Cretan weddings usually follow certain customs and, although this is changing
as young Cretans in the towns follow more modern weddings styles, some
traditions remain.
Some rituals and customs also vary from town to town and village to village
throughout Crete.
The Wedding Bed Ceremony
Known as 'To Krevati' (the bed)
A night or two before a wedding takes place a Bed Ceremony may be held at
the couple’s new home. Family and friends gather while the marital bed is
made up by young unmarried girls. The watching friends and relatives will
often jokingly pull the sheets off the bed so that the girls have to re make it
numerous times.
When the adults decide that the bed is made to their satisfaction (when the
joke is over!) the sheets are then adorned with sugared almonds and petals.
Following this a baby or young child is rolled on to the bed for luck and to
signal the couple’s future fertility, then the guests throw money on to the bed
for the couple.
The Greek Orthodox Church Wedding Ceremony
In the Orthodox church ceremony the groom arrives at the church with his best
man (koumbaros) and family and awaits his bride by the front of the church. He
holds the brides’ bouquet which he presents to her as she arrives and they
walk into the church together.
Soon after the start of the ceremony the priest blesses the rings and places
them on their right hands.
Wedding crowns (stefana) which are joined by a ribbon are placed on the Bride
and Groom by the best man, who then stands behind the couple and
interchanges the crowns three times as a witness to the sealing of the union.
The couple also both drink from a goblet of wine, the ‘Common Cup’.
The wedding ends with the Ceremonial Walk. The priest, bride, groom and
koumbaros join hands and walk round in a circle three times. These are the
couple’s first steps together as a married couple. As they start the Ceremonial
Walk the guests shower rice over them.
The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes and at the end guests file past the bride
and groom in church to congratulate them. The parents and best man stand
alongside them and often one of them will be holding a tray ‘diskos’ to collect
the guests’ wedding present, an envelope of cash ‘fakelaki’.
The Reception
The wedding reception is usually held in the evening, and immediately after the
late afternoon/ evening wedding service. There is normally live Cretan (and
Greek) music, along with a feast of local food and wine.
Custom dictates that the bride will dance for much of the evening and
traditionally the guests take turns to dance with her, starting with the groom,
then the best man and his family.
Guests numbering 1000 or more are not unusual as the extended families and
friends of both the bride and groom are usually invited as well as the best man’
s family and friends, and sometimes even all the villagers too.
The best man is the guest of honour and is just as important as the Bride &
Groom. He will also invite many of his own family and friends – this can run into
hundreds of guests from the best man alone.
The large number of wedding guests can be seen to date back to when whole
villages and communities took part in local weddings in the village church and
square, and the custom of inviting most of the village and their families remains
among farming communities.
More ‘exclusive’ weddings among young professionals tend to be held in
expensive restaurants or hotels but many of the traditions are still followed.
Others hold ‘closed’ weddings meaning that they will limit the number of guests
and invite only close relatives and friends.
Cretan Wedding Etiquette
It is customary to say na zisete (long life to you) to the Bride and Groom, and
na zisoun (long life to them) to the head members of the bride and groom’s
families.
They may reply with “ sta dika sas” – literally meaning ‘to yours’, i.e. here’s to
your wedding.
If you are married with children the reply will be ‘ston paidion sas’ – to your
children’s (wedding)!
Glossary
o gamos – the wedding
h nifi – the bride
o gambros – the groom
koumbaros / koumbara - best man / best woman. The wife of the best man is
always called the best woman – and vice versa.
To Krevati - The bed ( Wedding Bed Ceremony)
to trapezi – the reception (literally meaning ‘the table’)
koufeta – sugared almonds
_______________________________________________________________
as young Cretans in the towns follow more modern weddings styles, some
traditions remain.
Some rituals and customs also vary from town to town and village to village
throughout Crete.
The Wedding Bed Ceremony
Known as 'To Krevati' (the bed)
A night or two before a wedding takes place a Bed Ceremony may be held at
the couple’s new home. Family and friends gather while the marital bed is
made up by young unmarried girls. The watching friends and relatives will
often jokingly pull the sheets off the bed so that the girls have to re make it
numerous times.
When the adults decide that the bed is made to their satisfaction (when the
joke is over!) the sheets are then adorned with sugared almonds and petals.
Following this a baby or young child is rolled on to the bed for luck and to
signal the couple’s future fertility, then the guests throw money on to the bed
for the couple.
The Greek Orthodox Church Wedding Ceremony
In the Orthodox church ceremony the groom arrives at the church with his best
man (koumbaros) and family and awaits his bride by the front of the church. He
holds the brides’ bouquet which he presents to her as she arrives and they
walk into the church together.
Soon after the start of the ceremony the priest blesses the rings and places
them on their right hands.
Wedding crowns (stefana) which are joined by a ribbon are placed on the Bride
and Groom by the best man, who then stands behind the couple and
interchanges the crowns three times as a witness to the sealing of the union.
The couple also both drink from a goblet of wine, the ‘Common Cup’.
The wedding ends with the Ceremonial Walk. The priest, bride, groom and
koumbaros join hands and walk round in a circle three times. These are the
couple’s first steps together as a married couple. As they start the Ceremonial
Walk the guests shower rice over them.
The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes and at the end guests file past the bride
and groom in church to congratulate them. The parents and best man stand
alongside them and often one of them will be holding a tray ‘diskos’ to collect
the guests’ wedding present, an envelope of cash ‘fakelaki’.
The Reception
The wedding reception is usually held in the evening, and immediately after the
late afternoon/ evening wedding service. There is normally live Cretan (and
Greek) music, along with a feast of local food and wine.
Custom dictates that the bride will dance for much of the evening and
traditionally the guests take turns to dance with her, starting with the groom,
then the best man and his family.
Guests numbering 1000 or more are not unusual as the extended families and
friends of both the bride and groom are usually invited as well as the best man’
s family and friends, and sometimes even all the villagers too.
The best man is the guest of honour and is just as important as the Bride &
Groom. He will also invite many of his own family and friends – this can run into
hundreds of guests from the best man alone.
The large number of wedding guests can be seen to date back to when whole
villages and communities took part in local weddings in the village church and
square, and the custom of inviting most of the village and their families remains
among farming communities.
More ‘exclusive’ weddings among young professionals tend to be held in
expensive restaurants or hotels but many of the traditions are still followed.
Others hold ‘closed’ weddings meaning that they will limit the number of guests
and invite only close relatives and friends.
Cretan Wedding Etiquette
It is customary to say na zisete (long life to you) to the Bride and Groom, and
na zisoun (long life to them) to the head members of the bride and groom’s
families.
They may reply with “ sta dika sas” – literally meaning ‘to yours’, i.e. here’s to
your wedding.
If you are married with children the reply will be ‘ston paidion sas’ – to your
children’s (wedding)!
Glossary
o gamos – the wedding
h nifi – the bride
o gambros – the groom
koumbaros / koumbara - best man / best woman. The wife of the best man is
always called the best woman – and vice versa.
To Krevati - The bed ( Wedding Bed Ceremony)
to trapezi – the reception (literally meaning ‘the table’)
koufeta – sugared almonds
_______________________________________________________________
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| Copyright 2004-2008 Carol Palioudaki. Cretan Weddings Getting married in Crete www.livingincrete.net |
| Living in Crete |
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