A few words about the wedding:

The traditional wedding in Eressos lasted 8 days. On the first night of the engagement they made the well-known sweet pancakes with honey and coconut, in which only the closest relatives participated. On this first visit, the groom gave his word and they also arranged the dowry that the bride would give.

After a short time the official engagement took place. There were organized a feast where several relatives and friends were invited and they in turn wished "the time is good". In the following days, preparations for the wedding were made with Friday, Saturday and Sunday being the last three days.

                                                                                      Wedding songs:

Nyfikatos

Bride me if you were to bachche

and if you cut a flower

well to smell it

to be jealous of you, who are a jealous of you.

O weast to grow old

and three grandchildren to catch.

Today's white sky

today white day

today mother and daughter are separated.

O weave jealous

panagia painted.

Of our bride, the bride the matoklado

and the groom's beauty,

esses the zgorafisani

angels and teachers.

O weave jealous

panagia painted.

Our bride was held

on the glue folded

now they unfolded it

and it's painted.

Get up my groom and change

Get up groom, pick up my brother-in-law and change and put on your gold

y, my Smyrnia, my lemon tree.

Our brother-in-law is, our brother-in-law is a worthy boat to armour

e My smyrnia, my chian lemon tree.

Of the boat, of the boat the anchor to soften it

y, my Smyrnia, my lemon tree.

Our brother-in-law is, our brother-in-law is the Sun and the bride is the Moon,

y, my Smyrnia, my lemon tree.

And the best man, and the best man famous from Mytilene,

y, my Smyrnia, my lemon tree.

Get up groom, pick up groom and kiss your mother's hand,

y, my Smyrnia, my lemon tree.

Why will you go, because you will go to the church to make another match,

y, my Smyrnia, my lemon tree.

Information about the male and female traditional costume of Eressos.

The day of the crowning

The day of the crowning is a very special day for the groom and the bride.

The bride's relatives make a large baklava and give it to the groom's father and mother in exchange for the groom himself. They then hand him over.

Then the bride begins to prepare while the groom's relatives take a sni (large baking pan) and inside they put a red cloth. Then the groom comes in and the suffering begins to get an idea of what will follow after the wedding. The bekiars (young unmarried men) pick him up, take off the clothes he wears and put the suit upside down, stirring his hair. After this procedure they take off his clothes again and this time they put them back on him properly. They also comb him and put cologne on him. So immediately afterwards the groom gets the wish of relatives and friends and with the accompaniment of music they set off for the bride's house. When they get to the bride's house, the father and sometimes also the brother give the bride's hand to the groom and so they leave for the church.

Then follows the ceremony and the groom and the bride unite their lives with the bonds of marriage.

After the ceremony, the reception takes place and thus ends this great act that finds a couple united with the blessing of God.

The asknida

The asknida or otherwise bed is a custom that is preserved until today, although a little altered. This celebration was held before the wedding of a couple.

The groom along with the relatives went to the bride's house with a mule on which he had his doweed on.

As soon as the groom entered the bride's house, he would go and set her bed.

After laying the bed, the people who were there, prepared an orange branch in a red cloth and gave it to the groom to put it on top of the icons. The groom's job, however, was not so easy as relatives and friends chasted him until he put it right.

So after plenty of feasting and dancing this ceremony ended and the wedding followed.

The Ovrios

Ovrios is a custom that starts from the very old days and continues until today. This custom wants to show us the punishment of Judas by the people, because he betrayed Jesus and condemned him to death.

The men and the little boys of the village went up to the mountains of the village and cut the asts (small bushes) loaded on the beds old rantzas and unloaded them somewhere for a few days to dry.

A few days before her resurrection, they loaded her back on the beds and took them outside the church from which the custom originates, Agios Konstantinos. There they made them a large hill that on top put a scarecrow which symbolized Judas.

As the day of resurrection arrived and the priest said "Christ is Risen", the people who were there set fire to the hill with the asves and began to throw fireworks on it.

This is how this custom ends with the death of Judas.