History - Tradition

After the end of the matchmaking, the giving of the hands, the composition of the provisional matchmaking agreement, the diadems and the engagement, was the turn of the marriage.

The definition of the date of marriage meant a general mobilization of all the members of both the two families, as well as the relatives, neighbors and friends to prepare everything related to the marriage.

They had to fix the dowry, invite the people, tidy up the houses, sew the wedding dress, inform the instruments, prepare all the necessities for the table and generally be in a state of readiness for the solution of any other problem.

In the last week before marriage, the groom did not go to the bride's home. At the bride's house they were preparing the dowry. The main ones were tied in large parcels, with the lace standing out to look beautiful. The sundries were being placed in trunks (boxes of storage).

WEDNESDAY

On Wednesday they invited their relatives and friends for the wedding, sending them a branch of basil and a clove (spice).

The invitees treated them sweet and gave them eggs to make diples (sweet pastries) with them.

THURSDAY

The groom's family started preparations from Thursday. In the morning they made the sugared buns. In all this preparation, the mother of the groom and his old grandmother (if, of course, was still alive) led the way.

On the same day they pug the wedding pies. Then, other women, together with young girls, were making with pastry many different decorations on the pies, then sprinkled with sesame (for the couple's fertility) and applied on them plenty honey. These were the "honey-pies".

They made angels and dancing people on the pies. They also made grapes, birds, houses, stars, trees, branches and a variety of other decorations. On the one pie, the groom's "gift" to the bride, they made two beautiful birds, among which was a "little heart" and on this heart was written the name of the groom.

FRIDAY

The next day, Friday, they pug the wedding breads (the bagel breads). They had picked and cleaned the wheat from Wednesday and, with the related wishes, they had brought it to the village's water mill.

The feast on the eve of the wedding

On Saturday, they slaughtered the animals and first the "caniski", that is, the lamb that the groom would offer to the bride's house.

The same day they made diples (sweet pastries), while in the evening close relatives gathered and had their first feast. Everyone brought a gift. One brought meat, another cod, another wine, tsipouro (traditional alcohol drink) or other beverage, etc.

After the feast, "table songs" and dance began.

That night made their appearance the wedding instruments: clarinet and lute.

The making of the groom and the bride

The future couple had to be perfectly dressed on their wedding day and so it was done. The groom wore his best and, if he did not have good clothes, he made sure to make or borrow.

The groom's making was mainly about his haircut, shaving and hairstyle.

They first put the groom (usually) on a wine barrel, with which the women of the village were carrying water from the fountain. During the haircut and shaving, the instruments were also playing. Relatives and friends approached the groom, "silver" him (giving him a silver coin or money for good luck) in the front with a coin, and wished him to live happily ever after.

The bride's making was a proper rite. All her friends were by her side, taking care of everything. The bride's hairstyle was also very jaunty. This was undertaken by skilful women and in recent years by hairdressers.

During the making of the bride, the bride asked the wishes of her parents, which was the most precious gift.

At the bride's house, the tone of the wedding songs was melancholic (with a few exceptions of course), due to the definitive separation that would take place shortly, between her and her father's home.

i.e.

Where you go my little bride

Root as a tree

And, like a sweet apple tree

Spread your branches.

To do wise sons,

and wealthy daughters.

………………………………………………………

Our bride wherever you go

In ups and downs

The mother-in-law think about,

and speak a few words.

The way to the church

On Sunday, all the guests gathered with their gifts to the two houses, the instruments players came and the feast began. When they were all gathered at the groom's house, he and five or six young men and the instrument players went to the house of the groomsmen and accompanied him with his family to the house. They were offered sweet and treated them from the best wine.

Then, the parents-in-law headed to the bride's house.

Before noon everyone started going to the bride's house. Only one could not take part, the groom. On that day, the bride and groom would meet only in the afternoon as they go to pick up the bride.

The start and course for the bride's home was not a coincidental event, nor could it happen just to happen. In front were the two instruments: the clarinetist and the lute player, playing a well-known purpose of marriage. There were three children following with the baskets on their heads. The first basket had a plate of sugared buns and a bottle of drink, usually mastic. The second one had bridal dresses and the third had gifts for the bride's parents and siblings, usually shoes. The bride's shoes were not put in the basket. They were held by a cousin or close friend of the groom, the "mpourazeris", who would wear them to the bride himself. He carried them in a beautifully made woven bag. Three horsemen were following, who would load the dowry on their animals. The first one had on his animal the "basket" adorned with roses. The instrumentalists came close, followed by the groom with his parents, the "mpourazeris" and all the family.

In the bride's home the welcome was warm and short. Arriving at the bride's house, they also heard songs there. Here, too, relatives had gathered to celebrate.

The groom went up to the roof of the house, to the part above the door, where he turned some tiles upside down and threw one to break. He thus made a powerful demonstration against the demonic beings that might haunt the bride's home.

On the doorstep of the house they were welcomed by the bride, her mother and her father, her brothers and others. To those who kept the gifts, the bride's mother nailed to the left side of their breasts a silk scarf. This was a custom old and important. That scarf had to be nailed to the chest all the way back to the groom's house.

The invitees at the bride's house were receiving the gifts, giving the basket with the bridal dresses to the girls who would make the bride, and serving the groom and the parents the sugared bun and the rest.

When the bride was ready, they informed the mpourazeri, who was wearing to her the shoes and trying to kiss her. But the girls were watching out and tried to stop him by beating him with their hands on the head. Many managed to kiss her and when they got out the door they were saying to the others who were waiting: “I kissed her! I kissed her!” Those who didn’t manage to kiss the bride were getting out of the door beet-red and disheveled by the punching and slapping.

In the bride's house, they stayed very little time, just to make sweet treats, especially croissants, appetizers and wine. Before the groom's relatives left, they had to sing a song and dance a little bit around.

Once the bride was ready, the groom first started with his family to the church. Always in front were the instruments, the groom followed and everyone else behind. During the whole way to the church, the groom was not alone. On his right and left, he was held arm in the arm by two young men, the groomsman and the second groomsman. Arriving there he waited at the door for the bride to come.

Soon after, the bride's cohort began to the church. The situation here was the same. With the only difference that here her two closest relatives held her, her father and her brother. Passing through a fountain, the bride had to throw money at the fountain. Arriving at the church door, the bride's father handed her over to the groom.

The groom kissed the bride and they entered the church. The bride was especially careful at that moment to get in with her right foot. The groom did the same. So they get everything in life right and good.

The coronation ceremony is well known. During the mystery, the bride tried to step on the foot of the groom because they thought that in this way she might had the first word at home.

Coming out of the church, the commemorative photos followed and the dance began in the churchyard. The groomsman danced first with the assistance of the bride, then danced the groom and then his parents and close friends, all assisted by the bride.

During the dance the three that had the animals went to the bride's house and load the dowry. The dowries were loaded in order. The first animal was loaded with sleeping clothes, rugs, blankets and beautiful pillows on them. Behind them were following two new trunks, full of linen and the bride's handcrafts.

Further back: were following other things, copper pieces and the fire for ironing. Three children were taking one pillow each of them on their head and one basket each as well. The first basket had sweets and drinks, the second woven fabrics for men's underwear and shirts, and the third woven fabrics for petticoats and dresses, the bride's gifts to her father-in-law and mother-in-law. As the procession progressed, the housewives would go out to the windows and balconies and throw wheat or rice on the dowry. The groom's mother did the same when the dowries arrived in her yard.

They would come to the church, stop dancing and the new couple with the fathers and mothers in law started going to the groom’s house.

The entrance of the newlyweds to the groom's house was signposted while everyone cheered, applauded and sang:

In this house we came to

Darling, today,

Many are gathered,

Like joy it will be done

The morning star is getting married, oh dear, today

She's getting married with Pleiades, today,

And the stars are fathers and mothers in law.

Daughter, how much did you buy?

Oh dear, today,

This brave man,

So more can buy him:

I bought if for a thousand gold coins,

Darling today

And five hundred piasters,

For your good language.

At the front door of the courtyard the father-in-law threw the plowshare of the plow down so the bride could step on it. The bride stepped on the iron to be healthy and broke a pomegranate to make her fertile like a pomegranate.

At the entrance of the house, the mother-in-law waited with a glass of honey to give a spoonful of honey to the newlyweds (to sweeten them with honey) so that their lives would be sweet. It was a warm wish.

On the north wall in the hall of the house, they had put a sheet decorated with flowers and pomegranates, the "nifostoli" and below it there were two chairs, in which the newlyweds were seated.

After the bride and groom came in and sat down, they put a little baby boy in the arms of the bride, both parents of whom were alive. This was a prophetic magic event, which showed that, now that the marriage was over, the normal expected outcome would be a child. A son, not a daughter!

In front of the newlyweds, the instrument players played the bridal song:

Today the sky is shining

The day is shining today

Today are getting married

The eagle and the dove.

Long live the bride and groom

Long live the groomsman

Who married them,

The two beloved.

To live to grow old

And be happy

To live a hundred years

And to overcome them

To make the nine sons

One daughter.

When the song was over, everyone wished loudly, "Live, live!" The parents and siblings of the groom wished and kissed them, and the bride kissed the hand of her father-in-law, step-daughter and adult siblings, while they throwing rice and roses.

Then they offered the bride's sweets and the dance and party began until dawn..... They prepared the table and sat down to eat. After the meal they did the "comebacks". They all started from the groom's house and went to the bride's house, where they drank their drinks and danced again all together.

The feast continued for three days, once at the groom's house and then at the bride's. They were the so-called "comebacks".

When the bride was from another village, then the groom's guests started riding on horses and mules. They covered the saddles with colorful rugs and knitted blankets, decorated the animal's head with roses as well as the chiotra (wooden wine container) that they hung on the front. They started singing different songs alternately, once men verse and once women. The kids went in front with the canisters, followed by the canister man who had loaded the wedding lamp, followed by the groom, the groomsmen, the mpourazeris, the parents and others.

Arriving at the bride's house, her guests went out and welcome the parents in law and arranged the animals.

When they got home, they were served the sugared bun with raki and started dancing until the bride was ready. The first song they said was:

Here ah here

Here at this home we came

Here at this home we came

Stone not to be cracked

And the housewife of the house

One thousand years to live.

They went to the church, the mystery was done, they brought a white horse to ride the bride, and the others went on their horses and took the return journey singing:

We didn't come here

To eat and drink

Despite we loved you

And we came to see you.

The comebacks were held the other Sunday.

Thus began the life of a new family in the village.