Religious aspects of weddings

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING

Nice Greek girls are supposed to do three

things in life: marry Greek boys, make Greek

babies and feed everyone until the day we die

Give me a word, any word and I’ll

show you how the root of that word is Greek.

BEFORE WATCHING READ the epigraphs and think what kind of person may say such things.

READ AND GUESS who is saying the following:

The other girls were blond and delicate. And I was a swarthy 6-year-old with sideburns. I so badly wanted to be like the popular girls... all sitting together, talking... eating their Wonder Bread sandwiches.

Did you want to be like somebody else as a child? Did you feel different? Do you think it’s hard for a child to be different?

READ the description of the girls house. What makes it special?

We lived in a normal middle class Chicago neighbourhood of tasteful modern homes. Our house, however, was modelled after the Parthenon complete with Corinthian columns, and guarded by statues of the gods.

едва заметный	subtle
дань	tribute
обвинять	to blame
наследие	heritage
псориаз	psorisis
излечивать	to cure
недомогание	ailment
странный	weird
удар	punch
подлый	mean
проглотить	to swallow
придираться	to nag
сыпь	rash
палец ноги	toe
священник	priest
благословить	to bless
подставить кого-то, помочь кому-то	to set sb up
специя	spice
упрямый	stubborn
глупый	stupid
умный	smart

WHAT IS WHAT?

Windex – window cleaning spray

Poison ivy - a poisonous North American plant that is well known for its production of urushiol, a clear liquid compound found within the sap of the plant that causes an itching rash in most people who touch it.

Arachnophobia – fear of spiders

The Parthenon (Greek: Παρθενών) is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their virgin patron. Its construction was completed in 438 BC.

Corinth derives its name from Ancient Corinth, a city-state of antiquity. In 1858, the old city of Corinth (now known as Archaia Korinthos (Αρχαία Κόρινθος), located 3 km (1.9 mi) SW of the modern city), was totally destroyed by an earthquake. This led to the establishment of Nea or New Corinth, on the coast of the Gulf of Corinth. New Corinth was rebuilt after a further earthquake in 1928 and again after a great fire in 1933.

TRANSLATE the following: expiration date, to run the restaurant, cool place, to miss a hell of a party, to give a fair warning.

WATCH AND FIND what (who) it is about:

Mean punch ___________________________

Way after my expiration date _______________________

To cook and to marry a Greek virgin ___________________

Baby breeding machine ___________________

Have two volumes: “loud” and “louder” _______________________

WATCH AND THINK Why is the main character saying these words?

I wish I had a different life. I wish I was braver and prettier... or just happy. But it's useless to dream, because nothing ever changes. [13:46]

STOP AND TALK Think of ways to change Toula’s life.

Private Greek statue _____________________

They look the same. _____________________

You are from my side ___________________

... is the neck. And she can turn the head anyway she wants. _______________

I run the restaurant. I wash. I cook for you. I raised three kids. And I teach in Sunday school _______________

END OF PART 1 [19:30]

There are two kinds of people:

Greeks and everybody else who wish they were Greek

BEFORE WATCHING

TRANSLATE the following: latest applications and programs, to reserve a seat, biker fight, seating hostess, roast lamb with mint jelly.

притворяться	to pretend
удвоиться, утроиться	to double, to triple
нанять	to hire
горе	woe
химчистка	dry-cleaner
страдать	to suffer
заявка	request
подтвержденный	confirmed
лужайка	lawn
подвал	basement
крыша	roof
хвастаться	to brag
специальность	major
владеть	to own
официант официантка	waiter waitress
гончарное дело	pottery

WHAisTHATSUPPOSEDtoMEAN?

Nose job

to go through a phase

Frump Girl

Eye-ball
WATCH AND THINK what has changed in Toula’s life and how important are the changes.

STOP AND SPEAK

WATCH AND FIND Who says it in the film and what it is about. Why do the characters say it?

It takes a pretty strong person to do that ___________

I was going through a phase ________________

READ AND COMMENT on the dialogue

- ... so, it was just me, all alone... up in the mountains in this cottage, with my parents, all summer.

- Well, don't all your cousins go up, too?

- No! I only have two cousins. They live in Wisconsin.

-You only have two cousins?

-Yeah.

-How many do you have?

-More than two.

- Well, who else? Didn't you have brothers and sisters? What are your parents like?

- Ah

-What?

- Well....

- Okay, Christmas.

- What do you do for Christmas with your family?

- My mom makes roast lamb.

-With mint jelly?

-No.

- And?

- And.... -I'm Greek, right?

-Right.

- so what happens is my dad and my uncles... fight over who gets to eat the lamb brain. And them my Aunt Voula forks the eyeball, and chases me around... trying to make me eat it, because it'll make me smart. You have two cousins. I have 27 first cousins. Just 27 first cousins, alone. And my whole family is big and loud... and everybody's always in each other's lives and business. You never have a minute alone to just think, because we're always together eating. The only other people we know are Greeks... because Greeks marry Greeks, to breed more Greeks... to be loud, breeding, Greek eaters.

-Wow.

-I'm serious. No one in my family has ever gone out with a non-Greek before. No one.

- And you're.... You're.... God, you're just, you know, wonderful. But I just don't see how this is going to work out. so....

- Work out? What's to work out?We're not a different species. Yes, we come from different backgrounds... and, hey, here's some news about my life, to this point. It's boring. Then I met you... and you're interesting, and you're beautiful and fun. You've got a weird family. Who doesn't? I just want to spend some time with you. I just want to spend a little time with you.

- Did you say I'm beautiful?

- Yes.

WATCH and PRACTICE reading the dialogue.

DISCUSS

- Is relationship between Toula and Ian going to work out? Why? Why is she worrying about it?

- Why do you think Toula’s father believed that that everybody would want to be Greek. What made him think so?

END of PART 2. [35:30]

Listen, the family knows.

BEFORE WATCHING

радостный	joyous
крестить	to baptize
крещение	baptism
крестная	god-mother
сенсационная новость	scoop
стильный	classy
скрываться	skulk

TRANSLATE the following: parking lot, little romance, Greek Orthodox Church, custom jewelry designer,

WHATisTHA’SUPPOSEDtoMEAN?

Xeno -

WHEN DO PEOPLE SAY?

I'm the least of your worries.

You are busted [Ты попалась]

Try not to be too loud

ткань

fabric

DISCUSS Will Toula’s parents allow her to marry Ian?

WATCH AND CHECK

READ the dialogue

- Kosta... they love each other. It's done.

- How? How can she do this to me?

- She didn't do this to you or to me. They fell in love. It happens.

- Is he a good boy? I don't know. Is he from a good family? I don't know. Is he respectful? I don't know... because nobody talks to me about nothing no more. A respectful boy would come here and ask for my permission. My daughter is engaged to a xeno. I always think she's going to be married in the Greek Orthodox Church. Why is she doing this to me?

WATCH and COMMENT on the parents’ feelings.

DISCUSS changing religion.

- Who (what) do you think determines an individual’s religion?

- Do you know any examples of parents and children practicing different religions?

- Why may people want to change their religion?

- Would you let your children change their religion? Why?

MATCH the two columns

customs customer custom to customise

обычаи таможня клиент обычай сделанный на заказ выполняющий индивидуальные заказы подгонять приспосабливать

READ AND TRANSLATE the dialogue between Toula and Ian:

-Hi.

-Hi.

-Hi.

- What's going on? Are you okay?

-Can we go to Vegas?

- What?

- Can we go to Niagara Falls or Fiji.... You want to go to Fiji?

- Sure.

- Okay, let's go. Come on. Come here.

- What's the matter?

- I just feel like we can't get married, not like this. It's like... when I'm with you... I am so happy... but my family is so unhappy. And our wedding should be this joyous thing. But it won't be for them, because it can't be in our church. So, let's just go somewhere. Please, let's just go.

- Hey, I love you.

- Why? Why do you love me?

- Because I came alive when I met you.

- But my family....

- You're a part of your family... and I'll do anything... whatever it takes, to get them to accept me. Because you're my whole life now. We're not going to skulk off and get married... as if we're ashamed of ourselves. Okay?

- Okay. Did you say "skulk"?

-Shut up.

-Let's just skulk off somewhere....

WATCH the scene.

RECOLLECT Who said it in the film? Why did the characters say it?

It’s a mistake to educate women. ______________

Don't let your past dictate who you are... but let it be part of who you will become. ___________

READ the following:

Wedding

A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of wedding vows by the couple, presentation of a gift (offering, ring(s), symbolic item, flowers, money), and a public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure or leader. Special wedding garments are often worn, and the ceremony is sometimes followed by a wedding reception. Music, poetry, prayers or readings from religious texts or literature are also commonly incorporated into the ceremony.

Common elements across cultures

A number of cultures have adopted the traditional Western custom of the white wedding, in which a bride wears a white wedding dress and veil. This tradition was popularized through the wedding of Queen Victoria. Some say Victoria's choice of a white gown may have simply been a sign of extravagance, but may have also been influenced by the values she held which emphasized sexual purity. Within the modern 'white wedding' tradition, a white dress and veil are unusual choices for a woman's second or subsequent wedding. The notion that a white gown might symbolize sexual purity has been long abandoned, and is criticized by etiquette writers like Judith Martin as distasteful.

The use of a wedding ring has long been part of religious weddings in Europe and America, but the origin of the tradition is unclear. Historians like Vicki Howard point out that belief in the "ancient" quality of the practice are most likely a modern invention. "Double ring" ceremonies are also a modern practice, a groom's wedding band not appearing in the United States until the early 20th century. The wedding is often followed by a reception or wedding breakfast, in which the rituals may include speeches from the groom, best man, father of the bride and possibly the bride, the newlyweds first dance as spouses, and the cutting of a wedding cake.

Religious aspects of weddings

Most religions recognize a lifelong union with established ceremonies and rituals. Some religions permit polygamous marriages or same-sex marriages.

Wedding of Bangladesh

Many Christian faiths emphasize the raising of children as a priority in a marriage. In Judaism, marriage is so important that remaining unmarried is deemed unnatural. Islam also recommends marriage highly; among other things, it helps in the pursuit of spiritual perfection. The Bahá'í Faith sees marriage as a foundation of the structure of society, and considers it both a physical and spiritual bond that endures into the afterlife. Hinduism sees marriage as a sacred duty that entails both religious and social obligations. By contrast, Buddhism does not encourage or discourage marriage, although it does teach how one might live a happily married life and emphasizes that marital vows are not to be taken lightly.

Different religions have different beliefs as regards the breakup of marriage. For example, the Roman Catholic Church believes that marriage is a sacrament and a valid marriage between two baptized persons cannot be broken by any other means than death. This means that civil divorcés cannot remarry in a Catholic marriage while their spouse is alive. In the area of nullity, religions and the state often apply different rules. A couple, for example, may begin the process to have their marriage annulled by the Catholic Church only after they are no longer married in the eyes of the civil authority.

END of PART 3 [1:01:43]

I gave you life so you could live it

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