THEOFANIA (EPIPHANY)

This is a 're-post'  from last year (since I hardly had any readers back then!)  

                 THEOFANIA (EPIPHANY)

      On the 5th, 6th and 7th of January we celebrate the "Lights" (Fota) since God is Light and has appeared to illuminate those who sit in darkness. Theofania (Epiphany) on the 6th of January is the last of the 12 days of Christmas and it's the day of purification of the people's souls.

      On the 5th we go to church where the great blessing/purification takes place in the temple. We all receive the Holy Water in tiny bottles and take it home where we spray it all over the house in order to become "purified" and blessed. Then, we also drink some, too. In some small villages the priest himself visits all the houses to bless them with the Holy Water. This also is the time when the Kalikantzaroi (Trolls) leave.


      After church the children go caroling (as they did on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve) to the neighboring houses receiving sweets and money.
 
                  

         On the 6th of January we celebrate the Theofania (or Epiphany or The Blessing of the Waters). It is a very important holiday as it celebrates the Holy Trinity through the Baptism of the Lord, God the Father spoke from Heaven about the Son and the Son was baptized by St. John the Baptist as the Holy Spirit descended upon the Son in the form of a dove. At some point during the sermon at church a long procession is formed following the priest at whatever road leads to a body of water - a lake, a river, the ocean or if that is not possible to a special tank outside the church. There the priest while chanting hymns throws the cross into the water. thus blessing the waters. The church bells ring and white doves are freed into the sky as daring young men dive into the chilly waters and compete in retrieving the cross. The one who brings the cross up to the surface is said to be blessed and to have good luck throughout the coming year.

                   

      The most spectacular ceremonies happen at ports where little boats and ships gather in a semicircular fashion blowing their horns accompanying the hymns sung by the church choir

      On the 7th of January we celebrate St. John the Baptist' s day. This day of course everybody named John (Yannis) or Johanna (Yanna) celebrate as well (Name Days).

      The next day, Christmas vacation is officially over and school starts again.


Please watch a related video :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFTxlvH_-pY&noredirect=1

              

 

VASILOPITA (ST. BASIL'S PIE)

 

      New Year's Day is quickly approaching and Greeks are still in a festivity frenzy! 

 

      The holidays aren't over just yet (we have another big holiday after the New Year's, coming on the 6th of January the Theofania (Epiphany). There's no work on that day and all the stores are closed as well. I will be making a post about it).

      The pie you see in the photo is called Vasilopita which means St. Basil's pie. It's a traditional New Year's pie that every household bakes for this day and it's the first thing we eat when the year changes at midnight, so that everything will be sweet in the new year. Inside the pie there's a coin hidden. At midnight when the year changes the father or grandfather using a knife symbolically carves a cross over the pie 3 times before slicing it. Every slice is dedicated or called for a specific person.

The first slice belongs to Christ, the second slice to
the Virgin Mary, the third slice to St. Vasilios, the fourth slice goes to the poor and thereafter every slice goes from the oldest to the youngest in the family and guests present. The last piece just belongs to the house. Whoever finds the coin in his/her slice is considered to be the lucky one of the year. If the coin is in one of the first four slices then it is offered to the church or someone who is poor.

     It is said that St. Vasilios (St. Basil) was a well-educated and wealthy man who gave all his fortune to help the poor and needy people. One story says that in order to help out the poor without insulting them or embarrassing them he devised this trick of making little pies and hiding a coin in them before offering them the pies. In time this little pie was named after him and was an offering of joy and blessings.

     Also, we celebrate St.Vasilios on the 1st of January and everybody named Vasilios or Vasiliki (the female version) celebrate as well, receiving gifts and wishes just like a birthday! (read post about Name Days)

Check out my Vasilopita recipe!

 

VASILOPITA RECIPE

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk (room temperature)
1 cup butter softened
2 cups sugar
500 gr (appr. 6 cups) all- purpose flour
4-5 tsp baking powder
5 eggs
orange juice from 2 oranges (appr. 1/2 glass)
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 finely chopped apple
1/2 cup Cognac (Metaxa) or Brandy
1 1/2 tbs orange zest
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cinnamon stick

Directions:

      Marinate from the night before in a bowl the cognac, the orange zest, the orange juice, the walnuts, the apple and 1 cinnamon stick.

     The next day, in a large bowl blend (beat) the sugar with butter until it becomes fluffy white. Then add the eggs one by one. Add slowly the marinated mixture (after removing the cinnamon stick) and the flour sifted together with the baking powder, the vanilla extract and gradually the milk. Beat for another 2-3 minutes. Pour the batter into a greased and flour sprinkled round pan. Bake in pre-heated oven (325 degrees F or 165 degrees C) for about 70 minutes or until done. After it's baked place the coin (that you have previously wrapped in foil) anywhere you choose in a vertical position and a little deep. Then flip the pie/cake upside down on a platter (do that with the help of the platter) and after it has cooled down sprinkle it with powdered sugar. Your vasilopita is ready!

P.S. Placing the coin in the batter before it's baked will result in the coin sinking to the bottom (which will be later the top) and showing!

 

 

 

Photos are courtesy of Google images.

AUGUST 15th: A FESTIVE DAY FOR GREEKS

      [I know I promised vacation photos but this post really precedes it since tomorrow is a big holiday and I would like to tell you all about it (before and not after).]

HOLY WATER

                               AYIASMOS --- SANCTIFICATION

 

      As I have mentioned before, religion for Greek people is intrinsically tied to their every day life, habits and customs,
i.e. .....

      Every first of the month the priest of every parish has a special liturgy where he blesses the water(Sanctification). This holy water is then given to the congregation who have come prepared with their little special bottles (vials) to fill them.          
It is then taken home, where everybody has a small sip especially if there's somebody who is sick and needs this blessing the most, and then they sprinkle the holy water in every room so the whole house gets blessed. (the right way to do this is by using twigs of basil and dipping them in the 'holy water' and sprinkle, but it's okay if it's not done that way).

      Also, every first of the month we greet each other saying "Kalo Mena" which means 'Have a good month'.

                                                       "KALO MENA"

EASTER SUNDAY

CHRISTOS ANESTI - CHRIST IS RISEN

ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΠΟΛΛΑ ΣΕ ΟΛΟΥΣ -- ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ!

HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYBODY -- CHRIST IS RISEN!

      Today is Easter! Christ has Risen and the decorated Epitaphios is less prominent now: it is empty, except for a sign which says 'He is Risen; He is not here'.
     
      In the Greek Orthodox faith, Easter is the most significant religious observation of the year. There is a widespread over joyous feeling and combined with the "resurrection" of the nature, hence it's spring, makes this day a really glorious one.

     Even the computerized signs on the front of the city buses have a message. On Saturday it was 'Kali Anastasi' (Literally: 'Good Resurrection'); on Sunday it is 'Kalo Pascha' – 'Happy Easter'.
      As Greeks always do, today celebrations overflow with traditional entertainment and foods!



lamb and kokoretsi

       There are many interesting and different customs related to the feast of Easter, taking place all over Greece but the most important

HOLY SATURDAY

                                    Holy (or Great) Saturday

     On  Megalo Savvato (Holy Saturday), the sorrowful mood of  Holy Friday has somewhat abated. Now Greeks concentrate on the final preparations for the next day's Easter feast as Easter is the most sacred observance in the Greek Orthodox faith. Today is the last chance to buy the Easter lamb ( or sometimes goat).

     At home, dishes that can be prepared in advance are made and  the mageiritsa soup is being prepared. This is the traditional Easter soup, which will be eaten tonight after the midnight liturgy - the first meal to break the fast. It's very rich, made from a variety of herbs and the intestines and offal of the lamb which will be roasted on Easter Sunday.

     Also, today it is customary in many places in Greece for young people to light a huge bonfire in the churchyard to burn Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus.

     On Holy Saturday evening the Resurrection mass takes place. It is an occasion attended by everyone who is able, including children. At about 11.00 p.m. the churches are overfilled with people eagerly anticipating Christ's Anastasis– Resurrection.

HOLY FRIDAY

                                                Holy Friday

      Holy or Great Friday - Megali Paraskevi for the Greeks, (Good Friday for Catholics) is the holiest day of this week (Megali Evthomatha). It is a day of mourning, not of work and that often includes no cooking, too. If we do cook it's going to be without oil, most likely boiled in water, f.e. lentil soup. The shops are closed till 1.00 p.m. Sweet things are not eaten today-for the love of Christ, who was given vinegar to drink. It is considered a great sin to work with a hammer or nails or sew on Good Friday.

      It is also the only day during the year when the Divine Liturgy is not read. Flags are hung at half-mast and church bells ring all day in a slow mournful tone.

      Traditionally, after the evening service on Holy Thursday the women and young girls undertake the decoration of the bier of Christ (epitaphios) with garlands of flowers, so that in the morning of Good Friday it is ready to receive the image of the body of Christ when He is taken down from the cross.

An embroidered cloth is placed on the bier; this is then sprinkled with flower petals. The priest places the Gospel (Evangelion) upon the Epitaphios.

HOLY THURSDAY

                              Holy (or Great) Thursday

      On Megali Pempti (Holy Thursday) the Greek Orthodox remember the Last Supper and the Betrayal of Christ. On this day we commemorate the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. During the Last Supper, Christ blessed the bread and wine with the very words that Catholic and Orthodox priests use today to consecrate the Body and Blood of Christ during the Mass and the Divine Liturgy. 

     On Holy Thursday's  evening liturgy, church services include a symbolic representation of the crucifixion and a cross with the figure of Christ on it is carried in a procession around the church, while the beautiful hymn 'Today he … is hung upon the tree …' is chanted. Afterwards the altar is stripped bare and all bells in the church become silent until the Gloria at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. The period of mourning begins.

     Easter preparations reach a climax on Holy Thursday when eggs are dyed red and the traditional Easter bread, tsoureki, and Easter biscuits, koulouria, are baked.

HOLY WEEK

HOLY WEEK (Megali evdomada)

     Today begins the most important week of the Orthodox calendar: It is Megali Evdomada-Holy Week (Literally:'Great Week'). (The Eastern Orthodox Church follows a modified Julian calendar, different than the rest of Christendom, which means that Orthodox Easter often falls on a different date).  Most of the  Greeks, even if they haven't fasted in the previous weeks during Lent, will do so now and this week the fasting is complete.
    
    In Greek, Easter is called Pasha, meaning passover: It is the eternal Passover from death to life and from earth to heaven. During this period part of our greeting each other, is wishing "Kalo Pasha" (Good Easter). We wish "Kali Anastasi" (Good Resurrection) when Easter Sunday is very close, especially after Holy Thursday and Holy Friday.

     During Holy Week there is a frenzy of preparations for Easter. That preparation means the cleaning and decoration of the house, the baking of the Easter biscuits (koulouria) and Easter bread (tsoureki) and the dyeing of the eggs. Getting the shopping done as early as possible for the big feast on Easter Sunday is another concern for all housewives. Many families leave the big cities and go to their villages (cottages) to celebrate the Easter Holidays. ( I must add that the schools are closed for two weeks, this one and the one after Easter. It's sort of, our Springbreak!).
   
     During Holy Week the churches are full each evening as the people follow, once more the Passion of Our Lord. Every day has a special service and the byzantine hymns are so beautiful this week.

    While there are many local customs associated with Easter, there are several observed by all, f.e. on Holy Tuesday, housewives make sweet rolls, the koulourakia, and the following day on Holy Wednesday they do the housework and boil the eggs so they are ready for the dying, while in the evening they follow the blessing of Holy Oil that takes place in church.

     There are so many customs and traditions about the celebration of Easter in Greece but I will tell you the most important and that only is going to need more than one post. So, stay tuned......!

     In the meantime I posted a short video that gives you an idea and a small summary of  Greek Orthodox Easter celebrations: 

               

Happy Easter !

May the glory of the Lord's miracle strengthen your faith and renew your hope!

    Happy Easter to all my friends around the globe who celebrate Easter tomorrow April 8th.

     For the Orthodox christians tomorrow is our Palm Sunday because this year, Orthodox Easter falls on Sunday, April 15, 2012.

It rarely coincides with the Roman Catholic Easter.

   On Palm Sunday (Κυριακη των Βαίων-Kyriake Ton Vyeon) the Church services celebrate the entry of Christ into Jerusalem. At the end of the service some sprigs of bay leaves are given to the people who put them in purses, or keep them in their homes to bring good luck for the next year. For those who have been fasting there is a respite on this day, as fish is allowed.
 

    Next week, our Holy Week or Great Week (Μεγαλη Εβδομαδα-Megali Evthomatha) starts and I will keep you posted on the many and different events and traditions surrounding our Easter season which is the most significant and sacred time of the Orthodox Church calendar.



ANNUNCIATION AND GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY

     On the 25th of March of every year we celebrate the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary  (or Evangelismos tes Theotokou in Greek). It is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church and one of many feasts celebrating the Virgin Mary. Also on the same day Greeks celebrate Greek Independence Day.  (There are two Independence days in the year one in October about WWII and this one of the revolution and freedom from the Ottoman Empire).

     According to the Gospel of Luke 1:26-38, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce to her that she would conceive and bear a son, the son of God even though she "knew no man." 

     This date was selected by the Church Fathers to be exactly nine months ahead of the Nativity of Our Lord (or vice-versa?), indicating that Christ was conceived in perfection at that time "of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary," as stated in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (Immaculate Conception).

     Many men and women in Greece are named for this event and celebrate their name day on this date.

LENTEN DISHES

     During Lent (our 40-day before Easter fasting period), the Greek Orthodox abstain from foods that are derived from animals with blood. This includes beef, poultry and many types of fish. Also restricted are eggs and dairy products. The foods we can eat during Lent may be restricting (that is if you're fasting), but that doesn't mean that Lenten dishes are boring and bland. The meals are mainly vegetarian but they don't lack in taste. These are just a representation of the many tasty and delicious Lenten dishes available:


1. Fassolatha - Classic Bean Soup

A staple of the Lenten season and not only, it is eaten throughout the year and is considered our "national" dish. It is hearty, nutritious, and delicious. (See recipe for Bean soup - Fassolatha)

2. Horta Vrasta - Boiled Leafy Greens

These are easy to prepare. Just plain boil them in plenty of water and then after draining them we dress with a bit of olive oil and lemon. Clean, pure taste and very nutritious.

LENT

     Lent contributes to the spiritual empowerment of Christians and to good health.

     The Greek Orthodox Easter (Pasha) season starts with The Great Lent, beginning on Clean Monday seven weeks before Easter Sunday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent lasts forty days because, according to biblical accounts, Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days of fasting, meditation and reflection before beginning his ministry. The Greek Orthodox faith follows a modified Julian calendar to establish the date of Easter each year and it does not always or often coincide with the date of Easter in other faiths.
(This year Greek Orthodox Easter is on 15th April)

CLEAN MONDAY - KATHARA THEFTERA

             CLEAN MONDAY - "KATHARA THEFTERA"

       Clean Monday, the first day of the Greek Orthodox Great Lent, is a day of celebration. In villages around Greece, tables are set and stocked with the traditional foods of the day to welcome visiting friends and family. Greeks gather - as families, friends, or entire communities - to enjoy a day of picnics at the beach or the countryside with traditional foods, music, kite-flying and dancing. Kite-flying is a traditional part of this day. Then they join for a feast enjoying the allowed foods and special Lenten dishes.

      The whole weekend preceding "Clean Monday" offers vigorous parties, parades, and traditional events due to the "Apokries-Carnival".

TSEKNOPEMPTE (SMOKED THURSDAY)

             

TSEKNOPEMPTE
 

     Today is Thursday, in Greece it's Tseknopempte, Smoked Thursday or as they call it elsewhere Fat Thursday -- (Germany: Fetter Donnerstag, Italy: Giovedì Grasso, Poland: Tłusty czwartek, Spain: Jueves lardero. It is similar to, (but should not to be confused with), the French festival of Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday" which is also celebrated in New Orleans, USA).

     Tseknopémptẽ is a feast associated with the celebration of Carnival (Apokries) when Greeks enjoy meat dinners at taverns, their homes or friends' homes just ten days before the beginning of the Great Lent (40day fasting) which begins on Clean Monday. Because Lent is a time of fasting, the next opportunity to feast will not be until Easter!

NAME DAYS

                   CELEBRATING NAME DAYS

      Most of the days in the Greek calendar we celebrate saints f.e. St. John's Day, St. George's Day, etc. and since in Greece 90% of the Greek population is Greek orthodox Christians who are named after a saint you can imagine that when we celebrate a saint the people named after him/her also celebrate. For example, on St. Dimitrios Day everybody named Dimitrios or Dimitra celebrate as well. These are called name days.

     Name days are just as (if not more) important than our birthdays and they are a much anticipated event each year. It is an occasion to receive visitors or go visiting.