But Marash Boy's grandmother, an Armenian born in Marash, having escaped the death march and the genocide, said something different in Springfield, Massachusetts. Whenever a glass or dish fell and broke, she cheered and would say, "Iyi gitdi" which translates into English, It's good that it's gone -- or more elaborately, "It's good that it's gone; let it take all the evil with it!"
Is that why a glass is broken at the end of a Jewish marriage ceremony?
Is that why Marash Boy's sister reports the following?
"As I recall (hopefully accurately) when a newly married couple returned from their honeymoon, as they entered the house where family members were gathered, a dinner plate and/or other china was dropped in front of them with force enough to break on the floor. This was done to bring them good life and fortune together."
According to a friend who grew up in Armenia, the same action is taken in Armenia when a newly married couple enters their new home for the first time, but in Armenia, the dish is wrapped in cloth so that when it breaks, the pieces are not scattered all over the floor for someone (the new bride?) to clean up!
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