****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
The contents of the book is good and interesting. But the actual book is in poor condition. I bought a used book that was supposed to be in "very good" condition. But it has mildew all over and smells of mold. It's also visibly worn. Not happy because it is supposed to be a gift for a friend marrying into a Greek family. It's definitely not up to par for that.I have a copy of this book and have read and reread it for holidays, traditions and church customs.It has really helped me understand my husband's family and everything they do but cannot tell me 'WHY?' they do it.My willingness to understand and participate in Greek customs has won me a lot of goodwill from my husbands family( there are a lot of them - I have counted up to 4th cousins in our local area alone) It also has given me the ability to teach Greek traditions to my 2 sons so that they can share in their father's culture.I have given 3 copies in the past year to bride and grooms who were the 'stranger/outsider' (Xeni/Xenos in tag line) in an American/Greek couple. I did not give it to them to indoctrinate or convert them but so that they could better understand their spouse's Greek side. Even simple things like why do they eat Kourabiedes at weddings? What do the koufetta mean. What is the matia(eye)? How do you get rid of the bad matia when someone gives it to you? They might seem like trivial things but these are just some of the things that are all woven into the Greek persona.My mother (first generation Greek American) bought this book for me twelve years ago and I think it's a very readable and useful resource. Mom forgot she had given it to me. When she saw it at my home a few months ago, she said, "This is great! I want to order more as gifts for your sisters, the priest's wife, etc." We were lucky to find two more excellent used copies on Amazon which I ordered. I am now in the process of ordering three more as "surprise" gifts for my sisters. I don't attend the Greek Church, and there are no Greek cultural events in my area, so I am grateful for the information related to traditions, church practices,and rituals since they are important to my mother and my Greek relatives.This book is wonderful for persons either marrying into a Greek family or coverting into the Greek Orthodox faith.It lets you know how the ethnic Greek live in the community and their faith. The food and how to cook it. The fasting and why. Some of the language is scattered throughout. This lively group of people will help you but they want to make sure you want to know for yourself. They do not appreciate someone making fun of the language or the faith.I already own the first and second editions. I bought this as a gift to someone marrying into a Greek family. This is a great resource!!!This is a great book to gift to a couple when they become engaged. So much useful information. The Author has done a wonderful job with the update. Also useful to all adult ages who are American Greek or are interested in the Greek culture.My sister, Olga, gifted this book to me more than twenty year ago. It serves as a wonderful resource to the traditions of Orthodoxy and the customs. I have since gifted copies to many orthodox friends. Highly recommend. Great customer service, too.I highly recommend this book to all american born greeks and those who marry into greek families. I am a greek american and very close to my family. This book does a great job of explaining the traditions and customs. It was often a 'do as I say' expectation rather than a 'this is why we do things the way we do' mentality. This book really helped to bring more understanding for my siblings and I as well as our spouses.
