Every one of us has a different pattern regarding a wedding, and you can only think how many countries have different ideas, symbols, traditions and so on…. Such a special country is Greece, with traditions from their ancestors but also new ones, adapted to the new times, our modern and full of sin times!
In the old traditions it was said that the Greek weddings took part in 4 days and 4 nights, well that`s not the case in our days, cause the wedding takes part, especially in a Sunday day, at the end of autumn, after the olives have been collected!
The wedding ceremony begins at the bride`s house when the groom and the godfather come and say only good things, and the bride must receive them and all the persons that came with them!
It is considered to give bad luck if the groom sees the bride in her dress! As a tradition, the groom is offered a piece of cake in shape of a ring, a glass of wine and a spoon! After he drinks the glass of wine he puts some coins in the glass and the together with the other objects that he receives he gives them to the best man, which is supposed to offer them in the next day to the bride! The best man also in the bride`s legs, the shoes are given by the groom!
The father gives his blessing to the girl and they all go to the church!The wedding ceremony has two parts: the engagement ceremony and the ceremony of matrimony. Before they come to the altar they are asked if they are ready to make this step!
As the couple is in front of the altar they are given some crowns, in silver or golden color, made out of branches of oranges! This gesture makes the couple look like queen and king and after they get marries they have to surround the table 3 times, which symbolizes the trinity!
After the ceremony they will go the bride`s home, where they are received with bread! Certainly, it was forgotten to be mentioned, that after the ceremony the bride and the groom kiss! After they have finished with the traditions, they will go and party, dance and smash glasses and plates in order for their bad luck to go away!
Another tradition is that when the groom puts some sugar in his glove in the wedding day, in order to have a sweet matrimony! During the ceremony the bride is obliged to wear a white veil, and during the party the veil is replaced with another thing, which means that she will be a woman from that moment!
No matter what traditions every religion and country has, they certainly are special and it is wonderful to see how many symbols surround just one wedding!