As an independent rabbi, I not only officiate at weddings of two Jewish individuals but interfaith couples as well. One wedding ceremony was an unusual and beautiful blend of two great traditions- Jewish and Greek. The bride from a family steeped in Judaism and the groom 1st generation Greek orthodox. The goal was to try and meld together the two backgrounds into one glorious ceremony. And it worked. I co- officiated with an interfaith minister who learned Greek prayers including the Greek equivalent of Mazel Tov.
It turns out that the Jewish ceremony honors the bride and groom as if they were a king and queen for the day. In the older Eastern European Shetls townsfolk would carry the bride from her home on a chair to the outdoor square where the marriage usually took place. She was treated as royalty and that is where the “chair tradition” comes from. The Greek, orthodox tradition which the couple did involves “crowning”- the bride and groom buy crowns filled with garlands. This stephana or wreath signifies mastery of the bride and groom’s home. The flowers represent romance and life’s sweet blessings. As they were crowned at our ceremony they are forever united as King and Queen.
The sharing of a cup of wine during the Kiddish with the bride’s family’s kiddish cup is another tradition common to both religions as wine is looked upon by Greek and Jewish people as a symbol of the joy and richness of life and the sweetness of love.
I would also like to share the ending of the ceremony which has commonality as well. My co- officiant offered the bride and groom honey and walnuts on a silver spoon signifying sweetness and fertility. Because the walnut can break into 4 parts it also represents the bride, groom and their 2 families. Under the Chupah or wedding canopy according to the Jewish religion the parents of the couple stand and witness the whole ceremony. This was a great honor for both families. And at the end of the ceremony the groom broke the glass which marks the beginning of the wedding celebration. It is a time to shout “Mazel Tov” and to appreciate the “sweetness” of this transformational moment. I also brought out how it can symbolize the breaking down of barriers between people of different cultures and faith which this wedding symbolized.
-OMG- my sister and i are of the jewish faith and her boyfriend is greek, so it was nice to see what could happen in the future with these wedding plans. We always used to think that the Italians were like us, but I guess this is a passage I am going to have to show this man. Thank you again!