|
Author: Emmanuel Mendonca Article source: http://www.favorideas.com/. Used with author's permission.
The wedding service in the Greek Orthodox faith is an ancient and beautiful ceremony, which has been celebrated in its current form for centuries. The wedding ceremony is full of symbolism and is a great experience if you have never attended one before, because it is likely to be quite different from other weddings you have attended in Western Europe. The service is also rather unique because the bride and groom do not make vows to each other - their presence together in the church is taken to mean that they are serious about getting married.
The Beginning of the Wedding
In most cases the wedding guests will wait with the groom outside the church until the bride arrives (a few sneaky wedding pros will go into the church early to secure a good seat). In the Summer, when most weddings take place, it is not unusual for ceremonies to be arranged back to back, so the guests attending a marriage will often stand around with those who have just attended the previous wedding as they prepare to leave. Wedding dress commentators among the crowd will get to consider and discuss at least two brides and maybe even a third as they leave the church - bargain! Meanwhile, the nervous groom waits for the bride at the entrance to the church, often holding her floral bouquet. He hands it to her as they meet and they then go inside together followed by the guests. There is no separation of the guests into guests of the bride and guests of the groom - everyone sits together and in the case of small churches, many people prefer to stand in a spot where they can get a good view of the proceedings.
Service of Betrothal
The wedding ceremony itself is in two parts: the Service of Betrothal and the Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage. The exchanging of rings is the focus of the Service of Betrothal. The priest blesses the rings by holding them in his right hand and making the sign of the cross over the heads of the bride and groom. The rings are then placed on the third fingers of their right hands. The "Koumbaro", the couple's religious sponsor, then swaps the rings over between the bride and groom's fingers, three times. A number of rituals in the ceremony are repeated three times and this symbolises the Holy Trinity: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage
This Ceremony consists of several key parts. First, several prayers are said and then as they come to an end, the priest joins the right hands of the bride and groom. Their hands remain joined until the end of the wedding ceremony, which symbolises the couple's union.
The Crowning
The bride and groom are crowned with thin crowns, or "stefana", which are joined by a white ribbon and have been blessed by the priest. The crowns symbolise the glory and honour that is being bestowed on them by God, and the the ribbon symbolises their unity. The "Koumbaro" then exchanges the crowns between the heads of the couple, three times.
The Common Cup
The crowning is followed by a reading of the Gospel, which tells of the marriage of Cana at Galilee. It was at this wedding that Jesus performed his first miracle, changing water into wine, which was then given to the married couple. Wine is given to the couple and they each drink from it three times.
The Ceremonial Walk
The priest the leads the couple, who are still wearing their "stefana", three times around the altar on their first steps as a married couple. The "Koumbaro" follows close behind the couple holding the "stefana" place. At this point the couple (and anyone standing nearby) is usually showered with rice, which was earlier handed out to the wedding guests. The priest will often make use of the bible he is holding to give himself some protection!
The Removal of the Crowns
When the Ceremonial Walk has ended, the priest blesses the couple, the crowns are removed and he then separates their previously joined hands with the bible, reminding them that only God can break the union which they have just entered into.
Wedding traditions
Much of the information available on Greek Orthodox wedding traditions is a little outdated and contains generalisations that give the impression that certain traditions are followed by everyone who gets married. Some of these traditions are set out below
- Rolling a baby on the marital bed to encourage fertility.
- The throwing of money onto the marital bed.
- The pinning of money onto the bride (and sometimes also the groom) at the wedding reception.
Although these rituals are seen as traditional, fewer and fewer young people marrying today are following them, because they are seen as old-fashioned. Many people do not wish to put their guests through the ordeal of other people being able to see how much money they pin on the bride, for example. Although money is still a very common, as well as practical, wedding present it is often given to the couple before the wedding day or to a third person at the wedding reception, for safe-keeping. Greeks living in the more remote parts of Greece and abroad, who will naturally feel more strongly about doing things the traditional way, are more likely to follow these traditions than those living in Athens, for example. Like weddings everywhere, Greek weddings are changing. At the time of writing, there is a growing fashion to go and get married on an island and I recently heard someone say that he was looking into getting married in a ski resort. He was wisely advised by a friend "You had better first ask the priest if he wants to perform a marriage up a mountain"! Emmanuel Mendonca moved from London to Athens in 2004 and is getting to grips with life in Greece. Emmanuel publishes Greece travel and living articles at http://www.athensroom.com/greece_travel_guide.html
Want to Manage Your Time? Get Real!
Most Time Management theory offers little more than idealistic, pie-in-the-sky techniques and suggestions. Discover the 5 "reality checks" of practical, realis...
Converting Visitors into Subscribers
List building secrets revealed
Celebrities Cant Have It Both Ways
Would you buy a product if the celebrity spokesperson was involved in a
scandal? Companies tend to believe that they will lose market share if they are
associ...
Christians versus Mormons
Don't you just love how well the various cults treat each other?
How to Effectively Design Your Business Image
In many industries, image is one of the last things business owner looks at. If business is not booming, they assume there is something wrong with the sales met...
How are Directories Different from Search Engines?
Directories are important to your ranking and success with Search Engines. In a nutshell, search engines are completely automated and usually there is no need t...
Credit: Student Credit Cards 101
Learn the advantages and disadvantages to having a student credit card.
Home Loan Confusion Continues
Unfortunately, most Americans still do not understand how home loans work and how to take advantage of the wide array of programs available. The way I see it, p...
Adding Value With Home Improvement
Many people embark on home improvement projects with the aim of raising the overall value of their homes.
Mankinds Ten Worst Enemies: #4 Malice
Understand that malice seeks to destroy. That is its sole aim and it seeks to accomplish this nefarious goal by any fraudulent means necessary.
Calling All Carbon-Based Lifeforms
Many businesses want to market to all carbon-based life forms. They won't take the time to really understand their audiences from geographic, demographic and ps...
Containing Your Garden
If you love flowers and plants, but there is limited yard space where you live, you don't have to be content with admiring the lush gardens and greenery of othe...
Desktop Management Boosts Productivity
Become more productive at your desk by applying these 7 simple strategies.
Blogs as Safe Haven for Cybercriminals?
To blog or not to blog? There has recently been bad news that spoiled bloggers' mood. The security firm Websense found that some blogs are "being used as a safe...
Is My Search Engine Optimization Working?
The weeks and months to get a brand new site listed and in the search rankings can take a serious toll on your nervous system! There is help. Here are a few s...
Guide to Secured Personal Loans
Here is a useful guide to secured personal loans.
Three Secrets of A Consistent Golf Stroke
"At Last! The "3 Secrets" Of A Consistent Golf Stroke -- Revealed! How You Can "INSTANTLY" Drop Strokes Off YOUR GAME!"
5 Questions To Ask Before Starting Any Home Improvement Project
Would you like to limit the hassles of your next home improvement project? Make sure and answer these 5 questions about yourself and your contractor before sta...
Working Savings into Your Budget
It can seem difficult at times to put aside money for later, especially if you find yourself trying to make ends meet on a limited budget.
Whose Decision
Direct Answers - Column for the week of May 5, 2003 I'm very disturbed these days, and if it continues, I might get mad soon. I am 28. I recently went to see ...
Todays Top Tips For Buying A Treadmill
Tips for buying any treadmill usually focus on the capabilities, features, type of use, and, of course, the cost of a treadmill, but all of that depends on you
Affiliate Surprise
I can't believe it! I open up my mail today, and what do I receive? A statement from one of my affiliates saying that I've earned a pretty good amount of money ...
Gastric Bypass Surgery - Weighing The Risks of Obesity Weight Loss Surgery
Gastric bypass surgery helps over 100,000 individuals per year in their fight against morbid obesity after traditional diet and exercise regimes have failed to ...
The Causes Of Stuttering In Childhood
Stuttering information about where people might stutter and where they go to seek help.
|
Print this page