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The Greek Wedding
Not always Big and Fat
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We all heard of the Big fat Greek Wedding, the term made popular by the film (released in 2002). Stereotypically one of the most enjoyable weddings to attend- the Greek people enjoy life, love and laughter. Thus it comes as no surprise their weddings are family-centric with plenty of food, drink and tradition.
The Greeks in tandem with their tradition and heritage can trace their customs, culture back to an ancient time and mythology dating back to circa 1600 BC. Deemed as one of the oldest civilizations in the western world the Greek culture has served as the impetus for forming and developing the rituals of marriage for Western European cultures.
Myths and marriage
Greek mythology conjures images of romance and love. "Hera" the Goddess of Marriage, the wife of Zeus, remains an enduring symbol defining the divine role of "everywoman" in a human marriage. The earliest known record of a Greek marriage was performed under the guidance of "Cecrops" one of the early Kings responsible for establishing a Greek poli vision of monogamous marriage. Transported to another era when great philosophers Aristotle and Socrates held court, when tragic literature, and ancient comedies were formulated. A time where marriage represented a form of convenience and standing in society rather than a labour of love. Thus, the concept of love had not been introduced until much later as part of the courtship in marriage. Today, many of the early customs continue as they were once originally envisioned and some have been altered to keep pace with the rapid changes in society consequently adjusting the corresponding rituals to meet the needs, expectations and constraints of young Greek couples and their families.
What to expect at a greek wedding.
Despite a concentrated effort to keep tradition alive, the Greek wedding has undergone it's own metamorphosis especially in places like Athens and for people living on the islands. Chances are some of the traditional rituals associated with the Greek wedding are practiced more rigorously by Greeks in other countries as opposed to those residing in Greece. In Athens, it has been observed young marriageable couples are shying away from participating in all customs. Chances are the previous generations formalised their nuptials with rolling a baby on the marital bed to encourage fertility or throwing money onto the marital bed. Another popular ritual, the pinning of money onto the bride (and sometimes also the groom) at the wedding reception is not as common as it used to be, but remains a popular custom of Greek migrants in other countries.
If you're invited to a Greek wedding chances are you're either at Santorini, Mykonos and Rhodes, all islands which are also popular destinations today in addition to the customary church. Today Greeks are heading to the islands or the mountains.
The engagement
An engagement is considered with the same degree of solemnity as the marriage itself in the Greek culture. Once engaged, couples enact the customs of times past which symbolises the re-enactment of the old with the new, and the nexus of tradition and the future union.
In olden times, the parents of the groom would find a suitable girl for their son. Once decided a go-between is sent to the house, where she finds the parents of the girl and persuades them to accept the arrangement. Once the girl's parents accept the groom the dowry is then bartered.
The following day the dowry is amassed with the help of the extended family. The next day the wedding enactment takes place in the village church then moving on to the main square, where the festivities last throughout the rest of the day and night. The village comes to life and there is plenty of food and wine for all.
Auspicous dates
There are certain days of the year when Greek weddings are forbidden. These are the first fifteen days of August, (this period is dedicated to celebrating the Virgin Mary) and also the forty days prior to Easter and the forty days prior to Christmas. These dates are considered to be inappropriate. The Greek community also feel that marrying within a leap year is unlucky. Greek weddings almost always take place on a Sunday.
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