Petition · past parliament · Ministry of Justice
Recognise Pagan handfasting as a legal form of marriage in England and Wales
Closed
143 signatures
What the petition asks
Handfasting has been an ancient form of marriage since before Christianity reached the country. Where it is legal to be handfasted, it is not recognised in England and Wales as a legal form of marriage, such as Christian ceremonies are.
According to the 2021 census, there were almost 53,000 pagans in the UK. This may not seem a lot, but even a small amount deserves the chance to wed in a ceremony appropriate to their beliefs and religion. England and Wales deserve the chance to wed in a Pagan religious ceremony.
Timeline
| 8 Mar 2023 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 8 Sep 2023 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
143
Status
Closed
Department
Ministry of Justice
Opened
8 Mar 2023
Closed
8 Sep 2023
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.