Simera Gamos Ginetai – Lyrics

February 29, 2008 in Folk Songs, Greek Customs (in Greece), Music, The Bed / Krevati | Tags: | by | 11 comments

I am trying to collect the Greek folk songs that people sing during Greek wedding rituals. It would be nice to have the Greek, the Greeklish and the translations. Please help by posting a comment below.
The following Lyrics have come from allthelyrics.com

Greek – Greeklish – English Translation

Simera gamos ginetai- Today We’re Having A Wedding

Σήμερα γά- σήμερα γάμος γίνεται /Simera ga – simera gamos ginete
σ’ ωραίο περιβόλι, σ’ ωραίο περιβόλι (δις) / s’oreo perivoli, s’oreo perivoli

Σήμερα απο-, σήμερα αποχωρίζεται / simera apo – simera apoxorizete
η μάνα από την κόρη, η μάνα από την κόρη(δις) / i mana apo tin kori, i mana apo tin kori

Γαμπρέ τη νύ-, γαμπρέ τη νύφη ν’ αγαπάς (δις) / gampre ti ni – gampre ti nifi na agapas
Να μην την εμαλώνεις, να μην την εμαλώνεις (δις) / na min tin emaloneis, na min tin emaloneis

Σαν τον βασί-, σαν τον βασιλικό στη γή (δις) / san ton vasi – san ton vasiliko sti gi
Να την εκαμαρώνεις, να την εκαμαρώνεις (δις) / na tin ekamaroneis, na tin ekamaroneis

δις = twice (the chorus)

Nifikatos – Lyrics

February 29, 2008 in Folk Songs, Greek Customs (in Greece), Music, The Bed / Krevati | Tags: | by | 1 comment

I am trying to collect the Greek folk songs that people sing during Greek wedding rituals. It would be nice to have the Greek, the Greeklish and the translations. Please help by posting a comment below.
The following Lyrics have come from  Boston Lykeion Ellinidon

Greek – Greeklish – English Translation

Νυφικάτος - Nyfikatos

Νύφη μ’ κι αν ήμπες σε μπαξέ, Bride with whatever impes in baxe,
κι αν έκοψες λουλούδι, They cut flower,
καλά να το μυρίζεσαι, Well to the myrizesai,
να σε ζηλεύουν όλοι. To be the envy of everyone.Ω, νυφούλα μ’ να γεράσεις, Oh nyfoula μ ‘to old,
και τρισέγγονα να πιάσεις. And trisengona to walk.Σήμερα άσπρος ουρανός, Today white sky,
σήμερα άσπρη μέρα. Today white day.
Σήμερα αποχωρίζεται Today dissociate
μανά και θυγατέρα. Mother and daughter.

Ω, νυφούλα μ’ στολισμένη, Oh nyfoula with decorated,
Παναγιά ζωγραφισμένη. Virgin Mary painted.

Της νύφης το ματόκλαδο The bride to matoklado
και του γαμπρού τα κάλλη And of the husband and culture
Εψές τα ζωγραφίσανε, Epses the paint,
άγγελοι και δασκάλοι Angels and teachers

Ω, νυφούλα μ’ να γεράσεις, Oh nyfoula μ ‘to old,
και τρισέγγονα να πιάσεις. And trisengona to walk.

Τη νύφη μας την είχαμε, The bride us, we,
στην κόλλα διλπωμένη, Dilpomeni in glue,
τώρα την ξεδιπλώσαμε Now xediplosame
στον κόσμο ξακουσμένη. Xakousmeni in the world.

Ω, νυφούλα μ’ να γεράσεις, Oh nyfoula μ ‘to old,
και τρισέγγονα να πιάσεις. And trisengona to walk.

Νύφη μ’ κι αν ήμπες σε μπαξέ, Bride with whatever impes in baxe,
κι αν έκοψες λουλούδι, They cut flower,
καλά να το μυρίζεσαι, Well to the myrizesai,
να σε ζηλεύουν όλοι. To be the envy of everyone.

Ω, νυφούλα μ’ να γεράσεις, Oh nyfoula μ ‘to old,
και τρισέγγονα να πιάσεις . And trisengona to walk.

Kidnapping The Bride

February 29, 2008 in American Customs, Greek Customs (in Greece), Pre Wedding Rituals, Traditions | by | 2 comments

This clip from the movie Borat will give you an idea of the old Greek tradition of ‘Kidnapping The Bride’.

According to WeddingChannel.com it is common for the grooms family to ‘kidnap’ the bride before the wedding.

In the ‘old days’ the brides family was expected to pay a dowry to the grooms family. If the bride’s father was not forthcoming with the expected dowry, the groom and his attendants would kidnap the bride and negotiate with her father for her return.

Over time, many traditions have changed and i don’t think it would still be considered appropriate to kidnap anyone or to expect an official payment for the bride. However these old traditions have taken a modern form and are now celebrated in a slightly different way.

Some Greek or Greek-American grooms conspire with their male attendants for a pre-wedding “kidnapping” of the bride, whisking her off to a nice dinner with her future husband and his attendants.

This tradition sounds like a bit of fun, but should not be taken too seriously.

So how would you plan to kidnap a bride? Any interesting stories?

Read the rest of this entry »

White Dresses and Red Sheets

February 27, 2008 in After the Wedding, Fashion, Greek Customs (in Greece), The Bed / Krevati, Traditions | by | Leave a comment

Imagine the look on your Yia yia’s face when you tell her that you don’t want to wear a white wedding dress…

White wedding dresses have long symbolised the purity and the ‘virginity’ of the bride. It is no wonder that we women are expected to wear white when we walk down the aisle. 

I  have heard many stories about the ‘old days’ when the mother in law would inspect the sheets the morning after the wedding. The red sheets (stained with blood) were paraded around the village as proof that the bride was in fact a virgin.

I don’t believe this tradition is still practiced anywhere in the world, but i know that it is still talked about.

White wedding dresses are a tradition of many different cultures but it became ‘fashionable’ when Queen Victoria married her cousin Albert of Saxe – Coburg in 1840. You can read about this all over the net. Here is a link to one website if are interested: History of the White Wedding Dress.

queen-victoria.jpg

 Do you think that white wedding dresses are still fashionable or outdated?

Read the rest of this entry »

A Wedding That Embraces Greek Traditions

February 15, 2008 in Crowns / Stefana, Down the Asile, Flowers, Getting to the Church, Greek Customs (in Greece), Greek Dancing, Shoes, Smashing Plates, Traditions, Youtube | by | 8 comments

Watch this Greek Wedding video from youtube. It shows a lot of the Greek traditions that I write about on this blog including:

Other Traditions

February 15, 2008 in Top Ten | by | Leave a comment

Find out more about other wedding traditions:

Walking Down The Asile

February 15, 2008 in Top Ten | by | Leave a comment

Read more about walking down the asile:

Superstitions

February 15, 2008 in Top Ten | by | 3 comments

Read More About Greek Wedding Superstitions:

Crowns

February 15, 2008 in Top Ten | by | Leave a comment

Read more about Crowns:

Candles (Lambades)

February 15, 2008 in Top Ten | by | Leave a comment

Read more about Candles:

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 26 other followers