Greek culture

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FREE books, Easter eggs, cheeky cats, and Greek memorial food!

Greek Easter is next week (April 24), but I am aware Easter is this weekend for most of you out there! Have a great time with family and friends and enjoy those chocolate eggs and bunnies 🙂

I will be busy in the kitchen this coming week, making Easter cookies and also dying eggs with red onions and turmeric, the way I do every year, like our grannies used to. Some turn out very rustic-looking and totally imperfect, which gives me extra joy. If you’re anything like me, and wish to avoid the chemicals in the dye too, you can see here how I prepare them.

Today, I’m pleased to share the latest fun news from my life in Greece: Cute kiddies dressed up for Greek Independence Day and the latest cheekiness from my cats, Loulou and Sissi. I’m also sharing a Greek Orthodox tradition that is very special and is called ‘koliva’. It is Greek memorial food made with wheat berry. You’ll find all the above in my latest newsletter along with a load of FREE kindle books!

CHECK OUT MY NEWSLETTER

Enjoy, and Happy Easter, everyone!

 

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY… SHARING IS CARING! Tweet this to spread some love:

Rustic Easter eggs, Greek customs, cheeky cats and a load of FREE books! #freebooks #indiebooks #easterweekend Click To Tweet

 

Limited time offer! Get the awarded novella, “The Boy on the Bridge” for FREE, along with the short story collection, “Facets of Love” with your sign up to Effrosyni’s newsletter. Fun news from her life in Greece and a load of FREE kindle books in every issue! http://bit.ly/2yA74No
NEW BOOK! Clean romance novella.  Spyri never forgot that old summer in Corfu when she met Markos. Visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/3pAP3rf

Kelly ran a marathon and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with delightful sweet romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon
Summer love and a mysterious haunting in Corfu! Effrosyni’s debut romance, The Ebb, has received an award from Amazon! Check it out here

Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu! For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

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March 25th celebrations in Greece, vegetarian pastichio, and FREE books

 

This is salt-cured cod – the traditional food for the 25th of March in Greece, and the one thing I could never serve on my table, even if Greek custom dictates it! Growing up, March 25th has always been a bit of a drag around lunchtime. My mother would be busy battering and frying salt-cured cod (we call it ‘bakaliaros’), and I’d be just as busy behind her back fake-gagging and pulling faces, since even the smell attacked my senses. I was not looking forward at all to the time I’d be asked to eat the fried fillet pieces on my plate.

And because I’d refuse to eat them, I’d wind up having only half a meal – the weeds (dandelions or beetroots with their greens) and, of course, garlic dip (skordalia) with fresh bread to dunk in.

Since I loooove greens and skordalia I wasn’t too put out, I guess!

Nothing’s changed since then, as far as my tastes go. Like every other year, I’m having unsalted cod today with my skordalia, thank you very much 🙂

March 25th is a unique Greek holiday – being both a religious one and a national one! So it’s a two-in-one kind of affair that is celebrated in every home with a patriotic spirit… and salted-cod, of course.

On this day, the Greeks commemorate the War of Independence from Ottoman rule after no less than 400 years of slavery. I guess this explains why the Greeks are so resilient, huh!

Athens celebrates with a huge military parade which I’ve had the pleasure to attend a few times over the years. Always a thrill, especially when the Tsoliades (the Presidential Guard) pass by in their traditional uniforms, striking one foot down so forcefully it feels like the earth is shaking. The result creates rippling vibes of patriotic pride to rise into the air. The memory brings a lump to my throat just thinking about it!

HERE’S AN OLD POST ON MY BLOG ABOUT THE GREEK WAR OF INDEPENDENCE WITH PHOTOGRAPHS AND ONE VIDEO FROM THE PARADE.

Since it’s an old post and not in the awful days of covid, you’ll get to see crowds – the way it’s supposed to be. Enjoy the vibe of humanity coming together in large numbers 🙂

Image copyright: makisgonimo.blogspot.com

As I stated earlier, March 25th is also a religious holiday. It is the feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, when Archangel Gabriel announced to Her She will give birth to Jesus.

The day calls for a lunch of cod with boiled greens or beetroots and garlic dip (skordalia).

The latter is made with crushed garlic cloves, potato, olive oil and fresh lemon juice. I can vouch for the fact that it’s utterly delicious. Mind you, it’ll give you hot dragon breath for the rest of the day, but boy, is it worth it!

As I mentioned earlier, the fish used for this day traditionally is salt-cured cod. Housewives leave it in water overnight to remove the super-salty flavor.

Using salt-cured fish, in case you’re wondering, is a custom that began out of sheer necessity. When the Greeks started to commemorate the Annunciation of Virgin Mary by eating fish back in the 15th century, people had no fridges in their homes, plus, it was imperative for merchants to be able to distribute fish everywhere around Greece, even in areas far away from the sea, in the depths of the mainland, without the fish spoiling. That is what led them to sell this kind of fish instead, which is cheap and can be stored for long periods, too.

So… years, decades, and centuries later, the Greeks continue their tradition of going for salt-cured cod, even though they now have access to superstores, large fish markets, and freezers in their homes. Crazy, huh? But that’s the power of tradition, I guess!

Thinking of new meals to try during the fasting period that extends all the way to Orthodox Easter, I came up with a vegetarian version of Pastichio last week! What started in my head out of the blue wound up steaming on my plate one cold winter’s night, really hitting the spot! It even satisfied my meat-loving hubbie and that’s a feat in itself haha

As you may know, Pastichio (that is essentially an Italian meal adopted by the Greeks yonks ago) is traditionally made with minced meat. This version is just as yummy, cheesy and creamy – a wonderful alternative.

Curious to see what’s in the pasta mix?

GET THE RECIPE!

CHECK OUT TODAY’S NEWSLETTER FOR A LOAD OF FREE BOOKS!

 

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY… SHARING IS CARING! Tweet this to spread some love:

FREE books, and fun news from a Greek author #greek #auhorlife #Greece Click To Tweet

 

Limited time offer! Get the awarded novella, “The Boy on the Bridge” for FREE, along with the short story collection, “Facets of Love” with your sign up to Effrosyni’s newsletter. Fun news from her life in Greece and a load of FREE kindle books in every issue! http://bit.ly/2yA74No

NEW BOOK! Clean romance novella.  Spyri never forgot that old summer in Corfu when she met Markos. Visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/3pAP3rf

Kelly ran a marathon and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with delightful sweet romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon
Summer love and a mysterious haunting in Corfu! Effrosyni’s debut romance, The Ebb, has received an award from Amazon! Check it out here

Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu! For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

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FREE books, a beach picnic and a Greek god’s lucky plant

Hello, All! Today, I have the latest fun news from my life in Greece. As always, I am linking up to my latest newsletter where you can check out a multitude of free books, plus a chick lit 99c deal from yours truly. You’ll also get a peek at my forthcoming publication!

March is coming, and that’s a much dreaded statement in my country, seeing that the Greeks regard this month as the most extreme in terms of bad weather. I never understood why it is in the spring, as opposed to winter, but I guess that’s one of the oddities of Greek life, LOL

Indeed. It’s not the spring until April, that’s for certain. Having said that… this year, Andy and I got a taste of the spring a little sooner. For the first time ever, we got to have a picnic in February. And, on the beach, at that!

Our first picnic went swimmingly. Excuse the pun. Especially since no actual swimming was involved haha. No way, as it was chilly under the shade as it was!

We picked to visit our favourite beach near home. We’d missed it so much since last October when we stopped swimming. A couple of the trees were chopped off, and one had been uprooted completely – we guessed from the extreme weather conditions of the previous months. It was especially sad to see the huge tree (willow or aspen, not sure) with the generous shade chopped off at the trunk. I couldn’t find my bearings for a few seconds without it there, it was odd. It’ll make many people sad this summer when they arrive at the beach to find its shade is no more. More than four different families could sit under it comfortably – its shade was that generous.

A couple people were swimming when we arrived in the morning, much to our surprise. I asked a lady in her 30s who’d just come out of the water if it was cold, and she nodded fervently with a laugh saying it was indeed freezing. It was her first swim since November, she said. She hopes to keep swimming from now on. Quite over-confident an intention, if you ask me, since March is fully ahead of us. She said it was pleasant as she stood in her bikini but, by the time we’d set up in our favourite spot, I saw her putting on jeans and a sweater in a hurry LOL.

For a while, it was very quiet on the beach, especially since the three swimmers left, but then, at lunchtime, families and quiet couples descended (probably from the taverna on the road) to sit in the sunshine. Such a lovely day. And it brought the summer closer, somehow. Bliss.

Since I’d never visited this beach during the winter before, I was pleasantly surprised to find these green plants with the long thick leaves you can see in the photos. They were strewn all over the ground, even under the trees. These are special plants to the Greeks! They hit the stores once a year – in the New Year – for good luck, believe it or not! People buy them and hang them outside their homes.

I have to admit. I never knew what they were really called until today! Writing this prompted me to actually check it out online and it only took a bit of searching for Greek New Year customs to identify it.

My parents have always referred to this plant simply as ‘Riza’, which is just the Greek word for ‘Root’. And my father described it occasionally as some kind of wild onion, because of the shape of the root. Well, his notion was bang on!

As my Internet search revealed, the plant is called Agriokremmydo (wild onion) or Skylokremmydo, or Askeletoura, or Agiovasilitsa. The latter refers to Agios Vasilis, the Greek Santa Claus – makes sense as the plant is used in the New Year, where Agios Vasilis makes His visit to the children, according to Greek custom.

The Latin name of the plant is Urginea. Apparently, it is the plant of Pan (the god of nature in ancient Greece). It was believed to offer fertility, good luck, and good fortune.

From what I learned online, the custom of hanging these roots outside homes in the new year is largely followed on the island of Crete. It seems to be followed in Athens too, though not by many. Although, as I stated earlier I see them in some stores in the new year, I don’t see them outside people’s houses that often.

Anyway, my family never had to buy one, since Urginea grows naturally all over the fields here every winter. Just before the new year, even now at 80 years of age, my father will go up the road to the first open field and dig up two of these plants, taking great care to remove the root whole and intact. He’ll deliver one plant to my husband and me, the big round root covered in aluminium foil. All I have to do then is tie a piece of string around its stem and hang it at the gate. Once it’s dried up a few days later, we just throw it away.

And now you know about this plant, I bet you can tell just how ‘lucky’ I felt as I sat drinking in the stunning sea view, while surrounded by such auspicious plant life haha

Visit Facebook to see all the photos from that awesome day!

In my latest newsletter, I am sharing a bunch of FREE kindle books to suit various tastes and the latest that’s fun from my life in Greece. It’s all bound to put a smile on your face! Check it out!

 

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY… SHARING IS CARING! Tweet this to spread some love:

FREE books, and fun news from a Greek author #asmsg #weekendreading #newsletter Click To Tweet

 

Limited time offer! Get the awarded novella, “The Boy on the Bridge” for FREE, along with the short story collection, “Facets of Love” with your sign up to Effrosyni’s newsletter. Fun news from her life in Greece and a load of FREE kindle books in every issue! http://bit.ly/2yA74No

Kelly ran a marathon and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with delightful sweet romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon
Summer love and a mysterious haunting in Corfu! Effrosyni’s debut romance, The Ebb, has received an award from Amazon! Check it out here

Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu! For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

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Vasilopita, the Greek New Year cake with the hidden coin

Greek custom dictates that every family cut a Vasilopita on New Year’s Eve, which is a traditional cake with a hidden coin inside. The person who finds the coin in their piece will have good luck all year! The word ‘Vasilopita’ originates from Agios Vasileios (St Basil). It literally means ‘Basil pie’. The Greek Santa is Agios Vasileios, not St Nick. The legend of him bringing gifts started like this…

When Agios Vasileios was the bishop of Caesarea in Asia Minor, a ruthless tyrant and his army threatened all people of Caesaria to hand over their gold or perish. St Basil was forced to ask the poor city folk to bring to him their meagre gold possessions. According to legend, a miracle rid the city of the tyrant in the end so the gold was never handed over to him. When St Basil was presented with the task to return all the gold to the people, he decided to send to every household a little bread, each of which contained one golden coin or item of jewellery picked randomly. This is how the custom of the Vasilopita started!

Traditionally, the father or the mother of the house cuts the cake, naming names as they cut… First, they cut a piece for Christ, a second one for the Virgin Mary, another for the house, which they set aside. And only then do they start naming each person of the household as they cut. This way, if the coin is found during cutting, they know who it belongs to. If the coin is found in one of the first three pieces, it is placed in the corner of the house where the family keeps their icons, for good luck. In Greek homes, this corner is often found in the parents’ (or the couple’s) bedroom.

In my humble opinion, everyone who participates in this custom is a winner… There’s plenty of laughter to be had and a strange excitement blossoms in every home during this process, as if the coin is real – a coveted piece of gold…

Why don’t you have a go to see who wins the coin in your home this year? There’s plenty of time still! In Greece, Vasilopita cakes are baked and cut for good luck all the way till the end of January.

Here’s my recipe. Enjoy!

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Limited time offer! Get The Boy on the Bridge for FREE, along with the short story collection, Facets of Love, with your sign up to Effrosyni’s newsletter. Fun news from her life in Greece and a load of FREE kindle books in every issue! http://bit.ly/2yA74No

Kelly ran a marathon and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with delightful sweet romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon
Summer love and a mysterious haunting in Corfu! Effrosyni’s debut romance, The Ebb, has received an award from Amazon! Check it out here

Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu! For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

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Delicious Greek Christmas desserts

Hi, All! Today, I am sharing about the Greek traditional desserts for Christmas, the New Year cake with the hidden coin, and some delightful cookies too! These change shape in the oven and are the perfect fun thing to do with kids this holiday season. Enjoy, and happy holidays!

I love the Greek Christmas desserts you can see here but they present a problem for me each year. I can’t help myself and start eating them from very early in the month of December. By the time Christmas arrives, I have to look for trousers one size bigger to wear haha

But, looking at this picture from my local bakery, can you really blame me? Especially if you’ve tasted Greek Christmas desserts and know just how yummy they are.

Here they are, in more detail:

KOURABIES (Plural: KOURABIEDES)

These tiny round cakes have a solid dough that’s rich in almond chunks, and they are dusted heavily with icing sugar. They can also be found in the shape of a crescent. A classic festive prank in Greece is to offer someone a kourabies and dare them to say ‘Thothoros’ as they chew. This is just the Greek name for Theodore. It’s not the meaning, but the making of the sound that matters here. The result is always the same! A sprinkle of icing sugar emitted from the person’s mouth to dirty their own clothes. Not recommended in the times of covid – but it has to end sometime, doesn’t it? So keep in mind for later, if you’re a prankster. Trust me. It’s priceless.

MELOMAKARONO (Plural: MELOMAKARONA)

These golden delights can easily become a favorite, especially as in the recent years bakers and sweet shop owners have gone a step further to coat them with milk chocolate or dark chocolate! Personally, I never go for those, as I find them sickly sweet. The classic melomakarona of this picture are more than adequately sweet on their own. The taste is all in the honey syrup and the heavenly woody spices (cinnamon and cloves). Melomakarona come in soft and harder varieties. The softer the better, in my humble opinion.

DIPLA (Plural: DIPLES)

These pastries are fried, then sprinkled with chopped walnuts and drizzled with honey or syrup. The ones my mother used to make looked like short ribbons with serrated edges, and sometimes she’d fold them in thirds. The classic shape one can find in the shop, though, is the rolled up one you see in the picture. After all, the name Dipla is derived from the word Diplono, which means “To fold”. I have to admit that diples, being fried, are not the healthiest option, but they are definitely my favourite of the three, with melomarona following closely behind. Diples are crunchy and fluffy – a temptation I personally find impossible to resist!

Note: This is not a recipe post, as you can see, mainly owed to the fact that I’ve never tried my hand at making any of the main three Christmas desserts. It’s hassle-free at the bakery, if you ask me LOL! But, if you’re feeling eager to try, just google the name of the dessert with ‘Akis’ next to it, and it should take you to the site of famous Greek chef Akis Petretzikis. All his recipes are awesome! This is the one for melomakarona, for example!

 

Ok, so these are neither Greek nor Christmas cookies either, but I love to bake them on new year’s eve, then put them on a platter with chocolate coins for good luck. They look fantastic and the added bonus is they are not as punishing to your waistline as you’d think! There is no trace of chocolate or butter in them – instead, they contain cocoa powder and sunflower oil, but taste fluffy and chocolatey as if they were the real thing. I call them Magic Snowballs because when you put them in the oven they look like little white balls and then something whimsical happens! They start to change shape right before your eyes…

GO HERE TO GET THE RECIPE. THEY ARE PERFECT TO BAKE WITH KIDS. ENJOY!

 

Last but not least, this is the Greek New Year Cake with the hidden coin inside. It is called ‘Vassilopita’ and is baked on new year’s eve in honour of St Basil (the Greek version of Santa Claus). Check out my recipe here!

 

 

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YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY… SHARING IS CARING! Tweet this to spread some love:

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Get Effrosyni’s FREE books with your signup to her bimonthly newsletter! Fun news from her life in Greece and a load of FREE kindle books in every issue! http://bit.ly/2yA74No

NEW! A historical paranormal romance box set. This is the timeless love story that will stay with you forever. Set in Moraitika, Corfu and Brighton, England. Visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/3HEvMPG
Clean romance short read, FREE with Kindle Unlimited. It’ll transport you straight to Corfu to experience summer in an idyllic Greek seaside village. Visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/3pAP3rf

 

Kelly ran a marathon and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with delightful sweet romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon

Summer love and a mysterious haunting in Corfu! Effrosyni’s debut romance, The Ebb, has received an award from Amazon! Check it out here

Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!
 
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu!

 

For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

 

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A song about the Parthenon Marbles

June 20, 2019 was the anniversary of ten years since the opening of the Acropolis Museum in Athens. Greek singer Hellena chose this day to present a song to the world about the Parthenon Marbles (aka Parthenon Sculptures), dedicated to support the  just cause of their repatriation to Greece since the looting of the Parthenon by Lord Elgin in the early 1800s.

Hear the song below, and make sure to scroll down for FREE short stories about the Marbles too!

 

GO HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO CLIP OF HELLENA’S SONG  

 

Are you on Facebook? Go here to see a video of Hellena standing before the stolen Marbles in the British Museum informing the visitors about this great injustice, then start to sing the song. Well done, Hellena!

 

Héllena is a singer/songwriter born in the shadow of the Mountain of the Gods, Olympus, in Greece. She has played at some of the most renowned venues such as The Troubadour and The Beatles’ Cavern Club. In addition, she has charted in the Top 20 MTV Unsigned listing and performed at SXSW. Live appearances on the likes of BBC London Radio 94.9FM have further enhanced Héllena’s exposure.


Her new Single entitled “The Parthenon Marbles (Bring Them Back)” is both inspired by, and dedicated to, the Parthenon Marbles which are currently residing unlawfully in the possession of the British Museum. The song will be used by organizations around the world to raise awareness of an issue which originates from over 200 years ago brought about by the defacement of the Parthenon by the British ambassador Lord Elgin.

This is a stripped back recording with piano and vocal in order to intensify its raw emotion and make the meaning of the song clear, which is to right the wrongs of the past and reunify the Parthenon.

Hellena’s website: https://www.hellenaofficial.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialHellena

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HellenaMicy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellenaofficial/

 

FREE eBOOK! 

The book contains two FREE short stories about the Parthenon Marbles. Both of them offer possible versions (with supernatural elements!) of the celebrations that will take place in Athens the day of their return. Yes, I am a firm believer that one day soon, they will! And as it happens in my stories, I believe the Greek gods will be watching! Download the book now and enjoy 🙂

 

Interested to hear more about the 200-year-old injustice against the Greeks committed by Lord Elgin and maintained by the British Museum? Read my posts:

Why is Lord Elgin an abomination to the Greeks?

What are the Parthenon Marbles to the Greeks?    

 

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Summer love and a mysterious haunting in Corfu… Only $0.99 for a limited time!

Check it out!

NEW RELEASE BESTSELLER! 370 pages of Corfu summer bliss! This beach romance will make you fall in love… Choose between the paperback , the box set or 4 kindle episodes!Did you enjoy this post? GO HERE to follow this blog and get to see all our future posts! To grab “Facets of Love” for FREE, go here! Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to Corfu! For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

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Tales from Lesvos about Archangel Michael

On November the 8th each year, Greece celebrates angels and archangels. The Greeks with angelic names celebrate too. Aggelos, Stamatis, Michael, Gabriel and Stratos are just a few of these names.

To celebrate this big day, I am sharing here a couple of stories about Archangel Michael that locals once shared with me on the island of Mytilene (Lesvos). But first, a brief introduction to angels:

The Greek word for angel is Aggelos, which means ‘messenger’. Different kinds of angels can be found across the angelic ranks of hierarchy. The highest in rank are the Cherubim, The Sherafim and the Thrones. Three of the most revered archangels are Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

Archangel Michael is the ultimate military ‘superhero’ that the faithful call upon when in need of protection. His name means ‘Who is like God’. All you have to do is say three times ‘Archangel Michael, protect me!’ and He is said to rush to your side to make sure no harm comes your way. Other than protection, He also provides courage and strength.

Archangel Gabriel is said to provide strength and guidance to those who need Him. His name means, ‘God is my strength’.

Archangel Raphael is the one to invoke when healing is required. His name means ‘Healing power of God’ and He responds to prayers to provide healing on a physical, emotional or mental level.

 Now, to share the stories that the locals of Mandamatho in Mytilene shared with me:

There is a monastery in Mandamatho, which I’ve had the pleasure to visit, and its church is dedicated to Archangel Michael. The church is famous for its ancient icon of the archangel as well as the iron shoes that are also on display there. According to the locals, the archangel wears the iron shoes at night and wanders around their village.

Many claim to have heard loud thuds coming from the roofs at night, and the shared belief is that this is the sound of His iron shoes as He walks around, up on roofs and on the streets, to patrol the village when the sun goes down.

Others claim to have seen His shadow wander around in the church.

The locals replace the iron shoes occasionally, and many offer new pairs from time to time too, seeing that they tend to find signs of wear and tear on them, as if someone actually wears them…

 One of the locals told me this amazing story:

There was a villager who was renowned for being highly blasphemous. All day he’d swear, using sacred names in vain, and Archangel Michael’s was one of his ‘favorites’, seeing that he used His name to swear heavily on a daily basis. One night, he saw a tall man in a dream. He looked very strong and was dressed in a military uniform. The man in the dream began to beat up the blasphemous villager pretty badly. Punches, kicks, slaps, you name it, while telling him of for his blasphemy. When the man woke up, his body was covered in bruises… Needless to say, he quickly realized he had been paid a visit by the Archangel Michael himself and stopped swearing, literally, overnight!

Another local had an even more intriguing story to share with me. It was about a man who had a sick child. One night, Archangel Michael appeared before him in a dream and made a devastating announcement – that he had come to take his sick child away. The man then began to wail, crying and begging the Archangel to reconsider. Then the Archangel said, ‘All right! I will let you choose: Shall I take your child or the cow in your field?’

‘Of course, no need to ask,’ the man replied in the dream, ‘please take the cow!’

When the man awoke, he rushed to his child’s bedside to find it was feeling a lot better, and it was eventually cured. As for the cow, the man found it that morning dead in the field.

(image by LesvosGreece.gr)

The legend surrounding the ancient icon of Archangel Michael goes like this:

The monastery was raided one day by Saracen pirates who attacked the monks and slaughtered them. Only one survived to tell the tale; it was a young monk who managed to hide on a roof and watched the massacre from up there. According to legend, afterwards, he saw a vision of Archangel Michael hovering over the slaughtered bodies of the monks.

Inspired by the vision, and to honor their memory, he took some of the blood-stained soil, mixed it with wax and made the Archangel’s face as he remembered it. Today, only the head of the full-body icon is on display.

 

Take a 3D walk around the monastery grounds in Mandamatho, and see the infamous icon and other relics inside the church to the sound of ecclesiastic hymns. GO HERE (Language is Greek)

 

Other than the protector of Mandamatho (and the island of Mytilene in general), Archangel Michael is also the protector of the Hellenic Air Force. Every year, on November the 8th and for a couple of days earlier, the Hellenic Air Force celebrates with various events to honor Him. If you’re reading this post near the big day, check out their site for any events near you. Go HERE

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An insider’s view of Greek Easter

Easter in Greece is the brightest holiday, even more so than Christmas. The Greeks celebrate it with wonderful customs that make it a huge joy to attend the festivities. No matter where you are in Greece, the evening of Good Friday will find you following the epitaph procession with a lit brown candle in your hand, an experience that always makes my heart swell as the fragrance of jasmine and honeysuckle from the yards waft in the crisp night air, and the solemn melody of the hymn ‘Oh glyki mou aiar’ delights my ears. The epitaph is a wooden structure adorned with a multitude of flowers. A depiction of Christ lies inside and the epitaph serves as His tomb. Seeing that the procession symbolizes His funeral, the mood of this procession is mournful and voices are kept to a respectful low volume.

Midnight on Holy Saturday is the exact opposite experience. Here, the atmosphere is joyful, and how can it not be with the fireworks exploding overhead and the church bells ringing madly! The priest brings out the holy light (flown into the country from Virgin Mary’s tomb in Jerusalem the same day and distributed to every church on time), and people light up their white or red candles as they kiss and exchange the news of Jesus’ rising from the dead. One person will say ‘Christos Anesti’ (Christ has risen) and the other will respond ‘Alithos Anesti’ (indeed, He has) or ‘Alithos, o Kyrios’ (indeed, the Lord has).

On Easter day, the Greeks get up early to put the lamb and the kokoretsi on the spit. Lunch is a grand celebration that includes bumping together Easter eggs (traditionally dyed red).

Other than the above festivities that can be sampled anywhere in Greece, there are variations in places. For example, on the island of Hydra, the procession of the epitaph is not done on the road but in the sea by boat. Also, there are special customs in other parts, such as the spectacular ‘rocket war’ between two churches on the island of Chios and the burning of effigies of Judas in various parts of the country.

By far, and I am not just saying this because I am biased – everyone agrees here – the brightest Easter you can ever experience in Greece takes place in Corfu town.

The Holy Relic of St Spyridon is taken around town several times a year during the grand processions.

Other than the multitude of epitaph processions and spectacular fireworks display you’re in for here, Holy Saturday stands out for two things: the grand procession of St Spyridon, schools, boy scouts, and philarmonic orchestras that starts in the old town at 9:00 am, and the ancient custom of ‘botides’ that is a spectacle everyone should behold at least once in their lives.

Botides are massive ceramic pots that the Corfiots throw from high balconies when the bell tolls the ‘First Ressurection’ at 11:00 am before a huge crowd. What follows is a pandemonium of cheers and noise that is said to ward off evil and celebrates the victory of Man over death. The atmosphere soon becomes electric and you feel so elated, it almost feels like you’re ready to grow wings on your back and fly. You have to experience it firsthand, I guess, but that’s the best way I can describe the feeling! Here’s a little taste:

 

Here, I will also share Amleto (Little Hamlet, from Faccio’s opera) – my favorite piece of music played by the Old Philarmonic in Corfu town on Saturday morning during the grand procession I mentioned earlier. Total silence falls among the locals when the band begins to play this song as to enjoy it fully – this is a piece of music adored by the Corfiots, including me, as it has the unique power to compel and to make your heart swell. You be the judge – although again, you have to be there to experience the atmosphere to the max:

And below, a video taken at the square (Spianada) by Liston – Amleto starts at the time mark of 2:10

For the Greeks, Easter is a religious experience that goes on inside their souls. It is a chance to gather hope and strength inside and to keep going, no matter the hardship. It is one of the Greek secrets, if you like, for their ever renewed ability to withstand adversity and to keep the faith. During the Holy Week, the Greeks wish each other ‘Kali Anastasi’ (Happy Resurrection), which doesn’t only mean the enjoyment of the midnight festivities on Holy Saturday – it also means a resurrection in their lives; it wishes the preservation of hope until a better day comes. Therefore, as you appreciate, Easter to the average Greek is not just a cause for celebration but a form of psychotherapy too – a provider of renewed hope. I hope this makes sense. For what it’s worth, this is the best way I can share it with you, what Easter is to a Greek!

And with this, I bid you adieu, wishing you a wonderful Easter no matter where you are and how you plan to celebrate.

Please note: if you ever plan to visit Greece for Easter, do check online for the date of Orthodox Easter first. It coincides with Easter in the rest of the world only once in a few years!

And now, I am off to my kitchen to make Easter cookies. Holy week is a busy one for Greek housewives. Thankfully, I’ve already dyed the Easter eggs! I make mine with red onion leaves and curry to avoid those nasty chemicals. See how I prepare them here

Kali Anastasi & Happy Easter!

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