The indigenous population of Cyprus reverently and carefully treats national traditions, the most important of which is considered a wedding.
The father of the future spouse is obliged to provide her with a dowry – a house. Cypriot weddings are crowded: depending on the financial situation of the couple, they are able to gather up to a thousand guests invited from both sides. As gifts, as a rule, money is presented so that the newlyweds have the opportunity to start a family life with dignity.
If the wedding takes place in the village, then there are a number of rituals in which all the inhabitants of the village are involved. The future spouse should shave at his parents’ house to the sound of a violin. When the young are ready, they slowly move to the village church, accompanied by relatives, friends, acquaintances. The priest during the wedding gives the young a tiara to seal their union. When all the guests go to the banquet, the newlyweds enter the hall first and start dancing, the guests who come up decorate their festive outfits with banknotes.
What will the baby be called?
The tradition of Cyprus concerning the names given to children at birth is interesting. First, the chosen name must be approved by the church and belong to one of the venerated saints. Secondly, the first-born boy is named after his grandfather on the father’s side; if a daughter appears first in the family, she bears the name of her grandmother on the father’s side. All subsequent children are named after their maternal grandparents. That’s why there are so many people with the same names in the families of Cyprus.
The Sacrament of Baptism
The rite of baptism is obligatory, everyone must accept it. Usually babies under the age of six months are baptized. To do this, the child is brought to the church, where they are stripped naked before the ceremony. During the ceremony, the priest reads prayers and smears the eyes, mouth, nose of the child with the world. At the end of the ceremony, a little hair is cut off for the baby. The sacrament is completed by dipping into the font, from which the godson is handed over to one of the godparents. They dress the child in the best clothes made of expensive fabric. Sweets are presented to all those present at the baptism and just to passers-by. This is followed by the celebration of the christening in one of the cafes or restaurants of the village.