The Country

Located at the Southern tip of the Balkan peninsular, Greece has long been touted as the cradle of western civilization, credited as the birthplace for democracy, literature and philosophy, among others. An ancient country, Greece can trace its history as far back as 3600 years ago, right back to the Mycenaean empire, more commonly referred to as Ancient Greece.

This parliamentary republic is enclosed by the Mediterranean Sea and flanked by neighboring Turkey, Albania and Bulgaria. The country of 12 million consists of an overwhelming majority of Greek speaking, Christian Greek Orthodox - one culture, one language, one religion – a remarkable demographics for an open economy country in this age of globalization.

A Prime Minister, under the oversight of a 300-member parliament, effectively governs the country although constitutionally, the President of the Republic is defined as the head of state.

Relationship With A Greek Woman

Those long dark tresses, big sparkling brown eyes, the lush red lips – the Hellenic woman has always been famed for their beauty (if not for their dramatics/elopement/death/burning/snakes on the head fame). Add the mystique of her ancient heritage, legendary forefathers and the cultural influence of her race, Greek women appears to be a larger than life proposition, one that men are bound to be drawn to.

However, before committing yourself to a relationship with your Greek lover, understand that by dating her, you have implicitly agreed to a relationship with her family as well which includes, though not limited to, attending the christening of your lover’s twice removed second cousin step daughter-in-law’s newborn baby boy, helping the men folk paint Uncle Nico’s provision shop in Turkey over the weekend and helping Sister Philomena, who runs the local daycare, with her tax submission.

Marriage

If you are still interested after all that and have decided to marry your Greek girlfriend instead, that can only mean you really love her. You have our sympathy though, as things, will not get better.

Before marrying her, you are custom bound to speak to your father-in-law to-be and ask for his permission to marry her, or in his absence, to the eldest male in the family. Be sure you make your request in triplicates, as the mother is informally waiting for you in the kitchen and her ex-boyfriend will be coming to find you in about an hour (the time it takes for the news to travel all over Athens –faster if you’re out in the countryside) at your house/hotel room. Approval is a matter of certainty, as long as you do not forget to wear a jacket and matching socks while making the request.

A dinner party will be arranged to celebrate the engagement. Be aware that you will have no say in the choice of food, theme and even the guest list of your engagement party. The same applies for your wedding, where your only responsibility is limited to paying for the event and turning up in a tuxedo; and even that is optional as the ex-boyfriend is ever willing to fill in.

In the event that you are actually coming to your wedding, please remember to have your best man present, as he will be in charge of the ceremony. He will be in charge of the rings, the crowns and the after dinner speech. Your wedding ritual will be fairly straightforward and familiar, with the priest reading some chosen passage from the Bible and ending it with the ‘I do’s’.

The reception will follow the wedding, which is renowned for its festive atmosphere, good food, cheap beers, cheaper ouzos, and the always-entertaining circle dance. After the speech by your best man, your guest will offer you their best wishes by smashing the tableware you paid for to the ground.

Regulation

Before registering your marriage, you will need to send your passport, birth certificate and a no-impediment to marriage affidavit issued by your embassy to the Translation Department of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While waiting for the translation, you are required to publish a notice of your wedding in the local press. After the translation is completed, you may officially register your marriage by forwarding the documents and the press clippings to the Vital Statistics Office.