In Crete, getting married is not just a simple ceremony. It is a significant celebration for the couple, their parents, and the entire local community. The traditional Cretan customs, which have been deeply ingrained over time, are still followed today and are combined with the fresh and modern aesthetics of the newlyweds.
The wedding ceremony in Crete is often held in chapels with a stunning backdrop of the island’s blue waters and imposing mountains. The celebrations include uncountable guests, traditional food, and endless wine. There is an indescribable joy and inexhaustible energy for dancing and feasting. It’s nearly impossible to choose the most impressive Cretan wedding customs, but let’s give it a try!
Gamokoulouro Bread
Cretan customs include traditional food – a lot of it. Gamokoulouro is a round-shaped eftazimo bread, according to the traditional Cretan recipe. This delicacy is elaborately made and decorated by the bride to offer it to her best men before the wedding. In some areas of Crete, it is embroidered with symbols of fertility, such as grapes, pomegranates, and pine nuts. In other places, it is engraved with the initials of the groom and the bride. Nowadays it is used as an appetizer on the wedding table and offers a decorative purpose with its impressive appearance.
Xerotigana and Gamopilafo
As part of the wedding preparations, it is customary to offer everyone involved in the process a treat called xerotigano. It is a handmade sweet dough, fried until it becomes crispy and delicious. This treat is served with honey and walnuts, adding a sweet touch to the wedding celebrations.
At the wedding table, the main dish used to be the gamopilafo. It is a traditional Cretan dish consisting of slow-boiled, well-cooked meat accompanied by pilaf cooked in meat broth. It is a symbolic dish, as rice in Cretan culture symbolizes the root of the couple, to have good luck, a happy life, and many healthy offspring. This custom still exists today, but the gamopilafo is no longer the main dish of the wedding table as it was in the past, although still present. At today’s feasts, we will meet many Cretan flavors and variant recipes at the festive buffet.
White Sariki
Cretan customs involve traditional appearances and symbolic accessories. One of these is the white sariki, a white knitted scarf considered a traditional accessory for men in Crete. It is often seen in traditional Cretan costumes, and the white color represents joy. Nowadays, male guests wear a white sariki during the wedding on their back or head as a symbol of joy and celebration.
Balothies shooting
The people of Crete are known for their courage and pride, and they always uphold their honor in various ways. They have a tradition of shooting their rifles in big celebrations or in times of grief, which locals call balothies. This custom is deeply rooted in their culture and reflects their values of honor and dignity. These days, this tradition is still proudly preserved in Cretan weddings, with necessary safety measures taken to ensure the safety of all guests.
Psiki, The Bride’s Escort
In Crete, it is a customary practice for the bride to get prepared in her parental home and then be accompanied to the church by her relatives and groom’s friends, with the instrumental escort of Lyra. This accompaniment by the Cretans is referred to as psiki. In situations where the bride lived in a different village than the groom, the groom’s friends would visit her to accompany her to the church and ensure that the message was conveyed; the groom had not broken his promise and was eagerly waiting for her!
The feast that follows the ceremony is always grand, and the guests are numerous. This is a perfect example of the love of Cretans for feasting and sharing their joy. During weddings, any disputes and disagreements are set aside and everyone celebrates the newlyweds’ union. The magic of Cretan culture is undeniable!