Luke Judge

To some, Greek soldier costumes may look silly. The men wear something that looks like a pleated skirt with tights and a pom-pom on the shoe. However, silliness aside, this traditional uniform is still worn during special events and at the palace in Athens whose changing of the guard ceremony still captivates tourists and Greeks alike.

For a Greek-American male, wearing this uniform at some point of their life is almost inevitable especially if they attend a Greek Orthodox Church or during other Greek Independence Day celebrations, such as annual parades and other functions. To some, Greek soldier costumes represent the Greek victory. To some, it represents the 400 years that Greece was ruled by the Turks.

In an area where there are a lot of Greeks, it is possible to find traditional Greek soldier costumes both for purchase and to borrow. If you need a soldier costume, you may want to check with Greek friends or neighbors, or if you are Greek chances are one of your relatives has a costume you can borrow.

Some of the costumes have been handed down through the generations. And it seems that most of them are designed for little children. It’s as if the parents want to instill in their sons a sense of where they came from. A sense of what their relatives had to live with and deal with under the rule of the Turks. Of course, different families have entirely different motives when deciding to dress their children in these costumes.

Perhaps you have a traditional Greek dance troupe. Maybe you need the costume for Greek Independence Day or for a Summer Festival. You can even wear this traditional uniform during costume parties and other occasions.

Well, keep in mind that these costumes don’t come cheap. These days, most of the new costumes are hand made. That’s why they are often passed down through the generations, and that is also why they are only worn on special occasions. If you do have a need to wear one of these costumes, where it with pride. To some, Greek soldier costumes are one of those inevitable ingredients to being Greek.

christmas Tree Ornaments greek friends, greek victory, parades

christmas Tree Ornaments

Many times wedding favors are something difficult for most wedding guests to utilize. For the December bride, one good example of a wedding favor that almost everyone would be happy to receive is a Christmas ornament which contains the same information as is normally found on the wedding invitation or one of the printed napkins or matchbooks found at the modern wedding.

If your wedding budget can stand the expense, it is possible to order small, metal engraved ornaments either online or the keepsake store located in a local mall. You go in well before your wedding date to choose styles and get information on prices and the cost of engraving. If your order is large enough, the store will need ample time to make sure that they have your order completed. At this time you can check to see if there is a discount available for quantity. There are other locations where it is possible to order pre-printed glass balls as well.

If your budget cannot stand the expense, it is possible to manufacture an ornament out of glass balls available in sets purchased at your local discount or a dollar store in colors that match those used in your wedding ceremony and reception. This can be accomplished in two ways. First, if you, or somebody close to you, has the artistic skills, the name of you and your spouse and the date of your wedding ceremony can be painted on the balls using acrylic paints in a complementary color.

Use a short piece of ribbon, which also could match one of the colors in your color scheme, and tie it through the loop at the top to make the ornament easier to hang. Be sure to give yourself enough time so that the job is not rushed and there are enough to go around for each of the wedding guests. You can use the box that the ornaments came in to transport them to the wedding reception site, and in cases where there are family members or friends who see each other on a regular basis, they can combine their wedding favor ornaments in a box for easy transport home.

If you do not have the necessary artistic skills, or know someone who does, it is also possible to purchase or print the same information on address labels using a clear or transparent stock. One label can then be centered on each ball, and the ribbon attached as per above. If you did not happen to print the labels yourself, be sure to order them in enough time for you to get them on the ornaments before your wedding reception. In both cases, be sure to have a few extra ornaments on hand to account for breakage while you work.

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