TRADITIONAL WEDDING |
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THE PROPOSAL |
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Love or match-making? It doesn't matter. For the story to move along the parents must give their consent. If the prospective son-in-law wants to express his interest for the young lady to the parents of the prospective bride, he either goes in person to her house to ask her in marriage or sends a match-maker. The match -makers are usually the groom's close relatives (parents, grandfather, grandmother,uncles) so that the secrecy of this venture can be preserved. When the match is arranged ,the steps of the prospective bride's parents are led to the house of the prospective groom's parents ,from which they will formally ask him in marriage. The bride's mother takes a crystal vessel called "mastrapas" |
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filled with cherry dessert as a gift. The red colour of the cherries symbolizes happiness.At this meeting they decide when they will disclone the match and they define a day, of a celebration or marriage , when the couple will go for a walk to receive congratulations ,also called "geies". The custom dictates that they also exchange "imprints", the credentials of the agreement .The prospective groom offers the gold ring he used to wear as a disengaged man as a gift , while the bride's father gives one of his own rings to his future son-in-law. |
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BASMATA (THE LETTING IN) |
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This is the official engagement and they call it so because it implies the letting in of the groom to the bride's house.The bride, her family and the close relatives go to the groom's house with gifts and sweets. The father precedes holding a big platter of "baklavas" (a traditional greek dessert), then the bride follows dressed in the traditional outfit holding the "mastrapas" and then comes the mother holding a big basket full of gifts. A child follows holding a silver platter on which there is a pillow with white embroidery. The groom and his father greet them at the yard, while the groom's mother is standing to greet them at the doorstep. Inside the house ,after the groom's father places the engagement rings on the new couple's fingers , all the relatives from both families present the engaged couple with items of golden jewellery. After the engagement is over, all the guests are given bonbonnieres ("flies") tied with a red band. A little later, follows the reserve course from the house of the groom to the house of the bride. This time, it is the groom's mother who offers a basket of presents to the bride and her relatives. There the guests are given the treat and a traditional bonbonniere , this time tied with a pink band. The name of the traditional bonbonniere "flia" derives from the greek verb "filevo" which means treat. The cloth and band which are used for the " lacing " of the "flia" are also found on the traditional dress itself, the cloth fitted behind the belt and the band adjusted on the Trikeri woman's hair ,at the end of the plait.That's why the bonbonniere is so congruent with the traditional outfit.
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THE WAX CANDLE |
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On the night of the Ressurection the engaged ladies of the village go to th Holy Trinity church wearing their traditional outfit .It's the day when they will hold the Ressurection wax candle that their mother-in-law bought for them. According to the custom ,the wax candle must be big ,just like the wedding's wax candles, cled in cloth and decorated with flowers. Needless to say, the competition is fierce. Which of the engaged ladies will steal the show by holding the most impressive wax candle? The next day ,on Easter Sunday ,after the feast and during the Second Ressurection ceremony, the ladies hold the wax candle for a second time at the church of St Nicolas ,at the central square of the village. |
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PROZYMIA (DOUGH) |
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The custom called prozymia revises during the week of the wedding. Its aim is for the dough to be kneaded and to knaed the bread for the wedding at the bride's house. The joint participation of the two families in the kneading process symbolizes the new union. The groom provides the flour and utensils ,while the dough is provided by the bride's mother. On his way to the bride's house ,the groom makes a deviation so as to pick up the best man. |
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PLEKSOUDIA (PLAITS) |
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The morning of the wedding day is marked by constant movements. The "serving-man" (called "bratimos") of the wedding together with the male relatives of the bride and groom take the traditional orchestra ,and setting off from the square of the village go to the groom's house. Dancing and treats follows. Then, these same people head for the best man's house, where once again they dance and receives treats. Accompanied by the best man andhis guests theyall together return to thegroom's |
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house, where sweets and drinks are offered. From the groom's house ,with gifts in their hands ,they all together go to the bride's house for the "pleksoudia", the iconic hair-do of the bride by the "bratimos" and the sprinkle with money of the display of the bride's trousseau.The "pleksoudia" takes place with the escort of music perdormed by folk organgrinders , who also perform the wedding songs. Especially during the process of the hair-do ,they sing the song "Let your hair waving loosely" As long as bratimos "combs" the bride's hair , the guests throw rice, sugared almonds and moneyinto a towel that the bride holds open in her bosom. After they get treated in the bride's house ,and after they dance and are given a bonbonniere , they return to the groom's house to be given another bonbonniere,too. |
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THE WEDDIND CEREMONY |
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When the "pleksoudia" is finished, the Wedding Ceremony takes place in the efternoon of the same day. According to the custom ,a predetermined process must be followed here, too. The musicians accompany the dressing of the groom ,while the relatives redew him with sugared almonds and money. When the groom is ready , together with his guests ,he drops by and picks the best man and they all together head for the bride's home. During this process , the groom's mother walks behind him and redews him pieces of raw cotton. At the bride's house , the bride herself offers the male relatives small blossoms for their lapels and then they all together head for the church , accompanied by the musicians. The father and the brother hold the bride and groom to be ,by the hand. Now it is the turn of the bride's mother to redew her daughter with cotton throughout the whole route. When they arrive in front of the church , the father gives the bride away to the groom. After the wedding Ceremony is over, the newly-weds with the relatives and the organ -grinders return to the bride's house ,where they hang the wedding wreaths over their bed. Follows up, dance at the square, until the early hours. There are two parts in the dance. The aim of the first dance is for the bride to "dance" all the relatives. This is archieved with the continuous movement of the bride among the relatives , in accordance with the kinship hierarchy. Firstly ,she honours her new relatives and then her own , first the men and then the women. Then again ,the men "open" the dance and other women gradually join in. It finishes when the bride gets hold of the groom's hand. The purpose of the second dance is for the relatives to "dance" the bride. This time the bride holds the cloth at the "cape" of the dance and all the relatives are caught at her hand to "pull" the dance. Each time a person gets at the "cape" , which means that he is set bell -wether of the dance , everyone honours them by redewing them ,that is by giving money away to the organ-grinders. |
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THE LAURELS |
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On the eve of the Laurels' Day the newly-wed ladies go to the church ,dressed in their traditional outfit. Each one offers a bundle of laurels ,which she sends with a child, while she follows holding a big sheaf of laurels . The laurels are left in the church all night and the folllowing day ,on Laurel's Day ,after the Mass ,each one takes the sheaf of laurels at her house, while the laurels they had offered at the church in the form of a bundle are distributed to the people in bunches. The sheaf is kept in the attic of the house. |
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copyright 2006 Interart Adv
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