THE TRADITIONAL GREEK WEDDING

THE TRADITIONAL GREEK WEDDING
by Mike Calomiris

The Greek Orthodox Church St. Nicholas is located in a village called Potami on a very popular Greek island called "SAMOS" which is about 3 miles east of turkey on the Aegean sea.

The Father of the Bride will show up in front of the church with the bride were he will give away the bride to the groom who is already waiting there with the Priest. This is were the bride and groom will see each other for the first time on that day! The groom at that point has to kiss the brides father's hand.

The Priest immediately then will take the Bride and Groom by the hand and start to enter the church its tradition for the Priest to enter the church and to bring the couple up the isle and to the altar.

Soon after that the cermony will start and the Priest will take in his hands both rings and bless the couple by bringing the rings up to their heads the rings will touch their foreheads, he will do that 3 times for the Groom and 3 times for the Bride while saying out loud their names.

Then immediately after the blessing of the rings the "koumbara" (maid of honor) will take the rings one ring in each hand and start to cross her hands and place the rings on the finger of the groom and the bride 3 times while on the third time she will place the rings on the groom's finger and the bride's finger.

After the rings the Priest will take in his hands the 2 crowns and he will bless the couple 3 times each by touching their foreheads with the crowns.

Then the Koumbaro (Best Man) will take the crowns crossing his hands he will place 3 times the crowns on the couples head. Priest will then place the crowns on their heads.

Soon after the Priest will take the couple by the hand and will take them around the special holy table, again 3 times (... holy spirit) Also the Best man and the Maid of honor will go around the Holy Table with the couple and the Priest while the Koumbaro is holding the crowns all the time... the family the bridal party and some of the guests will start to through confetti and flowers towards the Priest the Bride and Groom ...sometimes it will look like its : "rainning confetti and flowers !!" Going around the table is called "O Horos Tou Issaia THE DANCE OF Issaia"

After the Dance around the table the priest will give a brief speach to the Couple and guests.

The priest will do the last blessing by placing the bible on the couple's heads.

Later at the reception its tradition for the Brides father and Groom father to dance alone by making special moves on the dancing floor and then a few people from the Bridal party will start to brake PLATES... the dancing floor later will be covered compleatly with broken plates!! This dance is called "The zembekiko Dance"

... AND THAT IS THE GREEK TRADITION!!

Mike Calomiris

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