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the Orthodox Church. Special breads are used
for the Holy Eucharist every Sunday, as well as
for religious feasts, weddings, funerals and me-
morial ceremonies for the dead. These breads
are specific to each occasion, both in size and
decoration. At
To Ploumisto Psomi
, visitors can
view replicas of decorated breads intended as
offerings in religious ceremonies – they can
learn the histories of these breads and how they
have been used across the centuries. The muse-
um also features actual testimonies from people
from various parts of the island, mainly elderly
women, who have lived by these traditions and
are eager and proud to pass them on to the next
generation.
Bread Brought Loved Ones Together
Decorated breads were also prepared for family
feasts as a way of expressing feelings and shar-
ing these feelings with relatives and friends. For
weddings, people prepared special decorative
breads,
glystarkas
, which were offered to close
relatives and respected guests as an invitation
to the wedding. Other breads were prepared
to decorate the bridal suite and the
pastos
, the
main room of the house, so guests could ad-
mire the baker’s decorating talent and share the
family’s happiness, and special plumed breads
were prepared for decorating the gourd which
was used to serve wine. Special decorations
were reserved for the bride and groom, individ-