As our followers know, weddings can be a great way to celebrate one’s identity and culture, as well as the love between two people, and one great example of this is the wedding traditions in Greece. The Greek community takes great pride in their culture, which is amazing to see. Most of the traditions derive from Christian Orthodox religion, and are probably unknown to most, so this post will tell you a little more about them!

In Greece, when two people get engaged, the groom must ask the bride’s father for her hand in marriage and pay the dowry (or prika), which is made of household items the mother will need after her daughter leaves the home. Once the proposal has been accepted, the couple’s commitment is then acknowledged through an engagement ceremony, where both families gather at the bride’s house to meet and mingle. The family of the bride invites the family of the groom in their home. During this ceremony, a priest will bless two engagement rings for the couple to wear on their left hand, and the wedding date is set, usually for a Saturday or Sunday. Then, the ceremony becomes a celebration with food, music, and dancing.

The real festivities begin the week before the wedding day, when the houses of both families are decorated, to show others their joy at the happy occasion. There will also be music coming from their houses and family members will stop by during the week to congratulate the couple. The “Krevati”, or “bed” tradition happens the Thursday before the wedding. In order to bring fertility to the new couple, female friends and family members will go to the couple’s place and make the bed, only with white bedsheets. They will also throw rose petals, money, rice on the bed, and sometimes place a child on the bed as well, as symbols of good luck and fertility. However, in order for this luck to work, the groom has to strip the bed 3 times the night after the wedding.

The role of the best man (koumbaros) or woman (koumbara) is more significant in the Greek culture, especially on the day of the ceremony. Some couples choose both a male and female to fulfill this role (koumbari). The koumbari are responsible for handling the ring exchange, wedding crowns, favors for the guests, and candles, as well as paying for some of the wedding decorations. They also usually act as godparents to the couples first child, as they already have a spiritual and financial obligation to the couple. This is considered a very honored position in the wedding party.

On the day of the wedding, the bride and groom begin getting ready early in the day with their friends and family. According to one tradition, the bride writes the names of her unmarried friends on the sole of her wedding shoes and the name that will fade out completely is the next to get married. Once the groom’s best man shows up at the bridal suite, which is customary in Greek culture, the bride tries the wedding shoes on and, when asked, she lies and says they don’t fit her. The best man then has to place money in her shoes until it fits, which makes for a funny moment on the wedding day and is a way for the best man to wish the bride well. Similarly, the groom must be shaved by his friends, which is symbolic of saying goodbye to his single life. Once the couple is ready, the groom waits for the bride outside the church, holding a bouquet. The bride will make her way to the church with her family, and this scene is usually accompanied by music. The bride must stall while making this trip and must make the groom anxiously wait for her.

Weddings in the Greek culture are very rooted in their faith, taking place in the Orthodox church where the marriage is blessed by God and the officiant, a priest.  Throughout the ceremony, the couple holds candles, or lambathes, to signify the eternal flame of Christ and welcoming Christ into their marriage. The priest will bless the wedding wreaths, or stefana, and the wedding rings. The best man or/and maid of honor will then place the stefana on the couple’s head and the wedding rings on their fingers, both symbolizing the unending love the couple has for each other. Before the couple receives the wedding rings, the Koumbari will pass the rings back and forth between the couple three times to symbolize the bond being formed between them. The same goes for the Stefana, which symbolize the bride and groom being crowned “king” and “queen” of their castle. The couple wears these as they walk around the altar three times, which symbolizes the start of their journey together. Many people may have seen this tradition of the walk before. During the ceremony, in another moment meant to amuse the couple and the guests, the priest says “And the wife shall revere her husband” and at this moment, the bride will stomp on the grooms foot to assert her independence and reject this notion of obedience. The couple then takes three sips each from a single glass of wine, which represents the beginning of a shared life together. As the couple walks back down the aisle together at the end of the ceremony, the guests will spit, or pretend to spit, on the bride and groom, with the belief that doing so will ward off evil spirits. This may also occur as the bride walks down the aisle at the beginning of the ceremony.

Once the ceremony ends, the guests throw handfuls of rice to the couple as they exit the church, as a symbol of the beginning of a long and happy life. The “wedding favours” are also handed out here, which are traditionally Jordan almonds or dragees called “koufeta”. It is forbidden that a guest gets an even number of almonds, because an even number can be split between two people. An odd number is a symbol of the one shared life the couple has now chosen.  During the reception that follows this, the bride will lead a dance called the Kalamatiano, where the bridal party joins hands and skips in a circle. One well known Greek tradition is the smashing of plates or glasses during a celebratory occasion, which can take place at the reception in order to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to the newlyweds. The rest of the reception is complete with plenty of delicious Greek food and traditional Greek music to celebrate the happy couple!

I always enjoy learning about other cultures and traditions, and Greek traditions are truly special and showcase the identity of the Greek community. As always, thanks so much for reading our blog every week, and hope you enjoyed the read!

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