A question for the Greek Orthodox

[yinekka]

My daughter is engaged to a Greek Orthodox boy and last night we went to the cravatia. What is the significance of the fiance expressing dissatisfaction with the bed the single girls had made up and mucking up the bed three times for the girls to remake? None of the Greeks I asked could tell me the reason; they just said ‘It is the tradition.’

 

[prodromos]

My daughter is engaged to a Greek Orthodox boy and last night we went to the cravatia. What is the significance of the fiance expressing dissatisfaction with the bed the single girls had made up and mucking up the bed three times for the girls to remake? None of the Greeks I asked could tell me the reason; they just said ‘It is the tradition.’

It sounds like a Greek tradition, not necessarily an Orthodox one. Not having grown up in the Orthodox Church I am ignorant of many local traditions that are taken for granted by cradle Orthodox. I’ll see if I can find out what the meaning is though. It might take me a while.

John

 

[prodromos]

I found the following:

A few days before the wedding, a Greek couple “krevati,” which is to say they have family and friends over to their new shared living space to bear witness to a priest, who blesses the home. Afterwards, unmarried guests make up the bed with flowers and shining white linens, everyone throws money on the bed to wish the couple good fortune, and then children are asked to jump on the bed as a symbolic wish for fertility. No windex is involved

From the little I have been able to find on the web it seems that each region of Greece will have variations on this. For example, in one region, the first of the girls to put a pillow into its pillow case is considered as the next to be married, kind of like the first to catch the bridal bouquet. In other regions they will specifically place a male child on the bed (or female) in their wish that the couple will be blessed with a male baby (or female). I will ask around at Church to see if anyone can shed light on the remaking of the bed three times, but there may not be anyone at my Church who is from the particular region which holds that tradition.

John

 

[yinekka]

Thanks John, I hope you will be able to find an answer.

Another thing that puzzled me is that the GO priest said that daughter and fiance should receive Holy Communion on Christmas Day but didn’t mention going to confession first. Do GOs have to be in the state of grace to receive Holy Communion?

Is the Blessed Sacrament kept in the GO church like in Catholic churches?

 

[Isa_Almisry]

Thanks John, I hope you will be able to find an answer.

Another thing that puzzled me is that the GO priest said that daughter and fiance should receive Holy Communion on Christmas Day but didn’t mention going to confession first. Do GOs have to be in the state of grace to receive Holy Communion?

Is the Blessed Sacrament kept in the GO church like in Catholic churches?

Praxis varies. Our priest tells us to confess at least once a month with frequent communion, my original parish was once every Lent (4 a year), and some insist on confession before every communion.

The Eucharist is kept on the altar (the tabernacle looks like a Church/steeple). There isn’t a cult of adoration per se, though, for instance, in procession during the presanctified we prostrate before Him.

 

[Alexius]

An Orthodox tabernacle:

http://www.trinitylight.net/images/tabernacle.jpg

Prayers and petitions,
Alexius

 

[prodromos]

Is the Blessed Sacrament kept in the GO church like in Catholic churches?

Every Pascha (Easter) on the Thursday of Holy Week, the Body and Blood of our Lord are reserved and kept in the Altar for the entire year for emergency purposes. The following Pascha on Wednesday of Holy week, the remaining sacraments are consumed by the priest and on Thursday the Body and Blood are once again reserved for the following year. This is one of the reasons why we venerate the Church building, because Christ is always physically present in His Body and Blood.

John