THE FOLKLORE OF HYDRA

The celebration of the almond tree has as its theme the coming of spring, the flowers that bloom, the fruits and of course the blossoming almond tree.

During its celebration day all the locals were sitting under a blooming almond tree, singing and eating. Also there was a man dressed as a woman and a woman as a man for the funny celebration.

Another custom is the traditional Wedding that takes place in Hydra. It starts with the traditional making of the bed, in which friends and relatives of the married-to-be throw on to the sheets money. 

The eve before the wedding the future bride is being shampooed and combed from other married women.  Often the bride does not wear a wedding dress, but the traditional clothing of Hydra.

After the wedding was customary to be held a wedding feast, with the accompany of music from traditional musical organs,in honour of the married couple.

In the old times, people in Hydra were betrothed in a very young age, from 14 for the girls and 18 the boys. If you were older and not betrothed then the village used to taunt you.

Your father or brothers if you had no father, had to pay for the wedding and if a woman was an only child and fatherless, then her mother had to take care of the wedding expenses.

A brother and especially the oldest one, had to wait until his sister to get married, and then get married himself. That thing has been honourable and you gained a lot of respect from the other village people.

Then there were the presents. From the father and brothers of the soon to be bride to the family of the groom and of course vise versa. Presents from rings and golds and golden coins.

After this exchancing of presents there was a dinner with all the family members, of the grooms and the bride's, accompanied with music and singing. The betrothal didn't last long because the couple had to get married. There were a lot of visiting from the bride to the groom's family, bringing presents and vise versa, until the final day of the wedding. This was being done in order for the couple to get to know the other's family.