Djeneconde

Greek weddings feature a combination of ceremonies representing an unforgettable part of Greek culture. The Greek wedding ceremony is heavily immersed in tradition, joy, excitement, and profound symbolism. The Greeks believe a lot in traditions and superstitions, and these phenomena are flamboyantly showcased on the occasions of engagement and wedding.

History
According to Greek mythology, Cecrops, the legendary ruler of Athens, who was half-human and half snake, established the institution of marriage in Greece. Before his reign the Athenians lived promiscuously. The storming motives for marriage were the political coalition between the royal families that marriage would demonstrate and creation of children for next generation.

Pre-engagement
In Greek society, engagement is a cause of great celebration. The potential husband will visit the bride’s father and ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Upon the approval of bride-to-be’s family, the date of engagement is fixed. The relatives and close friends of … Read more

Lesnik (Leshy) is a Slavic forest spirit similar to Greek satyrs. He is loud, friendly towards shepherds, and depicted as either a humanoid with horns and hoofs or as an old man.

Slavic peoples of the pre-Christian era were deeply connected with the nature. The belief that the nature is inhabited by spirits and demons was so strong that traces of those beliefs are still present nowadays. All scientists dealing with Slavic mythology agree that the forest had an important role in Slavic folklore (as elsewhere).

Similarly to Germanic beliefs, groves were extremely important in Slavic folklore, as they were believed to be inhabited by spirits, demons, and ancestral souls. Many Slavic peoples still practice planting a tree next to a grave. This habit has roots in the belief that ancestral souls live within the tree.

One of the best known Slavic forest spirits is Lesnik (South Slavs) or Leshy … Read more

Bathrobes are primarily worn after taking a bath, but they could also be used for other purposes. They are also used for spa sessions, swimming pool or when having fun on a beach. These pieces of clothing have also become part of fashion already, commonly used for intimate moments with a loved one or a private evening dinner. Bathrobes come in wide variety of designs, materials, color and sizes. Other bathrobes are designed for a specific purpose.

There are several differences between the bathrobes for men and women. There are certain distinctive features to women’s robes compared to men’s. Deciding on what kind of bathrobe to buy should be based on an individual’s requirement including other factors including the size, design and the comfort it can provide.

In general, bathrobes for men feature the simplest design with colors like blue, white and black. They are usually made from heavy fabrics … Read more

When we use the word “citizens” we are usually referring to a group of people who live in the same city, with a common origin, language, customs and laws. According to Plato, the ideal city should have no more than 5000 inhabitants, so that they would all know each other. But in 5th century Athens, things were somewhat different, with approximately 40,000 citizens, 20,000 metoici (resident aliens) and about 100,000 slaves. To these we must also add the women and children, who were never included in the numbers of inhabitants.

The male inhabitants of Athens were divided into three groups: citizens, metoici and slaves. Athenian citizens were only men 18 years of age and older whose forebears had been Athenians for three generations. These fortunate people enjoyed all the rights of free men and could be elected to all the offices of the State. The villager who arrived at dawn … Read more

It may be hard for the western mind to reconcile that the words sacred and prostitute may be linked, for the Judeo-Christian tradition holds sexuality to be profane, the antithesis of spirit. Yet in the times of the Great Goddess worship, sexuality was revered and held sacred. We find evidence of sacred prostitution throughout the ancient world, as early as the Gilgamesh Epic of 7000 B.C.E. Herodotus, a Greek historian from the third century B.C.E., wrote:

“… women of the land… sit in the temple of love and have intercourse with some stranger… the men pass and make their choice. It matters not what be the sum of money; the women will never refuse, for that were a sin, the money being by this act made sacred. After their intercourse she has made herself holy in the sight of the goddess… ” 1

Sacred prostitution occurred in the early civilizations … Read more