Meaning behind the Greek Orthodox wedding crowns

There’s no lack of traditions when it comes to Greek weddings. In fact, tradition is core to how and why things are done. But be aware there are Greek wedding traditions and Greek Orthodox traditions. Sometimes they may seem the same, but for those who are part of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church, they don’t have much say in their wedding plan because they have to follow the Greek Orthodox liturgy. Among these Greek Orthodox rituals is a custom that goes back to the 11^th century–the Greek orthodox wedding crown. This ancient Greek cultural ritual is considered one of the most important among the Greek Orthodox wedding traditions.

 

Greek Orthodox wedding crowns

Traditionally these martial crowns also known as Stefana (crown in Greek) were crafted from flowers, foliage, or even precious metals. Then and now they represent signs of wisdom, justice, integrity, glory, and honor. Today’s Greek Orthodox wedding crowns are available in a number of styles and during the ceremony they are presented on the Stefana tray along with sugar coated almonds (koufeta). 

 

Greek Stefana crowns ritual

Within the Greek Orthodox wedding proceedings, the crowning ceremony typically takes place after the betrothal (ring exchange). No vows are spoken by the couple to one another because their commitment is to God to care for and love each other unconditionally. For this reason, instead of facing each other, they face the altar (representing God). Instead of vows, the Stefana crowns placed on the heads of the bride and groom during the wedding ceremony mean they are married. 

 

The Stefana crown ritual starts with the priest blessing the crowns in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Then he places one crown on the bride and the other on the groom. This crowning symbolizes that they are the King and Queen of their household which they will oversee with love and faith. Then, the Koumbaros (the best man or wedding sponsor) swaps the crowns back and forth between the bride and groom three times as the couple walks around the altar three times to signify their marital journey through life together. Finally, the crowns are tied together with a ribbon to symbolize the couple's union. The crowns represent wisdom, justice, integrity, glory and honor. Finally, the priest blesses the couple before removing the crowns.

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Photo credits: Stefana Margaret, Stefana Margaret

Wedding ring customs from the ancient world

Delving into the history of wedding rings leads to ancient cultures with rings crafted of similar materials but symbolizing different meanings. Where did the wedding ring custom get its start? Like many ancient customs it is not something agreed upon even by historians. In my research, I give that nod of the head toward the ancient Egyptians, but some suggest it goes back all the way to the Neanderthals.

 

Wedding ring customs through the centuries

Marriage existed throughout ancient cultures around the world. And from this tradition came the custom of wedding rings. The look of wedding rings has changed throughout the centuries. Earliest rings were crafted of leather, ivory or bone. While the materials used were similar among early cultures, it's interesting to note that what wedding rings represented differed from one culture to another.

 

Ancient Egyptian wedding rings

The origin of wedding rings isn’t one hundred percent certain, but based on archeological evidence dating back 3000 years, most historians agree that ancient Egypt was the first culture to exchange wedding rings. These rings were intricately crafted into beautiful jewelry from braided reeds and hemp and placed on the fourth finger as a symbol of the love. However, the ring exchange was not part of a public wedding ceremony but took place in private with rings presented as gifts. Historians have determined through hieroglyphics that the shape of the ring, the circle, symbolized eternal life and the opening in the center was thought to be a portal to a future between two newlyweds.

 

Ancient Roman wedding rings

Marriages in ancient Rome had to conform to Roman law and were categorized by social class. This included three different categories of weddings: Usus, Coemptio, and Confarreatio. For the lowest class, the word for marriage was Usus. Today, we can compare it to a common-law marriage. For the next class up, marriage was known as the Coemptio and involved purchasing the bride. In this case, not all historians agree on whether this was an actual purchase or a symbolic sale, but either way, the ring represented a purchase. However, neither of these marriages were considered legal.

 

The only authorized marriage in Ancient Rome was the Confarreatio, a privilege reserved for the elite upper class. These marriages were presided over and the groom presented his bride with a ring during the ceremony. The wedding ring tradition began with rings made of flint and bone. Later rings were crafted of copper, silver, and gold. Most Confarreatio rings were crafted of iron or gold with the iron ring worn in private and the gold ring worn in public. Even in these upper-class marriages, the rings were not considered symbols of love but rather symbols of possession—that the wife belonged to the husband. However, in the brides favor, it also meant that the married woman had a right to her husband’s possessions. 

 

Ancient Greek wedding rings

The first Ancient Greek wedding rings were also crafted of leather, ivory or bone, but when metal rings were introduced, a simple gold band was worn on the left hand as an engagement ring and was then moved to the right hand when married. Later gold rings inlaid with colorful gems, crystals, or glass became popular. These precious rings were often passed from one generation to the next becoming the first heirloom rings. 

Indian wedding rings

Historically, in Ancient India, according to Manu Smiriti, the laws of Manu or Manava Dharma Shastra, eight main forms of Hindu marriages existed in ancient India. I will create another post to explain that in detail at another time. In ancient India, gold was the most idolized form of jewelry. This love of gold jewelry even extended to dressing animals, like elephants, in intricate gem-studded pieces. It is thought that this love for jewelry stemmed from the culture’s belief in mystical qualities thought to protect the wearer from evil. Traditional Indian brides wore the wedding ring on the right hand because the left hand is considered unclean.

A couple of other things worth mentioning include the Nath, also commonly known as the nose stud or Indian bridal nose ring. Ancient Indian brides (and brides today) wore this bridal nose ring with a long chain of gold connected to the ear. This is not a wedding ring but is part of the bride’s ensemble. 

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The biblical story of Esther is about a woman chosen as a candidate to become queen to the Persian king after he deposed his first wife. As Esther waited her turn to see the king, she had help getting ready. While I can’t say for sure, tradition puts Esther at 40 years old at the time. In some ways, with many women involved, it was a beauty contest and the preparation took a year. First, Esther used myrrh for six months as part of her beauty treatments. Used topically, myrrh oil helps fade blemishes, reduces symptoms of eczema and other skin ailments, and effectively cleans, moisturizes, and tightens the skin. It is also said to bring emotional balance. Esther's myrrh routine was followed by six months of other beauty treatments.

 

Ancient skin care secrets

So what else can we learn from ancient cultures regarding skin treatments before the wedding day arrives? When it comes to ancient times and beauty, I couldn’t help but think of Cleopatra’s life. Maintaining beauty was a life-long endeavor for her. Many of the things she used were not available to common folk at the time but some are still available to us today.

Milk baths: Cleopatra was renowned for her milk baths which kept her skin soft and beautiful. Even if you’ve heard about her milk baths, you might not know that the milk was not cow’s milk. It wasn’t even goat or sheep milk. It was donkey’s milk. Soured donkey’s milk. I know you might be scrunching your nose at this, but donkey’s milk was the beverage of the rich and widely accepted as the best substitute for infants when breastmilk wasn't available. The soured milk provided an extra benefit for her skin because when soured, the lactose in the milk converted to lactic acid.  When alpha hydroxy acids, like lactic acid, are applied to the skin it works kind of like a mild chemical peel. The surface layer of dead skin cells is eaten away, leaving new smoother blemish-free skin. Other ingredients added to her bath included:

Honey: Honey helps open the pores to clear away dirt, gently exfoliates, lightens scars, fights acne, deeply moisturizes.

Lavender and rose petals: While this was probably added for fragrance, it is interesting to note that lavender oil heals skin conditions. Its anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and detoxifying benefits, helps diminish redness, soothes and calms the skin and rapidly heal minor cuts and scrapes, as well as any rashes.

A modern-day option to replace a milk bath is the use of plain Greek yogurt. It offers the same mild exfoliating action that removes dry skin and leave’s skin feeling refreshed and comfortable.

Egyptian Magic: Honey, Beeswax, Olive Oil, 

Royal Jelly, Bee Pollen and Bee Propolis.

 

Royal jelly: (This one is also from Cleopatra’s beauty secrets). Royal jelly is secreted by bees feeding the queen bee. As a cosmetic, it was used in her head-to-toe beauty treatments. Today it is a popular ingredient in skin care products, and research supports its use as a collagen enhancer. The same acid in royal jelly that boosts collagen production also suppresses skin pigmentation and can brighten dark spots. It not only nourishes the skin with vitamins and minerals, it also helps to protect against the effects of ultraviolet radiation.

Dead Sea minerals: Many Dead Sea products, including salts and water were imported to Rome for their unique medicinal use. The heavy mineral concentration offers more than 21 different minerals thought to help with skin problems like eczema and psoriasis. The clay from the Dead Sea also has high levels of calcium, magnesium, bromide, potassium and sulfate which get absorbed into the skin directly, nourishing and revitalizing it.

Other essential beauty secrets of ancient past: Almond, moringa, and castor oils. These full body skin treatments kept skin soft, with less wrinkles, and helped fight the side effects of excessive exposure to the sun.

Today, if you are working on your pre-bridal skin care at home, take a lesson from the past. Start early and be consistent to see the best results. Remember, Esther’s beauty treatments took 12 months. 

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