tied the knot

[bluemistral]

where does this come from

[Quizmonster]

'The knot' has meant the bond of marriage for many hundreds of years, so 'to tie the knot' has meant 'get married' for a long, long time.

[Famous5]

During the marriage service the vicar gets bride and groom to hold hands. He then wraps a stole (sort of scarf which he wears round his neck) around both hands making a loose sort of knot ...so I assume that's where the saying comes from

[chiron]

famous 5 got it prettty much right, it comes from an old Celtic ritual, 2 people tied together, symbolised in the tied og the knot

[Quizmonster]

It's not specifically Celtic in origin. The 'bond of marriage' - as I called it in my earlier response - is in Latin 'nodus Herculeus' and part of the Roman marriage ceremony involved the bridegroom in loosening the bride's girdle, not tying it.  In other words, they untied the knot, a much more obviously sexual thing to do! 

Apparently, at a Hindu marriage ceremony the bridegroom hangs a ribbon on the bride's neck and ties it in a knot. The Parsees of India bind the hands of the bridegroom with a cord folded seven times. Even the ancient Carthaginians tied the couple's thumbs with leather.

The earliest use of the idea of 'knot' to mean 'marriage' in English dates back to the early 13th century. The actual three-word phrase, 'tie the knot', is much more recent, though the concept is ancient and widespread across the world.