This youtube clip posted by Orffeas features some great footage of old Greek Weddings. One of the Greek Wedding Traditions shown is the Washing of the Dowry.
In earlier times the bride and her friends gathered together to wash the dowry before the wedding. Back then there were no washing machines to do the job, so they washed the white dowry sheet in the local river or in wash tubs. The dowry was then hung out to dry in the middle of the street so that the whole village could see that the bride is a “proper housewife”.
Over the years, this tradition has changed and evolved. We now have washing machines and we are able to shower the bride in more elaborate and fun ways. In fact I recently hosted a Kitchen Tea/Bridal Shower for my sister-in-law. Instead of washing laundry, we played games and indulged in sweets. (More on this to come).
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Do you have any stories about the ‘Washing of the Dowry?
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Filed under: Bridal Party, Greek Customs (in Greece), Greek Wedding Tradition, My Sister's Wedding, Pre Wedding Rituals, Real Greek Weddings Tagged: bride, Dowry, greek, Greek wedding, Greek wedding traditions, tradition 
