Country

Romani
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Birth tradition
Traditions says that the water of the first
bath must contain:
BASIL-so that the child be beautiful
especially if its a girl
GRAIN-to be honest
ANET- to be pleasant like the anet in the dish
MIND AND CHAMOMILE- to age up easily and
to be healthy
POPPYHEAD- to sleep in peace
HEMP SEEDS- to grow fast
FETHERS- to be as light as a feather
HOLY WATER- so that the childs soul might
be as clean as it
SWEET MILK
EGGS- to be healthy and as full as the
egg(the egg must remain integrate because
the mother have to put it in the next days
bath water)
MONEY- so that the childs life might me
wealthy
The midwife pours some bath water at the
base of an apple or a pear so that the child
might grow as beautiful and healthy as that
tree, after she took the money. After this,
she is sitting on a upside down kneading
trough while the women dance and whistle
around her. Next, the midwife must jump
over the kneading trough and challenge the
nieces who want a baby like this:
Come, lets jump aver the kneading trough
So that you might get a baby girl
But come and jump even more higher
So that you might get also a baby boy
Finally, she gives the baby with money on his
chest to the godparents and serves the
mother with rachiu. This symbol appears
also in the zones where the midwife must
organize a little party with her nieces for the

Wedding tradition

Some rural communities still call

suitors to unify the prospective families.
Where the suitor is not used, the
tradition says that the bridegrooms
parents must ask the brides hand in
marriage from her parents. The suitor
usually use a special poem, known by
the folklorists under the name of oratie
de nunta, an allegory that tells the
story of a young hunter away to catch a
deer.
In the past, the wedding party last three
days and three nights. For whom didnt
find his/her life partner, an old tradition
has been continued even today on the
Gaina Mountain . At The Maiden Fair
on Gaina Mountain you can find and
choose your future hustband or wife
and to marry on the spot.

Funeral tradition/Rituals

Discovering that someone known died,

the neighbours come at the priveghi,
where they can chat with the dead
person, begging him to send
messages to their dead relatives.The
priveghi lasts three days, while the
priest comes and reads all four
Gospels.
The dead person is usually transported
in a open coffin with a carload with
yokes through all village. The convoy
makes 7 layovers that symbolise the
seven layovers of Jesus by the time of
his trip on Golgota mountain. In case
they have to cross a water, the surface
is covered with a cloth so that the dead
person doesent see his reflection and
become a ghoul.

baby.

Country

Birth tradition

Wedding tradition

Funeral tradition/Rituals

Greece

Spain

In the past, it was believed

that the new mother was the source
of jealousy and must avoid the evil
eye ( , kako mati)
Therefore, she was never seen in
public for forty days. After this period,
she would take her baby to the
church, the baby was blessed by the
priest, and they could both start going
out.
On the eighth day after the
birth, the Fates (, mires) visit
the newborn and determine their
future. This belief had its roots in
Greek mythology.

El Salto del Colacho , meaning

the devils leap, is the annual
baby jumping festval held in the
village of Castrillo de Murcia
near Burgos. Baby jumping is a
traditional Spanish practice
dating back to 1620 that takes
place annually to celebrate the
Catholic feast of Corpus
Christi.The babies are covered in
confetti and rose petals and a
man costumed as the devil must
jump over them and scare the
youth.

In some parts, outside Athens and

other big cities, the bride still has a
dowry made by her mother,
grandmothers and aunts, consisting
of sheets, towels and hand made
embroideries, while the father of the
bride traditionally offers a furnished
home to his daughter and son-in-law
as a wedding gift. During the wedding
ceremony, the best men and best
woman (koumbaro and koumbara)
give the wedding rings to the priest,
cross the crowns (stephana) three
times and then place them on the
couples head. Once the priest has
declared them married, the guests
throw rice and almond candy
wrapped with white sugar (ta koufeta)
to the new couple.
Following the wedding there will
be a reception party that is often
described as being of massive
proportion. There will be much
Spanish wine, lots and lots of
dancing, and many, many toasts
to the long life and happiness of
the new couple. It is traditional
for the new bride to present her
bridesmaids with a small pin,
often an orchid or a lily, which is
worn up-side-down during
reception. If the pin falls out
during the marathon of dancing
it is considered a good omen
that the woman will soon marry.

Female close relatives in

mourning dress in black from
head to toe, normally for at least
40 days,
while many widows and mothers
who lose a child will continue to
mourn and wear only black for
the rest of their lives..
Close male relatives dont shave
for at least 40 days, and may
wear a black armband. Although
family members wear black it is
not expected of everyone, but
bright coloured clothing should
be
avoided sober colours should
be worn out of respect.
The funeral process will likely
include a Mass held in a church.
The casket carrying the
deceased is transported to the
location and close family
members take part in a
processional as it is moved close
to the altar. A traditional burial
usually follows the church
service. According to beliefs in
this culture, the dead return on
certain days of the year and are
remembered through special
events. The body must be buried
for this to occur as cremation is
not a common option in the
Hispanic culture.

Japan

After the wedding ceremony, the

bride and groom change their
During the 5th month of
clothes, and meet their families
pregnancy the family will
go to the shrine to ask for a and matchmakers for a
celebratory meal. The groom
safe birth called an
wears a suit and tie, and the bride
"annzan". It is a little
changes her hair, make-up, and
ceremony where they pray kimono. This second kimono is
and the priest presents the brightly colored. The place and
woman with a sash that is small meal are usually traditional
Japanese. Tables are arranged in
white with a picture of a
a tatami room with the head table
dog on it. The dog
represents an easy and safe seating only the bride and groom
looking over the party.

birth. The sash is about 1

foot wide and 6.5 feet
long, and is wrapped under
the belly for support.

Italy

Another common practice was

to wrap the baby from his feet
to his torso in a fascia, basically
a long piece of fabric, a bit like
a little mummy, or a baby
Russian babushka. It was
believed that by doing so the
baby would grow up to have
straight limbs.

Food is the focus of any true

Italian festa -- some Italians eat their
way through as many as fourteen
different leisurely reception courses!
Stick to fresh, seasonal dishes with
savory appetizers (olives, prosciutto,
and salami) and hearty entrees
(pastas with thick sauces, veal, and
venison). Serve wanda (bowties),
which are twists of fried dough
covered in powdered sugar, for
dessert.

At the crematorium family is present

when the casket is moved to the
cremation chamber. The cremation
lasts for about two hours. The family
returns after the process is
completed. After some 15 minutes
needed for the bones and ash to c
Then the separation of bones and
ashes is done. Two family members
move bones to the urn using large
chopsticks or metal picks. Leg bones
are moved first and head bones are
the last. People do not want to have
the deceased upside down.
Ashes are usually kept in one urn but
there are cases when it is shared
between family members. Sometimes
part of the ashes is given to the
temple or company. It may sound
little bit unusual but there are
company graves with remains of their
employees.
Grave Site: Following mass,
mourners gather at the site of the
grave. Sometimes each person will
walk up to the casket and throw a
fistful of dirt or a flower on top. Grave
space is a precious commodity in
Italy, so interment usually takes place
in a mausoleum. Italian cemeteries
are a serene and park-like setting
where people may choose to picnic or
take a leisurely walk.