wedding traditions : Greek

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Greek Wedding Traditions

Engagement
The engagement of a Greek couple is carried out in the presence of their families where the couple exchange rings. This ceremony is considered to be as binding as the wedding itself.

Pre Wedding traditions
The weddings usually take place on a Sunday and on the Wednesday before the ceremony there is the "starting the leaven". In this a boy and girl sift flour as the relatives look on in silence. When there is enough they throw coins into the sieve and call out good luck wishes.

On the Friday (two days before the wedding ceremony) there is the "filling of the sacks" where the Bride’s mother puts a copper pan into a sack. The Bride fills other sacks with all her belongings while well-wishers throw coins into the sacks as well.

At the same time the Groom is sending wine to his friends and relatives as an invivtation to the the wedding feast, the Bride’s father does the same for her side of the family.

On Saturday the Bride goes out with her friends to invite other girls to the wedding feast, she gives out sweets rather than wine.

The Wedding Day Ceremony
On Sunday, the wedding procession starts at the Groom’s house where a special flag is raised and a flag-bearer leads the Priest, the Groom and his family through the streets to the Bride’s house. The Bride’s mother offers the Groom wine and when he has drunk it the Bride sets off for the church accompanied by a male relative and the rest of the party follow.

Greek Brides wear red or yellow veils, which symbolize fire in order to protect the Bride from evil spirits. Also the Bride carries a lump of sugar with her to ensure her life will be sweet.

At the ceremony the Bride and Groom are literally crowned by the Koumbaros is the most important man at a Greek wedding (though you can have a woman, a Koumbara): It is their task to exchange the crowns three times above the heads of the couple at the wedding. Often he is the Godfather of the Groom, but can be anyone who it is agreed should have this great honour.

When the ceremony is complete the Bride goes with the Groom back to his home where the flag is raised once more and the Bride throws a piece of old iron onto the roof as a symbol of the strength of her new road.

Wedding Food
Food is very important in Greek celebrations, and the wedding is no exception:

Koufetta is key to any wedding. These bittersweet fresh almonds symbolise that a marriage has both good and bad in it. The ones made for weddings are coated in sugar, as a promise that the couple will have more good than bad. The wedding bed is sprinkled with them then the guests are given an odd number of them from the bed (it’s an odd number to show that the couple are now one and cannot be divided). Unmarried women can put them under their pillow at night and will dream of their future husband.

Other traditions
At Greek weddings the dishes are smashed on the floor for good luck. Instead of a bouquet a Bride may throw a pomegranate. Since ancient times the pomegranate has symbolised death (the red juice) and fertility in the abundance of seeds they have.

Wedding rings are worn on the right hand and there is no "vow" as such. The Greeks see all weddings as a love match and there is no legal force because they will stay together anyway.