FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL / Agiasmos

 
 
       First day of school! What a day today has been! One that started soooo early! You'd think after the 3 careless, schedule-free, 'wake up whenever' months they had,  I would be on my toes, rushing and bustling this morning and trying to wake them up... "Mommy, can I have 10 more minutes, please?" Then ask for ten more, then it'd be 5 more and then I'd have to become the dictator they think I am anyway and start yelling cause we would be already late! Well,...Nope! None of that happened!
 
      At 5:30 this morning incoherent noises woke me up. Following the sound, in my pyjamas and with eye gum deterred vision, I reached my son's bedroom only to see him all dressed up and ready for school!!! No! I'm dreaming, I thought. "Good morning, mom!" Is this MY 11 year old boy?... OK,OK! He's up, I'm not dreaming. Needless to say I was UP, too. Can't go to bed now, can I? As he is having breakfast and I'm going (wearily) through my morning routine, my 9 year old girl enters my bedroom all dressed up and ready to go to school!!! "Good morning. mom!" No way! I couldn't believe it. Such unprecedented anticipation and anxiety!!! (I just had to wake my DH up. He had to experience this, too. Meanie me!)
 


       In the end it all worked out for the better cause I had plenty of time to take photos of them before we left the house. We have a family tradition where we take photos of the kids at their first day of school every year since pre-school.
 

 

       Of course, we were at school early. The certain excitement associated with “back-to-school was evident amongst the students (even I was excited!). New first day outfits (you know-girls), reuniting with friends they hadn't seen over the summer, gossiping about the new teachers, bragging about awesome summer vacations or newly released gadgets, songs, movies... what have you!... 
 

 

     It was a frenzied atmosphere in the schoolyard. Until the priest arrived. We all had to be quiet and attend the short service. In Greece schools always start with a priest blessing the students and teachers to have a good school year. He sprinkles everybody with Holy Water (agiasmos) and gives a (very) short inspirational speech to all. 
 
(A short parenthesis here to let you know that since 98% of the population in Greece, is Greek Orthodox Christians, every school day starts with prayer. A different student volunteer is picked every time who says the "Our Father who art in Heaven..." prayer  in front of the school assembly. Then the principal continues with the good mornings and announcements.)
 
      Back to the first day--- Well, after the blessing the principal welcomed all the students back to school and wished them to have a good and fruitful year. Explained some other stuff and simply sent us home! Tomorrow the students will actually enter their new classrooms (with new teachers for some) and receive their books and new class schedules! By the way, the books are free and theirs to keep. (I personally think it is a huge waste of paper and completely not 'green').
 
     So tomorrow students officially say goodbye to the last of their summer freedoms and greet stacks of homework and long days in a classroom.
 

 

       I wish my kids and all the students to have a wonderful, fulfilling and constructive school year and I wish the teachers: Patience, patience and patience!!!
 

"Have a good school year"
 

 

P.S. Tonight I'll make brownies! Gotta start the school year in a sweet way! Don't you think?  
 
 
How was your first day of school?


Photos are courtesy of Google images.