Wedding, Cypriot wedding customs
One of the preparations for the Cypriot wedding was the washing of the sheep's hair, from which the bed was made. This hair was washed by the women of the village, offering their help, in a river or a tank.
Another was washing and ironing the bride's dowry. This happened on a Sunday before the wedding, at the bride's house with the help of relatives and friends. Each one brought with her own iron, which worked with burning coals.
Also: the washing, at the fountain of the village, of the wheat as well as its milling in the "hand mills". According to tradition, they cooked "resi", a meal at the wedding table.
Another preparation is to cut the pasta (or spaghetti). It was done at the bride's home by the bride's mother and other women in the village. They kneaded the dough themselves and made the spaghetti they would use at the wedding table, and as expected, all preparations were accompanied by songs by violins and lutes.
On the day of the Cyprus wedding
On Sunday, guests were gathered at the groom's house to watch his preparations. The groomsmen dance the groom's clothes in a basket. It goes without saying that such a day was not missing the violins and the lutes. Then they belt the groom with a red scarf and smoked him with a silver "smoker".
Then they all went to the bride's house to watch her own ornament. Of course the groom was not in, waiting on the veranda, since he is not allowed to see the bride before the wedding. When the bride's preparation was over, her parents and relatives would belt and smoke her.
After both preparations were over, they all started together for church again with a musical accompaniment. In front were the instruments, the children with the candles, the priest, the groom with his parents, and the bride with her own. Back people were following. From whichever house they passed by, the women would come out, smoke and drizzle rosewater over them. During the mystery, all the groomsmen would change wedding rings. At the time of Isaiah's dance, someone was throwing at the androgynous wheat and cotton seeds while the groomsmen were throwing at them coins.
