The fourth type of wedding I would like to talk about is a traditional Greek wedding.The majority of Greek follow the Greek Orthodox Church, so they get married in Faith. Based on their religion, they engaged couple are required to go to religious counseling a few times to make sure they are ready for marriage. Picking the right date for a Greek wedding is a very important step. They do so by looking at the calendar and base it off the family's faith.
One of the first traditions being Krevati. This is the practice of "making the bed". Before the wedding, friends and family will help the new couple set their new marital bed. They will throw money (for prosperity) and rice (for putting down roots) on the bed. Afterwards, to promote fertility, young children are placed on the bed.
Unlike an American wedding where the Groom waits for his bride at the altar, the Greek Groom awaits for the Bride and her entire family in front of the church. When the Bride arrives, it is custom for her parents to "give" her to the Groom. Then the couple walks down the aisle to the altar together.
During the ceremony, the “koumbaro” (best man) puts the wedding ring on the couple and crown them. These crowns are called stefana, and they signifies that they shall rule over their household together. The candles are burned and the couple drink out of a wine glass together. This symbolizes the couple sharing a cup of life. To end the ceremony, the priest will remove the crowns and bless the couple. No vows are exchanged between the husband and wife.
The above description is an overview of common practices in Greece for a Greek wedding. There are of course different variations at every wedding.
Please feel free to ask questions or comment on my post!
Thank you,
Khanh
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