Greek Traditions

As with many other cultures, the Greeks’ strongest traditions center on important life events such as birth, marriage and death. The first major event that is celebrated is a birth. Gifts are bestowed on the new infant to bring health and prosperity. One such gift is a silver coin, a sign of good fortune. Infants receive a “mati,” a blue stone with a black center to ward off evil. Many Greek children are named after grandparents to honor Greek ancestors. When an infant is a few months old, a Baptism is held at the church. The child is presented to the priest by their godparents and anointed with holy water and oil.

Greek weddings are performed in the Orthodox Church. The bride and groom each wear a wreath that is attached to the other with a silk ribbon. The couple place rings on their right hands. A large reception is held afterward with drinking, eating and dancing. When the couple arrive at their new home they break a plate on the doorstep to keep away evil, bring a piece of iron into the house to represent a strong marriage, crush a pomegranate under the bride’s heel for fertility and feed honey to one another to symbolize a life of sweetness together.

The death of a loved one is marked by a viewing of the body, a church funeral, a burial, a 40 day memorial service and annual memorial services thereafter. After the death, many Greek women will don black attire for a year and Greek men will wear a black arm band for 40 days.