Rites
The majority of Greeks experience the religious rites of passage (baptisms, funerals, weddings) within the Church. However, mainly because of the financial crisis, the non-religious marriage is on the rise. Although cremation is legal since 2006 (law 3448/2006), various obstacles have been put up for preventing the construction of a crematorium.
The blessing of the Church is considered important in relation to birth, marriage and death. 66% believe in the importance of baptism, 85.8% of religious marriage and 90.2% of the religious funeral.
Table 1. Importance of religious service : funeral
EVS 1999-2008
| EVS-wave | 1999-2001 | 2008-2010 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| religious service important : death | |||
| No | 12.8 | 7.5 | 9.8 |
| Yes | 87.2 | 92.5 | 90.2 |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| N= | 1107 | 1482 | 2589 |
Table 2. Importance of religious service : marriage
EVS 1999-2008
| EVS-wave | 1999-2001 | 2008-2010 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| religious service important : marriage | |||
| No | 17.1 | 12.1 | 14.2 |
| Yes | 82.9 | 87.9 | 85.8 |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| N= | 1116 | 1482 | 2589 |
Table 3. Importance of religious service : baptism
EVS 1999-2008
| EVS-wave | 1999-2001 | 2008-2010 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| religious service important : birth | |||
| No | 33.3 | 34.4 | 34 |
| Yes | 66.7 | 65.6 | 66 |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| N= | 1069 | 1437 | 2506 |
Source : The data used here is derived from the European Values Study (EVS 1981-2008 Longitudinal Data File).
22 septembre 2016 Konstantinos Papastathis
