Greek Traditions Community

Did you know that the Greek groom is supposed to buy his brides shoes?

1 - 7 of 7 Posts
nm1999

nm1999

Active member
This is a very sweet custom, that is not very common in other areas of the world. In Greek culture, as a promise to the bride, the groom buys the brides shoes. In many cases, the bride will choose the shoes and allow for the husband to get them for her as a gift as many brides do not want surprise shoes on the day of her wedding. Did anyone have this tradition of their wedding? I am wondering how common it is these days.
 
My SO was born and raised in Greece, I was born and mostly raised in the USA. Our wedding is this summer and we won't be doing that because it's not the tradition in either of our family's villages.
 
  • Like
Reactions: francescool
ellinasgolfer0320 said:
My SO was born and raised in Greece, I was born and mostly raised in the USA. Our wedding is this summer and we won't be doing that because it's not the tradition in either of our family's villages.
Click to expand...
What traditions will you be doing, if you don't mind me asking
 
francescool said:
What traditions will you be doing, if you don't mind me asking
Click to expand...
Hmm. Off the top of my head, we will put money and a baby in a bed before the wedding, there won't be any bridesmaids or groomsmen (we will only have 2 koumparoi - 1 koumparos and 1 koumpari). Because the wedding is in Greece, I will wait outside of the church for her and everyone will stand outside with me. Her dad will drop her off in a car then she'll walk up to me, and we'll walk into the church together with everyone following behind. There will also be no flower girl or ring bearer.. we have paranifakia (young girls who walk with the bride) who will walk with my SO and hold the train of her dress, and paragamproi (young boys who walk with the groom) whole will follow behind me.
Also, the wedding will start late in the afternoon (after 5pm).

At the reception the first song to be played will be miroloi (a lament) - it's our version of a moment of silence and it is always done as the first song of wedding receptions. Additionally, we will have a band and you can request songs to be played for you or someone else - when you request a song played for you or someone else, you usually give the band money as a tip. Also, it's tradition to shower the band with money by throwing up a lot of bills around the band, so that's going to happen too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: efhernandez_
ellinasgolfer0320 said:
Hmm. Off the top of my head, we will put money and a baby in a bed before the wedding, there won't be any bridesmaids or groomsmen (we will only have 2 koumparoi - 1 koumparos and 1 koumpari). Because the wedding is in Greece, I will wait outside of the church for her and everyone will stand outside with me. Her dad will drop her off in a car then she'll walk up to me, and we'll walk into the church together with everyone following behind. There will also be no flower girl or ring bearer.. we have paranifakia (young girls who walk with the bride) who will walk with my SO and hold the train of her dress, and paragamproi (young boys who walk with the groom) whole will follow behind me.
Also, the wedding will start late in the afternoon (after 5pm).

At the reception the first song to be played will be miroloi (a lament) - it's our version of a moment of silence and it is always done as the first song of wedding receptions. Additionally, we will have a band and you can request songs to be played for you or someone else - when you request a song played for you or someone else, you usually give the band money as a tip. Also, it's tradition to shower the band with money by throwing up a lot of bills around the band, so that's going to happen too.
Click to expand...
I had no idea that they play a miroloi at the beginning of the wedding reception. Is it a way of honoring passed family members? This sounds like a beautiful tradition. I have seen people honor passed loved ones in many different ways at their weddings depending on the culture that they are from.
 
efhernandez_ said:
I had no idea that they play a miroloi at the beginning of the wedding reception. Is it a way of honoring passed family members? This sounds like a beautiful tradition. I have seen people honor passed loved ones in many different ways at their weddings depending on the culture that they are from.
Click to expand...
Yes, but I'm not sure how widespread it is throughout Greece, but unlike America during out moment of silence, people get more emotional in our villages - they will start crying.
 
  • Like
Reactions: francescool
ellinasgolfer0320 said:
Yes, but I'm not sure how widespread it is throughout Greece, but unlike America during out moment of silence, people get more emotional in our villages - they will start crying.
Click to expand...
I can imagine how emotional this is, especially at a wedding. I also find that Greek people are more comfortable showing their emotions and they are more passionate. Thank you for sharing.
 
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION AND READ OTHER GREEK INFO:

Does your family make fanouropita for Saint Phanourios Day?

I recently saw a news article about Saint Fanourios Day, and it showed people bringing fanouropita cakes to a church to be blessed. I knew about fanouropita and the tradition of making it when you’re hoping to find something that has been lost, but I didn’t realize how much of a church tradition it could be on the saint’s feast day itself.

Does your family make fanouropita for Saint Fanourios Day? If so, do you bring the cake to church to be blessed, or do you usually make it at home and share it with family and friends?

I’m also curious whether this is something that is still widely done in Greece or if it depends on the region, parish, or family. Are there any other traditions your family follows for Saint Fanourios Day?

I’d love to hear how people observe the day and whether fanouropita is part of your family’s tradition.

Information About Apokries?

I’ve been curious about how people experience Apokries and what it looks like in different parts of Greece. For some, it seems centered on big public celebrations and costumes, while for others it’s more about smaller gatherings, food, and local customs.

I’m especially interested in the traditions people grew up with. Was Apokries something your family actively celebrated, or did it feel more like a community event? Did you attend costume parties, parades, or specific local festivities? And how did days like Tsiknopempti fit into it for you?

I’d also love to hear whether your experience changed over time, for example, celebrating differently as a child versus as an adult, or noticing differences between village and city celebrations.

For those who no longer live in Greece, do you still mark Apokries in some way, or has it faded with distance?

I’m looking forward to hearing how this tradition shows up for others.

What alternatives to Linktree offer robust customization for bio links?

Trying to level up my bio link setup because Linktree feels kinda stiff for what I want to do. I’ve been tweaking my branding this year and I need something that lets me mess with colors, layouts, maybe even some light animations without feeling boxed in. I’m running a mix of art commissions and small merch drops, so having more control would help a ton. If anyone’s found a link-in-bio tool that lets you get creative without needing to code like a pro, I’d love to hear what’s working for you.

Anyone here struggle with outpatient rehab not being enough?

I’m curious if anyone else has been through this. I’ve been trying to get sober for a while now and started with a standard outpatient program because it seemed easier to balance with work and daily life. At first it felt okay, but after a couple weeks I noticed I was slipping back into old habits way faster than I expected.
It kinda feels like once the session is over, you’re just thrown back into the same environment with very little structure or support. I’m starting to wonder if outpatient is just too “light” for some people, especially if relapse has already happened before.
Has anyone here switched from regular outpatient to something more structured like IOP or medication-assisted treatment? Did it actually make a difference, or was it just more time in treatment with the same results?
Would really appreciate hearing real experiences — good or bad.

Why do Greeks celebrate name days?

I grew up with name days being a big deal, and I’ve always wondered why they feel more important than birthdays for so many of us. I know they’re tied to the Greek Orthodox Church feast days and the saints we’re named after, but it feels like there’s something deeper going on culturally.

In my family, name days were always open-house style, people calling, stopping by, bringing sweets, and it felt very communal. Birthdays, on the other hand, were more low-key.

Do you feel like name days still carry that same weight today? Or has it changed depending on the generation or where you live?
Share and discuss Greek traditions related to Greek weddings, christenings, dance & holidays!

WorldwideGreeks.com is a free online forum community where people can discuss Greek food, travel, traditions, history and mythology.
Join Worldwide Greeks here!

JOIN COMMUNITY FOR FREE

LOGIN TO YOUR ACCOUNT
Back
Top