by Nicholas Bourazelis, Colonel (retired)
Published in The Faris Newsletter, October 2020, issue 27, page 17

No marriage was made for love, it was made through matchmaking and mediated by a woman, the well-known matchmaker.  Along with the parents of those who were to be married, the symbetheri (parents-in-law) as they were called, arranged all the details, the dowry to be given, etc. When the agreement was finally reached, it was drawn up and signed by the parties concerned. The father of the groom paid the matchmaker, and the work of the matchmaker was over.

When night fell, two or three shots used to be fired at the groom’s house. This custom was intended to inform the villagers that the match, which they had suspected, had come to a happy end. Engagement ceremonies followed in a short time without any particular formality. They simply exchanged the rings.

Finally, the wedding took place. However, since one of the betrotheds did not come from the same village, the relatives of the groom usually went to the other village to pick up the bride. A convoy of men wearing fustanellas was then formed. All the guests rode on mules and horses. In psyki, as the procession was called, they did not use donkeys. The animals’ bodies were covered with white mandani (blankets), the kilimia (woven blankets). The procession began with songs. As the first wedding song, it was customary to sing: “Let my eyes see, let my eyes see how my love is doing.” With songs, joking and cheerful conversation, they came to the bride’s village.

In front of the village church the bride-to-be and her father were waiting. When the bridegroom arrived, the prospective bride’s father would kiss him and hand over his daughter. The priest would then take the couple and bring them to the middle of the church where the ceremony would take place. During the “Isaiah dance,” the guests showered the newlyweds with rice, flower petals and confections. The atmosphere was joyful and happy. The sacrament was over and the newlyweds received the embraces of those present with the wish: May your life be lucky and happy.

The company then, with the bride on a decorated horse, was on its way back. The singing by men and women continued all the way to the groom’s house. There the bride was welcomed and the dance began, which was started by her, while everyone sang together: “My fortunate bride, may you live, may you grow old, may you live to be a hundred years old and more.” The feast continued with rich food and drinking until the early hours of the morning. That is how the marriage ended.

What happens today? Time has changed a lot. Life goes on with all the changes. This is not a concern, as long as the couple has mutual love. Otherwise, divorce follows with all the consequences. Mutual love leads to a peaceful old age.

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I am honored to receive permission from the Katsoulakos family to translate and share articles from The Faris. Translation verification and corrections have been made by GreekAncestry.net. This is the third article of the ongoing series. Previous articles can be viewed here.