Share Your Greek Wedding Story!

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Sia Aristidou

Are you a bride to be or a nifi in training?

Do you remember your own Big Fat Greek Wedding?

Did you get married in Greece?

If you answered YES to any of these questions then we would love to hear from you!

We are looking for brides, grooms and koumbari who are willing to share their wedding story with us here on the Greek Weddings and Traditions blog.

Send an email to sia@greekweddingtraditions.com to express your interest.

Tell Us:

Which Greek Wedding Traditions Did You Celebrate?

Steeling the Dowry ~ An Old Greek Wedding Tradition

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Greek Weddings and Traditions

"Her Future Dowry" An oil on canvas painting by Antoine Jean Bail

Her Future Dowry, s.d. ~ An oil on canvas painting by Antoine Jean Bail (French painter) 1830 – 1918 ~ Image source Christa Zaatt’s Facebook Page.

The dowry is traditionally a gift given by the brides family to the groom when they are married. The tradition of the dowry gift is different across cultures and countries. Here is a story that my friend John told me about the Greek, old tradition of Steeling the Dowry.

“In some villages of Rethymno, on the Greek Island of Crete, there is an old tradition:

The groom to be, the night before the wedding, “breaks into” the bride’s home (her parent’s house). Tradition says that the groom takes whatever he likes, from furniture, appliances, to cutlery and carpets in order to fill the couple’s new home. Obviously it is an inside job and the parents are well aware! 😉

A very old tradition that tends to disappear as time passes…“

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What would you “steel” from your parent’s house?
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Ioanna Aggelidaki is the Social Media Manager and Contributor of the Greek Weddings and Traditions Blog.
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Flipping of the Baby at the Krevati Ceremony

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Sia Aristidou

Pictures taken from http://lisvorion.blogspot.gr/

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In This Picture:

The marital mattress or krevati in Greek, is decorated for the wedding and money is thrown on it by the relatives of the new couple as a gift for their new beginning and common life. The bed making ceremony is usually done a couple of days before the wedding and the highlight of the day is the flipping of the baby. A baby is placed on the wedding bed as a symbol of fertility and blessing, a girl if the couple wants their first baby to be a girl, or a baby boy otherwise.

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Would you have a baby girl or a boy at your krevati ceremony?
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The Red Scarf Blessing ~ A Cypriot Tradition

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Sia Aristidou

The Red scarf blessing or Zosimo (ζώσιμο), as it is called in Greek, is a ritual performed at the bride’s home on the wedding day.

When the bride is dressed and ready, her parents, grandparents and other relatives, just before they all start their way to the church for the wedding ceremony, they will say goodbye to the bride and give her their blessing. The father of the bride will cross a red scarf three times around the bride’s waist and her head as a way to symbolize fertility and then they will use a censer to bless her and to protect her from the evil eye. During the red scarf blessing the musicians (usually with a lute and a violin) used to sing:

“Φωνάξετε τον τζιύρη της να την ισφυκτοζώσει , τζιαι την ευτζιήν του που καρκιάς σήµερα να της δώσει.”

“Call her father to tie her tight with the scarf and give her his blessing from his heart”

Then it’s the mother of the bride’s turn to give her blessing and cross the scarf around her daughter’s waist. The musicians sing the same song, but they are calling for the mother this time

“Φωνάξετε της µάνας της, νάρτει να την ιζώσει τζιαι να της δώσει την ευτζιήν τζιαί να την παραδώσει.”

“Call her mother to come and tie her, to give her her blessing and give her away”

Watch this video and catch a glimpse of the mother of the bride crossing the scarf around her daughter’s waist on 3:51

Similar preparations are done in the groom’s house where he is shaved by the koumbaros accompanied by the singing of the musicians. When the groom is ready his parents bless him by crossing the red scarf around his waist too, and then all together begin their way to the bride’s house, and after that both families unite and head to the church with lots of singing and dancing along the way.

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Did you have a scarf blessing at your wedding day?
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The Washing of the Dowry

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Sia Aristidou

This youtube clip posted by Orffeas features some great footage of old Greek Weddings. One of the Greek Wedding Traditions shown is the Washing of the Dowry.

In earlier times the bride and her friends gathered together to wash the dowry before the wedding. Back then there were no washing machines to do the job, so they washed the white dowry sheet in the local river or in wash tubs. The dowry was then hung out to dry in the middle of the street so that the whole village could see that the bride is a “proper housewife”.

Over the years, this tradition has changed and evolved. We now have washing machines and we are able to shower the bride in more elaborate and fun ways. In fact I recently hosted a Kitchen Tea/Bridal Shower for my sister-in-law. Instead of washing laundry, we played games and indulged in sweets. (More on this to come).

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Do you have any stories about the ‘Washing of the Dowry?

Please tell us in the comments!
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