Pre Wedding Party

Here is Crete it is traditional for the families of both the bride and groom to have a party during the week before the wedding. I went to one such last night. It was held in the church hall of the village and there were about 100 guests. Usually there would have been music but due to a death in the village recently there was to be no music and no gun firing (!!!) there was plenty of food and wine though! The wine had been saved from the year the bridegroom was born so it was pretty strong. On the table were meatballs, cheese and honey, fried live, cheese pies, dolmades and stuffed vine leaves. Later arrived, boiled lamb and pilafi, salad, roast lamb with roast potatoes and the meal was finished with a selection of sweets. As each family left they were given a loaf of spiced bread, made into a decorative ring. The usual gift after the bridegroom's party. Later in the week the families will have another party - the blessing of the bridal bed - This will begin with live music and the bridesmaids make the bridal bed - the groom and best man and groomsmen rip the bedclothes off and it is remade, ripped off again etc. In the end it is left made up and guests throw rice, rose petals, money - and occasionally small children onto the bed for luck! The meal at this will be pretty much the same as the other parties, and indeed the wedding feast itself........