in his Glossographia (1681), says that "according to the usage of the Church of Sarum," when there was a marriage before Mass, the couple would kneel together with a fine linen cloth laid over their heads during the Mass. They would remain under the cloth until they received the benediction, and then they would be dismissed, as John wrote. Velatio nuptialis In the era of the Church Fathers, the velatio nuptialis served as a validation of the Sacrament of Marriage by the Church, further confirming its significance. Pope Siricius, during the latter part of the fourth century, drew attention to the significance of the velatio, also known as the canopy veil or huppa. This concept was later referenced in the Veronense Sacramentary, which