Wedding, Agrinio
INVITATION
The invitation to the marriage of relatives, friends and villagers was done with a red apple, which they were skewering with cloves or giving the cloves separately, a clove for each member of the family that was invited.
On MONDAY the washing of the dowry began. For the bride's dowry, the family had made many sacrifices. She was not only supposed to give dowry to the groom, she also had to show the whole village what she was giving him.
On TUESDAY was the ironing of the dowry. The decoration of the house was getting started, that would continue on Wednesday.
On the WEDNESDAY evening, three young children, whose parents should be both alive, were kneading the dough for the wedding sweet bread.
On THURSDAY, preparations for marriage began, while snacks were being cooked and wine was flowing. Young men and women were going to bring the dowry. The instruments were playing and the dances were being set up. The father-in-law had to give money and the dowry should be brought to decorate it. A room was for the bride, where her friends gathered together to talk to her, talk about embroidery, lace and tease each other.
On FRIDAY they picked up the clothes of the dowry in sheaves. The pieces in each sheaf are only single number, 3-5-7-9 etc. Preparations for the wedding were made at the bride's and the groom's home at the same time. There was no shortage of sweets, halvah, pies, snacks, wine.
On SATURDAY morning both in the groom's and bride's home, three children (2 girls and 1 boy or vice versa) should be bathed. And after that the groom and the bride should also be bathed. At noon the feast began. Young men and women, single, were going to the groom's house to take the dowry with carts. They were taking the wedding dress as well.
On Saturday night the feast began at the groom's and the bride's house at the same time. The groom would visit the bride's home with friends and his brothers.
On SUNDAY morning cooking started. They called married couples for food. At noon the dancing began, and the young men and women tart up and dress the groom and the bride, singing. They first shaved the groom and then dressed him. Both at the groom's and the bride's house they cut the wedding sweet bread. In the afternoon followed the procession of the marriage. The groom, the groomsmen and all the others went and took the bride to the church dancing and singing.
After the marriage they went to the groom's house. There put a piece of iron at the door. The bride was coming in with her right foot. At the door was the mother-in-law with a sweet jar and gave to the groom, the bride and the groomsmen, for their life to be sweet. Then the mother-in-law was throwing a cloth on the bride's back and the feast continued.
The next day the bride got up first. When the father-in-law went to wash, the bride gave a nice towel to him then kissed his hand and he, in turn, gave her money or a pound. So did the mother-in-law.
On the third day, the bride's mother was taking the best woman, the neighbors and the sisters and went to the groom to give the gifts. Again they had preparations.
After 8 days the bride was going to her mother and the groom with his brothers and sisters had a feast again.
Then they returned at home on Sunday, and the bride too, and the groom and groomsmen was going around to relatives, friends, and they treated them sweet. And they in turn gave money to the bride.
