Welcome to the Greek Wedding Bed

Jeff–Saturday

Last Saturday, I posted a blog titled, “Let’s Go to a Greek Island Wedding.”  This week I thought I’d invite you along to a Greek wedding bed.  Now, before you blush (or whatever) permit me to explain.

After reading last Saturday’s post, a close friend on Mykonos (Stacey Harris-Papaioannou) wrote that I’d neglected to mention a wonderful wedding tradition not often practiced outside of Greece, but with roots tracing back to ancient Greece.

I’d actually not forgotten, but because my post was about the wedding day, and that tradition takes place before the wedding day, I didn’t bother to mention it.  But it’s one of those memorable, fun-loving goodtime traditions that everyone should have the opportunity of experiencing, so I thought I’d give you a very brief glimpse of what it’s like to attend a krevati.

On Mykonos, two evenings (or so) before the wedding, tradition has close family and friends gathering together at the soon-to-be marital home of the bride and groom for to strosimo tou krevatiou—the preparation of the wedding bed. 

 

Amid food, drink, much joy, and playful teasing, the unmarried girls (alleged virgins all) attempt to make up the bed, flower petals and all, while the young men gather around waiting to undo it.  It’s a playful match, with a young man interested in the attentions of a particular girl making care to undo her handiwork.  That undoing ritual takes place three times before it’s on to tossing gold coins and jewelry on the wedding bed amid a shower of confetti, rice, sugared almonds, and money.

But the most precious commodity tossed upon the bed, and the truest indicator of the real purpose of the practice, is saved for last: children.  Giggling, laughing children, carefully bounced about by giggling, laughing parents.  Tradition had the first child on the bed a boy, for superstition holds that a male child symbolized good luck. 

Perhaps as a sign of changing attitudes—or intrigues yet to come—it’s not unheard of in modern days for a future bride to coordinate the efforts of her girlfriends at assuring a girl child lands first.

And thus begins the Greek marriage dynamic. 

–Jeff