The traditional answer is NO.
If you have Christened boys then you “should” only Christen boys and if you have Christened girls, then you “should” only Christen girls.
The Marion Gown from SimplyBridal.com
When I was shopping for my wedding dress, I was really worried about showing my shoulders. Often Greek brides need to cover up and wear a dress that is somewhat conservative. If a Greek bride falls in love with a strapless dress, then she will have a whole lot of explaining to do to Yiayia before walking down the aisle.
Our friends at Simply Bridal know how to solve this dilemma. Here is a guest post with a few ideas on how to Cover Up For A Greek Wedding…
The moment you put on your dream dress, you knew it was the one. You cried, laughed and spun around to your entourage who gleefully agreed. What an amazing moment! But there’s a catch: it has no sleeves and your Greek heritage requires you to cover up your arms during the ceremony! Well, have no fear… you can still walk down the aisle in the dress of your dreams by wearing a stylish cover-up. Here are a few options to inspire you:
Taffeta Shawl from SimplyBridal.com
O-M-Onassis First Lady Kennedy was renowned for her style. Iconic, beautiful and elegant, she popularized the bolero jacket. A bolero jacket has the traditional long sleeves, but is cropped either beneath the bust or at the waist. This retro look will cover you up without hiding your feminine beauty, as the hemline will highlight your slender waist and hourglass figure. Jackie Kennedy is at the top of the style stakes for choosing to wear this beauty!
Greek Easter by Pofyri.com.au
The fasting period before Easter has just begun. The Greek Orthodox Church calls this period “Σαρακοστή” (Sarakosti) – the Great 40 Days or “νηστεία” (nistia) the Great Fast. For Greek Orthodox people, this is the most important fasting season of the Church year.
For many years, I have attended Church only for special occasions. This normally includes, the midnight Easter Service, Christmas morning, Weddings, Christenings and Funerals. Now that I am married, a little bit older and a little bit wiser, my spiritual journey has become more significant in my life. As I learn and grow, I share my experiences and my learnings here with you on the blog.
This Easter, I want to learn more about our Easter traditions and how we celebrate them with our family and in the Church.
Here is what I’ve learnt so far:
I don’t live in Greece. I was born and raised in Australia. So, the Greek traditions of Carnival and Clean Monday is very new to me. I have learnt about it because I now have friends who live in Greece and who help me with this blog.
It is interesting to reflect on this tradition from my own perspective. It makes sense. In Greece everyone knows about these traditions as it is celebrated nationally. In fact, everyone gets a holiday to celebrate. However in Australia, this tradition is only celebrated by the Church and there are many Greek Australians who are completely unaware of how fasting is a significant part of our spiritual and Greek way of life.
The more I learn about Greek traditions and our Orthodox religion, the more I understand about its importance in my life.
The GOARCH website shares a great story about how and why we fast. Theo Nicolakis suggests that sometimes we fast just because that is what we are told to do. It is what our parents do or what our grandparents tell us to do. He says that “we respect certain religious traditions and observe certain practices of our faith simply because our mothers did them. This is not necessarily wrong, but it is a sure prescription for turning these traditions in to empty and meaningless customs.”
I guess that is the reason why most of my generation of young Greek Australians don’t go to Church or Fast during Great Lent. We don’t see the point in it. It doesn’t have meaning nor does it make sense in our everyday lives. In Greece, everybody follows the tradition but in Australia, we are not properly educated about why we do the things that we do.
Everybody has their own opinion about what is right and what is wrong. Some people say that your should not eat meat during Lent, others tell you not to eat dairy products. Some say that you should just give something up, like smoking. There are many guideline about what you should and should not do during Lent, but the decision must always be your own.
Theo Nikolakis tells us that “Fasting is a way of emptying ourselves from the cares and concerns of this world.” Fasting is not just about cutting out certain foods from our diet. True Fasting is about letting go of our obsessions and our materialist connection in this world. It is about your own personal journey and the things that you learn about yourself during the 40 days of Lent. It is about the mindful connection that you make with yourself, through your decisions and your actions. It is the act of true Fasting that will enable you to receive God.
Once you have decided to fast for Great Lent, you should then make a decision or a commitment to yourself about what you will do. Use this list a guide or suggestion – it is just one of those ‘should’ and ‘should not’ lists that I borrowed from this website.
First Week of Lent:
Weekdays in the Second through Sixth Weeks:
Saturdays and Sundays in the Second through Sixth Weeks:
Holy Week:
Wine and oil are permitted on several feast days if they fall on a weekday during Lent. Consult your parish calendar. On Annunciation and Palm Sunday, fish is also permitted.
If you are looking for some good recipes to cook while fasting then check out Pres Vassi’s Lentern Recipe List or The Greek Vegan and The Greek Vegetarian.
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Do you know of any fasting rules?
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Sia Aristidou is fascinated by the rituals and traditions celebrated in Greek culture. Sia writes about love, marriage, family and tradition and sells beautiful handmade wedding gifts at the Greek Wedding Shop.Learn More About Greek Weddings & Traditions
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Plan a Wedding in Greece with John Passaris – Click to visit http://www.weddingingreece.com
Many people ask me questions about how to plan a Greek wedding in Greece.
To be honest, I have only ever been to Greece for a holiday and I don’t know very much about reception venues or bands or even how to book a Church on one of the Greek Islands. The best advice I can give you, is to ask a local. Make sure you know someone who actually lives in Greece and that can speak Greek. My friend John Passaris is a destination wedding planner. He has been in the wedding industry for more than 10 years and helps couples to plan their dream weddings. I had a chat with John and asked him to share some of his expert advice about planning a wedding in Greece.
John Passaris from Wedding in Greece
Meet John Passaris From Wedding in Greece
Sia: Hi John, thanks so much for offering to share some free advice with the readers of Greek Weddings and Traditions.
John: You’re welcome. Shall we speak Greek or English. You speak Greek right?
Sia: Hahaha. I wish I could speak Greek but I am not very good. Is it ok if we speak in English?
John: Yes of course. I speak both Greek and English fluently. But Sia, you should really learn how to speak Greek!
Sia: I know, I know. I plan to learn. I will one day. So tell me John, what is it that you do exactly?
An Icon of St Anna with her daughter the Virgin Mary
Happy Name Day!
July 25th is the Orthodox Feast Day of St Anna.
Normally, on feast days I just send text messages to my family & friends who are called Anna and say “Happy Name Day” or pull on their ear when I see them. I have no idea why we pull people’s ears on their name day. I guess it’s another one of those superstitious Greek traditions that I will research and write about in a future post.
But today was a little bit different. Today, we actually went to Church to celebrate the feast day of St Anna. My husband and I went together, along with my mother in law and our thea… we went to pray for a baby.
There are lots of religious and cultural traditions for couples that want to have children. Many people pray to the Archangel Gabriel for a child, and some pray to Panagia. Some eat the apple of St Irene and others travel across the world to light candles in the Holy Monasteries in Greece.
My husband and I prayed to St Anna. We did this for personal reasons, which perhaps I might talk about when I am ready to share our story. But for now, I will just share the story of St Anna and St Joachim to celebrate this special day.
St Anna’s Icon is beautifully decorated with flowers.
Greek Weddings & Traditions 