RTE No 20 Interior - Road to Emmaus Journal

FAITH UNSEENCrypto-Christian BaptismsFor baptisms, family members, godparents, and perhaps a few others gatheredat the child’s house. Babies were usually baptized after forty days,unless a close member of the family had recently died, then the baptism washeld only after the first year memorial service for the departed. The childwas then given his Christian name, although he also had a “Muslim” nameto use in public. Children of crypto-Christians who were not old enough tokeep the community’s secret were not present at any of the sacraments; onlywhen they grew old enough to be trusted, could they attend and be catechized.As was traditional throughout Greece and Asia Minor, the mother ofthe child was never present at the baptism (signifying that the childbelonged to God), but waited in another room or even in another house. Thegodfather rarely knew the whole creed, but only said, “I believe in One God,Jesus Christ…,” yet he meant it deeply. When the baptism finished, a childran to where the mother was staying, congratulated her and announced thechild’s baptismal name, which had been given by the godfather or godmother.There was often a race among the village children to reach themother first, as the one who did so received a present which the mother hadespecially prepared for his coming.Even during my childhood here in Greece, most of the baptisms were doneat home because of the lack of heat. The mother waited in her room, and assoon as the name was pronounced, all of us young ones went running to bethe first to tell.Kromnean Betrothals and MarriagesIn those years, Christians and Muslims all married early, the girls as youngas twelve to fourteen. By sixteen, they were in danger of spinsterhood, andafter twenty, there would be no more offers. The boys also married young,although most were older than their brides.All weddings took place between January until Great Lent, and afterDormition until the Christmas Fast. As is usual in Orthodoxy, there were noweddings during the four great fasts, nor, by local tradition, in May or inleap years. Kromnean folk custom considered leap years to be ill-omened, abreak in the normal cycle, and May was the month in which donkeys werebred; Christians waited for a more suitable time to celebrate the sacramentwith dignity.19