It has been a couple of days since I came across a very interesting statistics on the most valued elements of the modern Romanian society. Not surprisingly, the family qualified in top 5 when it came to choosing between various institutions which were considered in this poll. The Church and the army are the first two most appreciated establishments by those who expressed their opinions. Traditionally the Romanian family consists of husband and wife and one to three children, but this number may depend on region and local traditions. Yet no matter the region where they live, the couple first goes to the town hall to register their marriage and after that both of them with relatives and friends go together to the church to symbolically unify their destiny in front of God and the community. This being done the wedding party can begin. The links and connections between relatives and the members of the family are very strong in Romania. The grandparents play a vital role in raising the children, the aunts, uncles, cousins and some other distant relatives usually help each other in order to achieve the common goal of prosperity and happiness. For example in case of a close relative’s death most members of a family – both elders and youngsters - come together and prepare everything and support each other. This is an unfortunate occasion, however life is easier when there is somebody there to listen to you and offer a little help when you need it. Of course besides milk and honey there are also some clouds that might bring sorrow to the Promised Land of the Romanian family. Some of the guys who get married are not quite ready to consider their new responsibility as fathers, loving husbands and all in all “pater familias”. Some of them start drinking and cannot stop anymore. Their wives and children fall victim to their frustration and low self esteem. In this case the state must help and protect. That is the case of abused women who can get any necessary assistance from specialized state organizations and personnel, NGO’s and the Church. All in all family is still the most reliable institution in Romania. As a matter of fact most of those who went abroad to work or study come back home after a longer or shorter period they spent working in a foreign country. Some of them actually have left just to save some money and return home to buy a house and get married.
The traditional wedding service in the Greek Orthodox faith is an ancient and gorgeous ceremony that's continued unchanged for centuries.
It's also a ceremony full of symbolism. And it amounts to a great experience if you've never attended one before, because it's likely to be quite different from other weddings you've been to.
Many people find the service itself rather unique. The bride and groom don't make vows to each other — it's understood that standing together in the church shows they're serious about getting married.
How it All Begins ... In most cases, the wedding guests wait with the groom outside the church until the bride arrives (a few sneaky wedding pros will go into the church early to secure a good seat). In summer, when most weddings take place, it's not unusual for ceremonies to be scheduled back to back. So the wedding guests will often hang around with those who've just attended the previous wedding as they prepare to leave. The crowd's professional wedding commentators will get to talk over at least two and maybe even three brides as they leave the church (bargain)!
Meanwhile, the nervous groom waits for the bride at the entrance to the church, often holding her bouquet. He hands it to her as they meet. Then they stroll inside together, followed by the guests. There's no dividing guests into those "for the bride" or "for the groom" — everyone sits together, and in the case of small churches, many people actually prefer to stand somewhere that offers a great view of the proceedings.
Service of Betrothal. The wedding ceremony itself takes place in two parts: the Service of Betrothal, and the Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage. The Service of Betrothal focuses on the ring exchange. The priest blesses the rings by holding them in his right hand, and makes the sign of the cross over the the bride's and groom's heads. He then places the rings on the third fingers of their right hands.
The "Koumbaro," the couple's religious sponsor, then swaps the rings three times between the bride and groom's fingers. A number of rituals in the ceremony are repeated three times, which symbolizes the Holy Trinity.
Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage. This Ceremony consists of several key parts. First, the priest leads several prayers. Then, as they come to an end, he joins the right hands of the bride and groom. Their hands remain joined until the wedding ceremony ends, which symbolizes their union.
The Crowning. The bride and groom are crowned with flowered crowns, or "stefana", which are joined by a white ribbon and have been blessed by the priest. The crowns symbolize the glory and honor bestowed on them by God, and the the ribbon signifies the couple's unity. The "Koumbaro" then exchanges the crowns three times between the couple's heads.
The Common Cup. The priest follows the crowning with a Gospel reading, which tells of the marriage of Cana at Galilee. It was at this wedding that Jesus performed his first miracle, changing water into wine and offering the result to the married couple. Repeating this ritual, the priest gives wine to the couple. They each drink from the cup three times.
The Ceremonial Walk. The priest now leads the stafana-crowned couple three times around the altar, which amounts to their first steps as a married couple. The "Koumbaro" follows close behind, holding the stefana place.
At this point the couple (and anyone standing nearby) is usually pelted with rice, which ushers handed out earlier to the guests. The rice throwing can get pretty wild — and it's not unusual to catch the priest warding off the rice assault with his Bible.
The Removal of the Crowns. When the Ceremonial Walk ends, the priest then blesses the couple, removes the crowns and separates their previously-joined hands with the Bible, reminding them that only God can break the union they've just entered into.
Wedding Traditions and Where They're Headed. Much of the information available on Greek Orthodox wedding traditions is slightly outdated, and sometimes gives the impression that every Greek couple who marries still follows them. Some of these waning traditions include:
- Rolling a baby on the marital bed to encourage fertility.
- Throwing money onto the marital bed.
- Pinning money on the bride (and sometimes the groom) at the wedding reception.
Although these rituals are seen as traditional, fewer and fewer young people are adopting them — they seem rather old-fashioned, just as the Dollar Dance seems somewhat outdated to some American brides.
After all, many couples don't want to put their guests through the ordeal of having a monetary gift put on public display. Although money's still a very common (as well as practical and appreciated) wedding present, guests often give it to the couple ahead of time, or hand it to someone like the best man at the reception for safekeeping.
Greeks living in the more remote parts of Greece and abroad, who often feel more strongly about doing things the traditional way, are more likely to follow these traditions than a young couple living in Athens. Still, like weddings everywhere, Greek weddings are changing. At the time of this writing, there's a growing fashion to go and get married on an island, and I recently heard someone say that he was looking into getting married in a ski resort.
Not everyone is leaping head first into nontraditional weddings, however. As his friend wisely pointed out, "You'd better first ask the priest if he wants to perform a marriage up a mountain!"
The Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross is celebrated each year on September 14. The Feast commemorates the finding of the True Cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by Saint Helen, the mother of the Emperor Constantine. Background
In the twentieth year of his reign (326), the Emperor Constantine sent his mother Saint Helen to Jerusalem to venerate the holy places and to find the site of the Holy Sepulchre and of the Cross. Relying upon the oral tradition of the faithful, Saint Helen found the precious Cross together with the crosses of the two thieves crucified with our Lord. However, Helen had no way of determining which was the Cross of Christ.
With the healing of a dying woman who touched one of the crosses, Patriarch Macarius of Jerusalem identified the True Cross of Christ. Saint Helen and her court venerated the Precious and Life-Giving Cross along with many others who came to see this great instrument of Redemption.
The Patriarch mounted the ambo (pulpit) and lifted the Cross with both hands so that all of the people gathered could see it. The crowed responded with "Lord have mercy".
This became the occasion of the institution in all of the Churches of the Exaltation of the Precious Cross, not only in memory of the event of the finding of the Cross, but also to celebrate how an instrument of shame was used to overcome death and bring salvation and eternal life.
The Feast is an opportunity outside of the observances of Holy Week to celebrate the full significance of the victory of the Cross over the powers of the world, and the triumph of the wisdom of God through the Cross over the wisdom of this world. This Feast also gives the Church an opportunity to relish the full glory of the Cross as a source of light, hope and victory for Christ's people. It is also a time to celebrate the universality of the work of redemption accomplished through the Cross: the entire universe is seen through the light of the Cross, the new Tree of Life which provides nourishment for those who have been redeemed in Christ. 1. Patriarch Macarius is seen standing on the pulpit in the center of the icon elevating the Cross.
Icon of the Feast
The icon of the Feast of the Precious Cross tells the story of the finding of the Cross and of its Exaltation. Patriarch Macarius is standing in the pulpit elevating the Cross for all to see and venerate. On each side of the Patriarch are deacons holding candles. The elevated Cross is surrounded and venerated by many clergy and lay people, including Saint Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine. Deacons can be seen holding candles while coming to venerate the Holy Cross (detail).
In the background of the icon is a domed structure that represents the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. This church was one of the churches constructed and dedicated by Emperor Constantine on the holy sites of Jerusalem. Saint Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine who discovered the Holy Cross (detail).
Orthodox Christian Celebration of the FEAST OF THE Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross
This Feast of our Lord is celebrated with the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, which is conducted on the day of the feast and preceded by the Matins service. A Great Vespers is conducted on the evening before the day of the feast.
On the day of the Feast at the conclusion of the Matins or of the Divine Liturgy, a special service is held. The Cross is placed on a tray surrounded by branches of basil and is taken in solemn procession through the church to the chanting of the Hymn of the Feast. The tray is placed on a table, and the priest takes the Cross and offers petitions from each side of the table, the four directions of the compass. This represents the universal nature of the offering of Christ upon the Cross. As the people respond by chanting "Lord have mercy", the priest raises and lowers the cross, a commemoration of its finding and exaltation. At the conclusion of the service, the people come and venerate the cross and receive the basil from the priest. The basil is used and offered, as it was the fragrant flower growing where the Cross was found.
Scripture readings for the Feast of the Cross are the following: At Vespers: Exodus 15:22-16:1; Proverbs 3:11-18; Isaiah 60:11-16. At the Orthros (Matins): John 12:28-36. At the Divine Liturgy: I Corinthians 1:18-24; John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30-35.
Hymns of the Feast
Apolytikion (First Tone)
Save, O Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance; grant victory to the faithful over their adversaries. And protect Your commonwealth, by the power of Your Cross.
Kontakion (Fourth Tone)
You who were lifted upon the Cross of Your own will, O Christ our God, bestow Your compassions upon the commonwealth that bears Your Name. By Your power, gladden our faithful rulers, giving them victory over their adversaries. May your alliance be for them a weapon for peace, an invincible standard. (source GOARCH)
The Orthodox calendar mentions Saint Valentine, actually more than one Valentine. It depends on the country and on the decisions of the Patriarch and the synod (council). For example the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrates a St. Valentine on April 24. This saint lived in Moesia in Durostorum. He was martyred because he was a Christian and refused to worship the pagan gods. In the Romanian Orthodox calendar there is a Saint Valentine celebrated on February the 16. (Sfantul Valentin 16 februarie). This Saint Valens lived in Caesarea Palestine (or Caesarea Maritima). Valens was martyred during the persecution begun by Diocletian in 303. Another Saint Martyr executed on the same day is Saint Pamphilus - Christian scholar whose most important disciple was Eusebius of Caesarea - for further reading go to GOARCH. A full list of the saints celebrated on February 16 is available on OrthodoxWIKI. Martyrs Pamphilus the presbyter, Valens the deacon, Paul, Seleucus, Porphyrius, Julian, Theodulus, Elias, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Samuel and Daniel, at Caesaria in Palestine; Saint Maruthas, Bishop of Martyropolis in Mesopotamia, and the Persians martyred with him; Martyr Romanus of Mount Athos; New-Martyrs Priest Elias and Priest Peter Lagov; Saint Flavian the hermit; Saint Flavian, Archbishop of Antioch; Saint Flavian the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople; Saint Romanos the Younger; Virgin-Martyr Juliana of Naples. Other events: repose of Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow, Apostle to the Altai.
The Roman Catholic Church celebrates on February 14th Saint Valentine. There are three saints - all martyred - named Valentine, Valens or Valentinus in the Catholic calendar. It is said that he was a priest who lived during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius II - 3rd century AD. The Emperor outlawed the marriage of young men because he wanted them to join the army and not no be concerned with the daily life of a family. Valentinus continued to perform marriages and defied the decree. The Emperor found put and ordered the execution of Valentine. It seems that in fact the Catholic Church tried to adapt and adopt the pagan rituals which were still very popular in the early years of Christianity. It is said that St Valentine is the patron saint of lovers and love. People give presents to the loved ones on this day. "Will you be mt Valentine?" and the handwritten love notes are very popular especially in the western countries and the are becoming increasingly popular with lovers all over the world. A very interesting article about St. Valentine and the modern celebration of this saint may be found here. I dare to quote: "And St. Valentine demonstrated this love when he died for his friends, and for his faith in Christ. This is the kind of love that Valentine's Day is really all about. And this is what his Feast Day of Feb. 14 should bring to our minds. May God help us to have that same kind of love for others, and that same kind of commitment and faithfulness to Christ, even in the face of death, until the Lord calls us home."
Astăzi în ziua Învierii Domnului nostru Iisus Hristos întreaga comunitate creştină se bucură de minunea revenirii lumii la viaţa cea fără de moarte. Iisus Domnul s-a pogorât la iad şi a învins duhurile necurate ce chinuiau lumea cu lucrarea lor cea întunecată. Şi toate astea Hristos prin jertfa Sa le-a făcut pentru ca toţi inclusiv tu să poţi avea din nou şansa unei vieţi aproape de Dumnezeu şi întru Dumnezeu.
Sărbători fericite şi toate cele bune alături de cei dragi. Lumină în suflete şi în gânduri.
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