Alonissos Traditional Wedding Celebrated on 15th August

Every year, Alonissos, as all Greece, celebrates the Orthodox Christian holiday Dormition of Virgin Mary, on 15 August.

During the morning there is a celebration in the small church of the Old Village and a flower crown in Memorial of the fallen fighters of World War II is placed in the square of the Old Village.

In the evening, around 7pm in the Old Village, takes place the ceremony of the Alonissos traditional wedding. The best man with the musicians and his relatives start from his house and go to the groom's house. There the groom gives money to the musicians when the best man arrives and gives traditional sweets, tsipouro or wine to the guests. Then all together they start to go to the bride's house having the accompaniment of the musicians. There the groom must give his gifts (sweets, the so-called hamalia), to "propose" a gift to the mother-in-law and when satisfied with the offer of the groom she then opens the door and the groom can take the bride to go to church. The visitors will be the guests of the wedding and will have the opportunity to see all the ceremony and try the traditional sweets that have been prepared by the women of the island.