The Columbus journal., 1911-03-22
HOMES NsATAENS
As a Rule They Are Clean, but
Bare and C0mf0rtless.
PEOPLE LIVE IN THE CAFES.
When They Do Get Into Their Houses
Their Principal Occupation Is Look
inc Out Of the Windows-Ths Mar
riaqe Customs Of Greece.

ing Out Of the Windows-1hs Mar
rage Customs Of Greece.
Home life in Greece, particularly in
Athens, is peculiar. 1t might almost
be said that there is no such thing.
In Mr.. Duckett Ferriman's book on
"Greece and the Creeks the manners
and customs Of the picturesque Hell
lenes, which are little known to the
average English reader, are described
ut length. Mr.. Ferriman states that
the Greeks do not know anything
about the art Of making home.
Zone may meet with exquisite clean
liness," he writes, with beautifully
embroidered bed linen scented with
rosemary, but never with what We
mean by coziness. The Greeks are far
less in their houses than We arc. and
when they are at home they appear to
spend most of their time in looking
out Of the window. They are not given
to inviting their friends to their
houses. It is not that they are mig
sardily, for they will gladly entertain
you ut n restaurant ut far greater cost
to themselves. But it does not enter
into their ideas to ask you home to
dinner, even after an acquaintance OF
many years.
''They do not ask each other, so 1t
can hardly he expected that they
should make an exception in the case
Of foreigners. The cafe is second
home to them. There they meet
friends and gossip. That is one reason
perhaps why they dislike country life.
ut offers no alternative to the home:
there the hearth is the social center.
while i'm town it is the cafe. In Athens
those who do not own the house they
dwell in seldom remain long i'm the
same abode. Two or three years is
quite a long tenure. Many people
make point of moving every year.
''The imposing facades Of Athenian
houses conceal. for the most part.
bare and cOmfOrtleSs interior, and Il
we'll kept garden is rare. \ garden is
not made i'm Il year. and 4 person who
changes his residence every twelve
months does not want To he troubled
with much furniture. nor is he par
ticular as to its arrangement. seeing
that it will he carted away i'm a few
months.
Home life has no resources for the
Greeks. rs it has for us. 1t affords
them little occupation and no amusc-
ment They like TO eat and drink i'm
crowds. where there is noise and move
ment. Their instincts are too gregari-
Gus to allow them to appreciate the
domestic intimacy which We prize.
THE day chosen for marriage i'm
Greece is usually Sunday. but the day
Of all days In the year is the Sunday
preceding the Christmas feast. 1t is
not fashionable now to lie married i'm
church. In Athens the ceremony takes
place in the house Of the brides par
ents. \ temporary altar is set up in
the middle of the room.
AT the conclusion of the ceremony
the priest and the couple join hands
and walk three times round the altar.
the guests peltinG them with comfits.
The most important part Of the ccre
mony is the browning "f In" bride AMI
bridegroom with wrcatls Of orange
blossom: hence wedding is popular
ly called the crowning'
"Iove marriages are rare exceptions.
The match is made by the parents and
relatives rather than by the parties
principally concerned. There are Ger
tain established usages which. though
not legally binding. are not to he con-
travcncd with impunity.
''Then it is considered wrong for
brothers to marry until their sisters
have been wed. Again. girls must
marry i'm order Of seniority. 1t would
not lie right for a girl to be married
while she had an elder sister who re-
NAMED single. The men Of family
are thus naturally anxious 10 see their
sisters settled, and as GOwry is in
its provision is often Il
matter Of serious anxiety and the fruit
Of great self denial on the part of the
brothers il the parents are dead.
There are cases i'm which brothers
have remained unmarried for years
and have devoted all their hard earned
savings To the dOwrics of their sisters.
Among the poorer classes emigration
is rcsoricI Ia. not infreIuently solely
with this object. and many dowry
comes to n Greek maiden from across
fho Atlantic