It's all Greek to Me

Question

What is the marriage sacrament?

Answer

The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is one of the seven sacraments observed by the Orthodox Church. The beauty and richness of this service is steeped in tradition and symbolism and has remained unchanged through the centuries. The rituals you will observe have special meaning and significance. Each is performed three times to honor the mystical presence of the Holy Trinity. Within the Orthodox theology of the Sacrament, it is God who unites the couple to become one and, in mutual love and understanding, live a Christian life together. Thus, there is no exchange of vows; rather, the conjugal union is blessed by Christ through the church. God’s grace is imparted to them to live together in his love, mutually fulfilling and perfecting each other. The sacrament is divided into two distinct parts: The Service of Betrothal and the Service of Crowning.

Question

What is the betrothal service?

Answer

The Betrothal Service is comprised of petitions, prayers and the exchange of rings. The service begins with a litany of petitions for the peace of the world and for the spiritual welfare of the bride and groom. The Priest petitions God for His blessings of the rings and thrice blesses the couple with the rings, saying “The servant of God, (groom) is betrothed to the handmaiden of God, (bride) in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The blessing alternates between them, symbolically entwining their lives. He then places the rings on the right hands of the bride and groom. While the final prayer is being read, the Koumbaro (sponsor) exchanges the rings three times, witnessing the expression of the two lives being entwined as one by the Grace of the Holy Trinity. The rings are placed onto the fingers of the right hand. As a closing prayer is offered, the agreement is sealed, and the rings assume new meaning in that God Himself has decreed the marriage.

Question

What's the deal with the crowns?

Answer

The Service of the Crowning is the wedding proper. It is comprised of five major elements: The Prayers; The Crowning; The Scripture Readings; The Common Cup; and The Dance of Isaiah. The candles held symbolize the spiritual willingness of the couple to receive the light of Christ, who will bless them through this sacrament and guide them throughout their life together. The prayers ask God to place the bride and groom into the company of holy couples from the Old and New Testaments and to “bless them...protect them...and remember them.” The right hands of the couple are joined and the Priest asks God to join them in one mind and one flesh The crowns (Stefana) symbolize the glory and honor that God will bestow upon the couple during the sacrament. The Stefana are joined by a ribbon that symbolizes the unity of the bride and groom in the presence of Christ,. The bride and groom are crowned as the king and queen of their own kingdom.

Question

What are the readings about?

Answer

There are two readings from the New Testament. They are the same readings for every wedding ceremony. An excerpt from St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians (5:20- 33) is read, expressing the strength and sacrifices required of a husband and wife, advising them to have unconditional love and service to one another and a marriage “holy and without blemish.” The second reading from the Gospel of St. John (2:1–11) relates the story of Christ at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, when Christ blessed the institution of marriage and performed the first of His miracles, transforming water into wine.

Question

Why do they drink out of the fancy cup?

Answer

In remembrance of this miracle, the priest brings a common cup of wine which the bride and groom sip three times, promising thereafter to share everything in life. The “Common Cup” symbolizes that the couple will share every joy and sorrow and that their joys will be doubled and their sorrow halved. They will always drink from the same cup of life, with faith in God, and honor and fidelity to one another.

Question

Why do they keep walking around in circles?!

Answer

The Priest, holding the Holy Gospel in the right hand, leads the couple in a ceremonial walk circling the center table on which the Cross is placed. They are now taking their first steps as husband and wife. The Church, in the person of the Priest, leads them, representing that they will walk through life with the Gospel and the Cross as their center. They are accompanied by their Koumbaro who will support them throughout their married life. The procession is accompanied by the singing of three hymns, the first of which is known as the Dance of Isaiah. This hymn recalls the joy that the Prophet Isaiah felt when he envisioned the coming of the Messiah.

Question

What's the white stuff on the fancy tray?

Answer

The sugar-coated almonds, or “koufeta,” which are placed on the tray with the crowns and given to the guests at the reception, are symbolic of an ancient tradition. The hard bitterness of the almond represents the endurance of marriage and the sweetness of the sugar symbolizes the sweetness of future life. The guests are given an odd number of almonds which is indivisible, just as the newlyweds will remain undivided.

Question

What's a "koumbaro?"

Answer

In the Greek Orthodox wedding, the bride and groom must select either a Koumbaros [male] or Koumbara [female], who acts as the official ‘sponsors’ of the marriage. The Koumbaros[a] must be Orthodox as they are active participants in the Sacrament of Marriage. No other member of the wedding party has to be Orthodox. Perhaps one of the most significant and recognizable parts of the ceremony is when the Koumbaros[a] places the crowns (stefana) on the heads of the bride and groom. As the name quite literally suggests, the stephana do in fact represent crowns as the marriage is viewed as creating a new kingdom where the bride and groom are consider the king and queen of the home and family. This is also extremely important since tradition usually says that the bride and groom’s Koumbaros[a] is also the one to baptize the first born child of the couple. They become the spiritual guides of the child, and their primary obligation is to help the child live in the Orthodox way.

Question

What is Byzantine chant?

Answer

Byzantine Chant is strictly vocal. This means that it is a form of music always performed a capella. Instruments were excluded from worship since early Christian times because they were associated with pagan rites, but also because the voice was regarded as the most pure and perfect instrument. Additionally, instrumental music was believed to excite the senses and was consequently considered unsuitable for worship. Byzantine chant is also strictly monophonic. In other words, it is performed by a single cantor or a choir singing one melody in unison. It should also be noted that Byzantine melodies are frequently accompanied by a drone known as the ison, which is a constant humming of a single note (the root note of the main tetrachord in which the melody is moving). This centuries-old practice is sometimes considered a form of proto-polyphony. However, its primary function seems to be tonal stability rather than harmonic enrichment of the melody.

Question

What is Orthodoxy?

Answer

The Orthodox Church is the second-largest Christian Church and one of the oldest extant religious institutions in the world. It developed in the Greek-speaking Eastern part of the Roman Empire and continued later in the Byzantine Empire and beyond, The Orthodox Church teaches that it is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church established by Jesus Christ in his Great Commission to the apostles. It practices what it understands to be the original Christian faith and maintains the sacred tradition passed down from the apostles. The Orthodox Church is a communion of autocephalous churches. It teaches that all bishops are equal by virtue of their ordination, and has no central governing structure analogous to the Papacy in the Roman Catholic Church. The Orthodox Church had shared communion with the Roman Catholic Church until the East–West Schism of AD 1054. viist https://www.goarch.org to learn more!