Christmas

Some days before Christmas, all the women of the village start preparing for the big feast. The preparations mainly include cleaning of the entire house and the yard.

On Christmas day, people goes to church. After the service they receive communion and then they exchange wishes and kisses.

Thereafter, they return to their homes and the entire family sits on the table for the traditional soup “avgolemoni” (made with eggs, lemon and rice) or trachana (traditional soup), in a pleasant environment.

 New year’s day

At twelve o’clock on new year’s day, the housewives break a plate outside the house. People go to church to attend to the service and when it is finished they exchange kisses and wishes.

The first day of the year, after the church, when people return to their homes they traditionally step in with their right foot. It is believed that this brings good luck for the rest of the year.

They also play cards (Shemes, Poka, Poker) in coffee shops and in different houses.

Lent Period

The Lent period begins on the Sunday of the Prodian Son and continues till the Sunday of “Tyrofagos” (last day of the Carnival).

Usually, during this period, a lot of people masqueraded and went to friendly houses where they amused the owners.

A lot of families gathered in the coffee shops where they had dinner, wine, they danced and then they put swings for the young women.

Easter
Palm Sunday

On Palm Sunday, women took leaves from olive trees to the church. The leaves would remain in the church until Pentecost when they would be hallowed and taken back home for the traditional “kapnisma” (literally smoking). Specifically, the leaves from the olive tree were put in the “kapnistiri” (earthen-plated vessel) with cinder and used for the “kapnisma” of the houses and people. This practice is considered as apostrophic for the evil spirits and it survives to this day.
On Holy Thursday the villagers go to church to attend to the service of the 12 Gospels concerning the Passion of Christ, His Crucifixion and His death.

The same night, a replica of the holy cross with Christ on is set. On the right of the cross there is a replica of Apostle John and on the left another replica of Virgin Mary.

On Holy Friday young women chant the dirge (lamentation), while three myrrh-bearing women strew the epitaph with myrrh, aromas and flowers.

Some days before Easter the housewives bake rusks and the famous “flaounes”. On Holy Saturday they paint the eggs which they will clink after the Resurrection Ceremony.

Resurrection

Around 11 pm, the bells toll merrily in order to invite the Christians to the happiest service of the Christian church.

Outside of the church there is a big fire, called “Lampratzia” (eastern bonfire). At midnight the priest says “ defte lavete fos ek tou anesperou fotos” (come forward and receive light from the eternal light) and comes out of the church with the lay clerks for the Procession. People light their candles from the holy light and they all go in the yard of the church for the Resurrection Ceremony

After the Resurrection Ceremony the inhabitants of the village receive communion and then they exchange wishes and kisses.

Then, people return to their homes. They eat the traditional soup “avgolemoni” (made with eggs, lemon and rice) or trachana, flaounes and they clink the red eggs wishing each other “Christos Anesti” (The Christ has risen) “Alithos Anesti” (truly He is raised).

On Sunday, they make the traditional lamb on charcoals and they celebrate the day with dance and songs.

In the afternoon, the Community Council organizes some events (including traditional games) in the village’s plaza. The events continue until Easter Tuesday.

TRADITIONAL WEDDING

“Proxenio” (match-making)
The matchmaker, a relative, or a close friend of the bride’s family made the Proxenio”. A good groom was considered a man, who was rich, from a good family and diligent. If the groom came from another village, the parents of the bride went to his village and asked his fellow villagers for any information they wanted to learn about him or his family. Most of the times, the girl’s opinion was not taken into consideration.

Betrothal (logiasma)
Close relatives such as the groom and bride’s godparents, uncles and aunts, grandparents, brothers and sisters and the priest of the village were invited in the betrothal. The priest would prepare the prenup, which had legal validity. In the prenup the parents noted the marriage portion that they would give to their children. After the betrothal, there was a big party with plenty of food and songs.

Engagement”

The parents of the bridegroom went to the houses of friends and relatives to invite them holding a “merreha” (bottle where perfume was kept). Only some relatives and close friends were invited in the engagement. The rich people of the village used to invite a lot of people.

During the engagement they exchanged handkerchiefs and rings. The parents of the bridegroom gave them animals such as goats, sheep and cows. They also gave them textiles, kitchen equipment, equipment for the mud oven and for the agricultural works. In older times the house of the new couple was built by the groom. Later on, the custom has changed and the parents of the bride had the responsibility for the construction of the house. The construction of the house was not an easy job. They should find earth and straw and blend them in order to create the adobes which would be the basic materials for the construction of the house.

Preparations for the wedding

The preparation for the wedding started one month before the wedding day. The friends and relatives of the bridegroom washed
the sheep fleece, which would be used for the “filling” of the bed. When they finished washing, the fleece remained in the sun until it was completely dry.

The invitations were given from the bridegroom’s parents with a special procedure. When they visited the houses to give the invitations, they offered to the owners a special kind of bread called “glistarka” and also wine from a special wine-jar called “kolotzi”.
On the wedding day they took the “kolotzi” to the church and after the wedding they offered wine to their guests. They also offered another kind of bread called “koumoulla”.

Thereafter, the groom’s closest friends and his best men danced holding on the same time the bed. When they finished their dance it was the bridesmaids turn to take it. Just before this dance, a young boy or girl was put on the bed of the bridegroom. People believed that if they put a boy on the bed, the first child of the new couple would be a boy and if they put a girl, then the couple would have a girl.

The wedding day

On Sunday morning the relatives of the couple prepared the food. After the wedding and on the way to their new home, the couple was blessed by the neighbors who held “mereha” (bottle where they kept perfume) and “kapnistiri”. Before the couple entered in their new home, the bride should break a pomegranate on the right corner of the door and the groom should kill a cock. If both of them managed to do these two things, then it was believed that the couple would live happily ever after! If not, then their life together would not be easy. In the house, where the friends and relatives would come to give their wishes to the bridegroom, they put a white sheet and in the middle they formed a cross with their handkerchiefs. They also added colored handkerchief that they used on their heads (these were made by the women and they were called “manassa”).

Monday after the wedding
On Monday after the wedding day, the bridesmaid had to make some special pies (“pittes”) and grape honey and take them to the couple’s house. On the same day the bride should let free two white pigeons.

Tuesday after the wedding day or antigamos
On Tuesday after the wedding day the relatives took chicken from the fellow villagers, they killed them, cooked them and ate them altogether during a big party.