A Little About Greek Easter

Easter time, from the time before the Lenten fast through Holy Week and the celebrations of Easter, is a special season in Greece.

The date of the Greek Orthodox Easter is based on a modified Julian calendar, while the Western world uses the Gregorian calendar, therefore the festivities do not usually occur at the same time as other Christian Easter celebrations.

In 2009 Easter will be celebrated by many Christians on April 19, with many traditions that make Easter in Greece different than Easter celebrations in other lands.

Greek foods and traditions mark the season as uniquely Hellenic. The history of Greece traces back far past the beginnings of Christianity, but from the very earliest days of the Christian faith the Islands of Greece and the Greek people have embraced these beliefs and made them part of the Greek heritage. Of all the Christian feast days, Easter is the greatest time for foods, feasting and celebration to people in the Greek Orthodox faith.

Greek Lenten Traditions

The celebrations for Easter truly begin two months before with Mardi Gras. The Carnival or Apokria season starts on the Sunday of Teloni and Fariséou and ends on Shrovetide Sunday with the Burning of the Carnival King...setting fire to an enormous paper maché effigy of Judas in the early evening. The fireworks and feasting continue throughout the night. The next day, Kathará Deftéra or Kathari Deutera, is known as Clean Monday or Ash Monday

For Greeks, Clean Monday is one of the most festive holidays of the year. Decorated with the colorful local almond trees and mimosas bursting into bloom, nature invites children and their parents into the hills of Athens and the Greek countryside. Flying kites and feasting at local tavernas or outdoor picnics is how Lent begins in Greece.

Htapothi Octopus and calamari or squid, prawns, Soupies Giahni - cuttlefish stewed in wine, rice pilaf with mussels, varieties of bean stews and salads, Taramosaláta - fish roe dip, Lenten dolmades or Dolmáddes - rice stuffed grape vine leaves, Halva a semolina pudding, plenty of meat free salads and the once-a-year lagana, a yeastless bread, are a small portion of the unique tastes of the day accompanied by joyous music.

If Apokria, Kathará Deftéra and Lenten Sunday feasts are the preliminaries for Greek Easter, Holy Week is the peak of these activities. On Holy Thursday the bright dyed red eggs that are symbolic of Easter in Greece are prepared. Tradition says that the Virgin Mother, Mary, dyed eggs this color to celebrated the Resurrection of Christ and to celebrate life. Every Greek family prepares these eggs as part of the Easter Sunday Resurrection Table.

Otherwise, the women in Greek families are busy baking kouloúria - dough cookies and Tsouréki - traditional sweet bread for the Easter feast. In Corfu and Zakynthos earthen water pitchers, Stámnes, are thrown into the street to bring luck.

On Good Friday or Great Friday, flags at homes and government buildings are set at half mast to mark the mournful day. The Procession of the Epitáphios of Christ, the Ritual Lament that has survived from Homeric times, mourns the death of Christ on the Cross with the symbolic decorated coffin carried through the streets by the faithful. On Corfu, the procession of St. Spyridon is held on Easter Saturday.

Holy Saturday is filled with anticipation of the religious celebration of Easter and the Resurrection. People begin to gather in the churches and squares in cities, towns and villages by 11 p.m. for the Easter services. Large white candles, lampáda, are carried by just about all of the faithful. At midnight the church bells toll as the priests announce Christós Anésti...Christ is Risen! Fireworks are set off, in some areas gunshots are fired and the each person in the crowd answers with the joyous responses of Alithós Anésti - Truly He is risen and Alithinós O Kírios - True is The Lord.

Greek Easter - A Time for Family

The people leave the churches and crowded squares and make their ways to homes of friends and relatives. The candles they carry are placed in each home and burn through the night to symbolize the Light returned to the world. Celebrations continue with the cracking of eggs and The Resurrection Table. The Kokkina - pasxalina avga - dyed red Easter eggs that are found on the Resurrection Table become pieces of a traditional game. Each person takes an egg and challengers attempt to crack each others' eggs. The breaking of the eggs is meant to symbolize Christ breaking from the Tomb. The person whose egg lasts the longest is assured good luck for the rest of the year.

The traditional foods on the Resurrection Table: hiroméri - smoked salted pork; cheeses; Magirítsa - a creamy, lemony soup made from the lamb sweetmeats; kouloúra - Greek Easter bread; Tsoureki; Lambropsomo and other Easter breads and plenty of wine, retsina and ouzo insure a feast that will last throughout the night.

After the night of feasting and celebration, everyone is still up early on Easter Sunday morning. The Easter Sunday table is prepared and the festivities continue! The Easter meal is truly a feast. Salads of beans, greens and seafood, vegetable dishes that are grilled or cooked to be served with the rice dishes, Kokoretsi, breads, cakes, cookies, wines, ouzo...

The main dish at the Easter Table is the lamb or goat. Served in honor of the Lamb of God who was sacrificed and rose again on Easter, the whole spiced lamb roasted over a charcoal fire is the most traditional of Greek Easter foods. The Easter Sunday celebration lasts through the day while visits are made to family and friends and the Easter feast is shared with every guest.

Each person that enters the home is greeted with Gigto kaló tis iméras! - For the good of the day! and with a plate of food and an invitation to join in the feast. Besides bringing insult and bad luck to a host who is rejected, the foods are so delicious...who could refuse?

Easter Monday is a much more relaxed day when everyone gets ready to return to work and school. The main work of Easter Monday is to finish the foods that were not eaten the day before!

Kaló Pás'ha...Happy Greek Easter!

Obama Joins Greek Independence Day Celebration

The president and Vice President Joe Biden welcomed a multitude of guests to the White House Wednesday to celebrate Greek Independence Day. Among the guests of honor were Ambassador of Greece in the US, Alexandros Malias, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, Archbishop Demetrios, and many other notable Greeks and Greek-Americans. President Barack Obama mentioned in his speech that "founders were students of Greek history and turned to ancient texts for allies" while Archibishop Demetrios noted that "Greece and the USA share values of freedom and democracy" and stated that he prays strongly for the first family. He also compared the President with Alexander the Great, saying the President should follow the example of the ancient military conqueror to help solve some of Greece’s problems.

The President responded, "I will tell Michelle that I’ve been compared to Alexander the Great, I will see whether that gets me a little more respect at home. At home she knows she’s still the boss." The event started at 5pm in Washington, D.C. and included many Greek culinary specialties. A special guest at the White House Kitchen was Greek Chef Michael Psilakis, who prepared Greek dishes such as raw mezze of tuna with feta dust and pickled raw and dehydrated watermelon; open goat moussaka; braised snails with rabbit confit and halvah. Psilakis is the first outside chef that was invited to cook for an event in the White House by this administration.

Last night President Obama proclaimed March 25, 2009, as "Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy".

Jennifer Aniston narrates third Loukoumi book

NEW YORK – Jennifer Aniston is among several celebrities who contributed to the third book in the Loukoumi illustrated children’s series.

Aniston is joined by her father, John, a Days of Our Lives star, in narrating Loukoumi’s Good Deeds, which will be released on April 1. The Loukoumi series is written by Nick Katsoris, a lawyer, publisher and father of two children, of Eastchester, N.Y.

The narrated story, included in a CD with the hardcover book, also contains a song by Grammy award-winning singer Gloria Gaynor, titled, “Make Someone Smile.”

Loukoumi’s Good Deeds (Dream Day Press/NK Publications; $15.95) continues the adventures of Loukoumi the Lamb and her friends Gus the Bear, Fistiki the Cat, Dean the Dog and Marika the Monkey. They learn that no matter how small a word or deed, helping out makes a difference in other’s lives.

Katsoris said he got the idea for the book as a young law clerk. An office cleaning lady gave him a pair of gold cufflinks to thank him for saying good morning to her every day.

“This book is dedicated to Daisy for teaching me at a young age that the perfect gift comes straight from the heart,” he said.

In addition to the Anistons, the CD also features the character voices of Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis, former American Idol Constantine Maroulis, Guiding Light star Frank Dicopoulos and CBS News anchor Alexis Christoforous, as the voice of Loukoumi.

The second annual Loukoumi Dream Day contest also will be launched on April 1. Children can enter the contest by drawing a picture of themselves in their future dream career accompanied by the statement: “I want to be a ______ because ...” The contest deadline is December 31, and top winners will live their dream career for a day.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital also will receive $2 from each sale of Loukoumi’s Good Deeds.

For more information, visit www.loukoumi.com.

Reprinted from the Hellenic Voice

Esteemed Greek Journalists to Visit Boston

Here's some interesting news for our fellow Greeks in New England. We just received word from a popular P.R. firm in Athens, working directly with Lufthansa Airlines, about marketing Boston as a destination in Greece. They have invited four journalists on a tour to interview key individuals within our community here in Boston. All four journalists are chief editors of their publications, such as To Vima and Antenna.

The P.R. firm has asked GreekBoston.com to show them around Boston and to connect them with professionals that have made an impact within our Greek-American community. We decided to give them a full tour, with stops at the Greek consulate, The Hellenic Voice, The Greek Institute, and a special Greek dinner prepared by our resident Chef Paul Delios. The dinner will take place at Tresca in the North End - and yes, we know it's Italian, but nonetheless we will transform it into a temporary Greek eatery filled with Hellenes and delicious Greek fare!

Archbishop Participates in National Prayer Service

WASHINGTON – Archbishop Demetrios participated in the National Prayer Service held at the Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 21, attended by President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden and his wife, Jill.

The National Prayer Service is a tradition dating back to the Inauguration of George Washington, and this year had a strong interfaith character embodying the themes of tolerance, unity and understanding. Prior to the ceremony the Archbishop met the President and conveyed to him the congratulations and best wishes of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Orthodox faithful of America.

WASHINGTON – Archbishop Demetrios participated in the National Prayer Service held at the Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 21, attended by President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden and his wife, Jill.

The National Prayer Service is a tradition dating back to the Inauguration of George Washington, and this year had a strong interfaith character embodying the themes of tolerance, unity and understanding. Prior to the ceremony the Archbishop met the President and conveyed to him the congratulations and best wishes of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Orthodox faithful of America.

At the service, the Archbishop read a New Testament passage from the Gospel of Matthew. (Matthew 22:36-40)

At the inauguration of President Obama on Jan. 20, the Archbishop was a guest of honor and was seated on the Presidential platform during the ceremony.

Tragedy for Greece

Greece's worst civil unrest in more than 30 years has taken its most dangerous turn yet.

A domestic militant group called Revolutionary Struggle has now entered the fray.

The proof, according to Greek officials, comes in the form of bullets fired during an attack on a riot police unit guarding the culture ministry in central Athens on Monday.

Ballistics tests revealed that one of the bullets came from the same weapon used in an attack on an Athens police station in April 2007.

Revolutionary Struggle, described as "a radical leftist group" in a recent US state department report on terrorism, said it had carried out that attack.

Previously, the group also claimed a rocket attack on the US embassy in Athens the same year.

A 21-year-old member of the riot police unit, Diamandis Mantzounis, is in a critical condition after the attack. He was shot in the body and leg - though the bullets that struck him were fired from a second weapon.

Greece's national police chief, Lt Gen Vassilis Tsiatouras, said that was a Kalashnikov, that tests showed was also used in an attack last month on a bus carrying 22 riot police.

However, the general attempted to play down a resurgence of domestic terrorism.

He said he thought the attacks were the work of a group of people who had "lost their senses" following the death of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos on 6 December 2008.

The shooting, by a 37-year-old policeman, triggered weeks of riots across the country.

History of terror

Monday's developments are regarded as highly significant by anti-terrorist specialists at the US embassy in Athens, who are analysing the "format, the fashion, and the weapons" used in the attack.

The embassy is still offering a $1m (£690,000) reward for information leading to the successful prosecution of the Revolutionary Struggle operatives, who fired a rocket-propelled grenade into the building in January 2007.

The state department said it believed the Revolutionary Struggle was also responsible for "nine violent terrorist attacks since 2003, including the 2004 murder of a Greek guard outside the British defence attache's residence".

It said that in 2006, the group claimed responsibility for triggering a remote-controlled explosive device targeting the Greek culture minister.

The big question troubling Greece is whether there is going to be a revival of domestic terrorism along the lines of November 17 (N17), another "populist" left-wing anti-capitalist group, responsible for two dozen assassinations and scores of bomb attacks during a three-decade campaign.

The Greek authorities disbanded N17 after Savvas Xeros, a painter and son of an Orthodox priest, was caught in 2002 when the bomb he was planting exploded prematurely.

The involvement of British detectives, following N17's murder of the UK's defence attache, Stephen Saunders, in 2000, also helped the Greek police bring the case to trial.

Fifteen members of N17 were given lengthy jail sentences.

Flash in the pan?

The US state department says the Revolutionary Struggle has "aligned itself with the ideology of N17" and may have incorporated some of its former members.

However, Brady Kiesling, a former US embassy diplomat in Athens told the BBC: "Revolutionary Struggle are people inspired by N17, but the organisation is not a successor except vaguely psychologically.

"What you have are spontaneous, arbitrary attacks. When there is a political window, they will mount an attack - without the level of preparation that N17 used."

He said: "They are dangerous, but not nearly as dangerous as N17 were.

"N17 was massively security conscious. They lived off the land. They never indebted themselves to anybody. It sounds as though Revolutionary Struggle is buying from the illegal arms market, such as the Albanian dealers. N17 would never do that."

Mr Kiesling said advances in DNA analysis, security surveillance and mobile phone analysis made it much harder to do what N17 used to.

"My gut tells me this is a flash in the pan," said Mr Kiesling, who is writing a book about N17.

"Most of the far-left groups out there prefer a live-and-let-live approach with the police. This kind of shooting destabilises the status quo. There will not be a lot of social support for the shooting."

That will not come as much relief to the average policeman on the street, who has become a hate figure for much of the population.

'Defensive posture'

Last month, a young police officer called Jimmy contacted me because he was weary of the Greek media demonising the force, and wanted to "put the record straight".

"Not every Greek policeman is a batsos!" Jimmy implored.

"Batsos" forms the first word of the derogatory chant directed at the police at every opportunity by Greek demonstrators.

The media interprets the phrase as "cops, pigs, murderers".

But batsos is much more derogatory than just "cop".

The word comes from the verb to slap and, to use a euphemistic translation, it means "uniformed thug".

The insult was particularly popular from 1967-1974, when Greece was ruled by a harsh military junta, and police violence was commonplace.

Jimmy says he and his colleagues have been advised not to wear their uniforms when travelling to and from work.

"We are afraid that one of us will be murdered soon," he says.

As Monday's shooting outside the culture ministry proved, the young officer's fears had a solid foundation.

"I don't believe this hatred of the police is justified. I always try not to use violence and use respect when I arrest someone," Jimmy said.

"But at the moment, my colleagues and I are tired of adopting a defensive posture."

The latest shooting may change all that.

Says Brady Kiesling: "This licenses police to arrest people again. They are angry enough to take more risks."

New Years in Greece

Protihronia - After Christmas, the children impatiently await the New Year (Protohronia ) because that's when St. Basil (Ayios Vasilis) delivers their gifts. Traditionally in Greece, it was the custom to exchange gifts on the New Year instead of Christmas. The presents are delivered by Saint Basil (Agios Vasilis).

On New Year's Eve it is customary for most people to gather in the town's center, or plaza, for last minute shopping or just a pleasant stroll. On the main roads, teenagers and other young ones create a maniacal scene by declaring a bloodless war on each other, using plastic clubs, giant plastic hammers, foam spray and whistles as "weapons." Later, all the friends gather at one of their houses to ring in the New Year together.

Cardplaying on New Year's Day
Because Greeks consider the New Year lucky, it is the custom to participate in games of chance on the first day. In addition to the state lottery which raffles 10 million euros on New Year's Day, people play cards and roll dice in coffeehouses, clubhouses and homes throughout the country.

In the homes it is also the custom for cards to be played on New Year's Eve while waiting for the year to change. The betting sums are usually kept low, so as to offer a friendly diversion without upsetting the losers.

Vasilopita
The cutting of the vasilopita is one of the few primordial customs still surviving. In the Kronia (the celebration of the god Kronos, who was worshiped in Greece) and the Saturnalia of Rome, sweets and cakes would be prepared with a coin inside. The one who received the piece with the coin would be the lucky one of the group.

The Orthodox tradition combined this custom with the New Year cake. On New Year's Eve everyone gathers around waiting for the vasilopita to be cut as the new year rolls in. When the time comes the father, in a solemn ceremony, starts to cut the cake. The first piece is for Christ, the second for the house, and then pieces for everyone present. The one who gets the piece with the coin will be the lucky one of the year!

Evening Entertainment
During the entire holiday period attendance in bars and clubs is much higher as people go out at night to celebrate. On New Year's Eve especially, you can't get a foot in these nightspots after midnight , and the streets are so crowded that the cars move at a snail's pace. The fun and excitement continues until sunrise.

In recent years elaborate firework displays have been established in the central squares of the cities throughout Greece . They are organized responsibly by the various municipalities, who also put up festive decorations and sponsor musical events for the Eve's celebrations.

The Pothariko
Many people pay particular mind to the good/bad omen regarding who will first enter their home in the new year ( pothariko). On New Year's Eve they will ask a close friend or relative, whom they consider lucky, to be the first to come into their house the following day. Often, a child is preferred for this special practice because children are considered innocent and their hearts free of malice and envy.

The Kali Hera
It is the custom for money (kali hera) to be given to children visiting on New Year's day - usually grandchildren or nieces and nephews. Several decades ago, the money was the only gift the children received on New Year's Day. And, in many cases, the gift was just sweets or pastries, as money was scarce and toy shops were almost non-existent.

Greek Christmas Customs

Ah, it's kourabiedes time again, and the mellow aroma of melomacarona cookies will soon be filling Greek kitchens worldwide.

For the traveller to Greece, remember that many offices, businesses, restaurants, and other amenities may be closed or keeping unusual hours during the Christmas season. Turkeys have invaded Greek Christmas customs, and so travellers from the U.S. will find this bird prepared for Christmas feasting. In some areas, the holiday is preceded by a time of fasting. For Greece, the season is in full swing by December 6th, the Feast of St. Nicholas, when some presents are exchanged, and will last through January 6th, the Feast of Epiphany.

While in the past Greek Christmas displays, lights, or other Western decorations were relatively rare, more and more Greeks are decorating their houses, especially in the larger towns and cities. Regular "Greece for Visitors" site visitor Christina Houvarda reports that the outgoing Mayor of Athens, Dimitris Avramopoulos, launched the 2002 Christmas season by lighting the "largest Christmas tree in Europe" at Syntagma Square. Three thousand fireworks were set off, illuminating the sky. The ensuing celebration spread through the streets of Athens and lasted for hours. Environmentalists take note: the 40-meter tree is artificial.

But by comparison to many other countries, this year's fireworks notwithstanding, Greece is a relative oasis of non-commercialism when it comes to Christmas. Throughout the festivities, there is rarely any question about whether Greece is remembering the Christ in Christmas. Beautiful carols called kalandas have been handed down from Byzantine times and add to the reverent quality of the celebration. And can the remote Greek villages, with whitewashed walls, stone corrals for the precious livestock, and clear starry skies be very far in spirit from a night in long ago Bethlehem?

While other cultures have Christmas elves, the Greek equivalent is not so benign. Mischievous and even dangerous sprites called the Kallikantzari (or Callicantzari), prey upon people only during the twelve days of Christmas, between Christmas itself and Epiphany on January 6th. Descriptions of them vary, and in one area they are believed to wear wooden or iron boots, all the better to kick people. Observers in other areas of Greece insist that they are hooved, not booted. Almost invariably male, other regions see them under the forms of wolves or even monkeys. In folk tales, the twelve days of their power figure in a "wicked stepmother" story where a young girl is forced to walk alone to a mill through the twelve days, because her stepmother is hoping that the Kallikantzari will snatch her away.

Some households keep fires burning through the twelve days, to keep the spirits from entering by the chimney, a curious inversion of the visit of Santa Claus in other countries! The "yule log" in this case used to be a massive log set on end in the chimney, burning or at least smouldering for the entire period. Protective herbs such as hyssop, thistle, and asparagus were suspended by the fireplace, to keep the Callicantzari away. Other households, perhaps less devout, were reduced to simple bribery and would put meat out for the Kallikantzari - again, this seems to be a more substantial snack than the milk and cookies put out for Santa. On Epiphany, the ceremonial blessing of the waters by the local priest was believed to settle the nasty creatures until the next year. Some local festivals still include representations of these entities, which may be a survival from Dionysian festivals.

Antonis Remos Performs Something New

Antonis Remos has decided to do something brand new for his performances. He began performing live at the Athinon Arena with Celine Dion's Cirque Du Soleil dancers. This is something that his Greek audience has not yet seen. Remos stated he only wanted to perform this winter season if he could do something different for his audience. The acrobats have their own show that they put on for the crowd until about 1am, which is when Antonis Remos enters the stage and starts singing while they are behind him. Another change to his performance this year will be the very large backdrop that is behind him, which is essentially a large screen that projects different images and scenes while he is singing. An example of the scenes is one in which he is shown to be submerged in water. Antonis Remos has decided to do something brand new for his performances. He began performing live at the Athinon Arena with Celine Dion's Cirque Du Soleil dancers. This is something that his Greek audience has not yet seen. Remos stated he only wanted to perform this winter season if he could do something different for his audience. The acrobats have their own show that they put on for the crowd until about 1am, which is when Antonis Remos enters the stage and starts singing while they are behind him. Another change to his performance this year will be the very large backdrop that is behind him, which is essentially a large screen that projects different images and scenes while he is singing. An example of the scenes is one in which he is shown to be submerged in water.

The opening of this show was on Friday, November 14, 2008. Some celebrities in attendance included Zeta Makripoulia, Natassa Theodoridou, Themi Giorgantas, Marinella, Peggy Zina, and Giannis Parios, who were among the over 2,000 people who there at the Friday opener. In a recent interview, Remos stated that one of the main things he wanted to bring to his show was “a new sense of technology and talent.” With background dancers, Cirque du Soleil performers and a very large changing backdrop, Remos has definately accomplished his goal of bringing something new to his 2008-2009 show.

Angelo Tsarouchas - Greek Comedian

Angelo Tsarouchas performed for the first time ever in Boston on November 15, 2008

Larger than life, Actor/Comedian, Angelo Tsarouchas is without question, Canada’s next "big thing". Dubbed "The Hitman of Hilarity", Angelo definitely exudes star power. His trademark mobster resemblance, burly size and no hold back attitude, have put him in high demand on the global comedy stage as well as in television and film projects on both sides of the border.

Angelo Tsarouchas performs for the first time ever in Boston on November 15, 2008

Larger than life, Actor/Comedian, Angelo Tsarouchas is without question, Canada’s next "big thing". Dubbed "The Hitman of Hilarity", Angelo definitely exudes star power. His trademark mobster resemblance, burly size and no hold back attitude, have put him in high demand on the global comedy stage as well as in television and film projects on both sides of the border.

More than just a mobster look-alike, Angelo’s acting resume is highlighted with 10 feature films in the past 2 years – all of which have seen tremendous box office success.There is simply no other Canadian actor out there who has name-dropping credibility like Angelo. He has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood including Denzel Washington, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Marlon Brando, Edward Norton, Sylvester Stallone and Chris Rock. Some of Angelo’s high-profile film credits include John Q, The Score, The Prince and Me and the critically acclaimed teen cult flick Harold and Kumar Go To Whitecastle. Angelo also appeared in the critically acclaimed movie Cinderella Man starring Russell Crowe and Renee Zelwegger.

In addition, Angelo has recently signed a deal to develop his own film, which he has written and will be starring in - and the script is generating interest from some of Hollywood’s industry 'big-wigs'.

Aside from a budding film career, Angelo has seen much success on the international comedy circuit. He is one of Canada’s most celebrated comics, selling out venues across the country. Angelo has taken his "in-your face" stand-up style all over the world including the famed "Just For Laugh’s" comedy festival in Montreal, the "Smirnoff Comedy Festival" in Cape Town, South Africa, and the "Paramount Comedy Festival" in the U.K. He has performed at some of the top comedy clubs in New York, LA, London and Miami. Angelo is also set to perform his one-man comedy show at the “Edinburgh Fringe Festival” in August 2005.

In addition, Angelo made the natural progression from the comedy stage to the world of television, and has taped his very own comedy special for Comedy Now, which will air on the CTV Network in the summer 2005.

Greek Theme Drinks

The art of mixing a good drink goes hand in hand with the Greek nightlife, and all those that truly know how to enjoy the finer things. We here at GreekBoston know what our audience wants, so therefore we put together a recipe list for the greatest Greek Cocktails ever. That's right, you heard it here first! A recipe list of Greek concoctions that will make your end of summer truly sizzle! Enjoy!

GreekBoston for the iPhone!

You can't avoid the rapid growth of the iPhone and all the websites and apps created for it. So we here at GB decided to create a section specific for iPhone (and Touch) users. Even though any mobile user can access the section, we optimized it for the iPhone. Restaurants, clubs, churches, news, and more optimized to easily map and call right from a click of the iPhone! We also threw in some nice Greek backgrounds. Enjoy! You can't avoid the rapid growth of the iPhone and all the websites and apps created for it. So we here at GB decided to create a section specific for iPhone (and Touch) users. Even though any mobile user can access the section, we optimized it for the iPhone. Restaurants, clubs, churches, news, and more optimized to easily map and call right from a click of the iPhone! We also threw in some nice Greek backgrounds. Enjoy!

Best of Greek Life in Boston

We love our city, and not just for the history and culture, but because it also has such a great and vibrant Greek community! So now we need your help - we need to show the rest of the world what's best about Greek Boston and what our fellow Greek Bostonians love. Let's show them the best places to eat, drink, where we like to go and what we like to watch, and just be Greek!

Fill out the Best of Greek Boston survey and share your favorites with us! The winners will be announced on GreekBoston.com. We love our city, and not just for the history and culture, but because it also has such a great and vibrant Greek community! So now we need your help - we need to show the rest of the world what's best about Greek Boston and what our fellow Greek Bostonians love. Let's show them the best places to eat, drink, where we like to go and what we like to watch, and just be Greek!

Fill out the Best of Greek Boston survey and share your favorites with us! The winners will be announced on GreekBoston.com.

Greek Orthodox Easter

Most of us know all about Greek Easter, it's meaning and traditions. But we get many questions here about why it falls on different dates than Western Easter. A big question we get is "How is Greek Easter calculated?" This is a good question - the day is governed by three main conditions:

It must be based on the Julian calendar, not the Gregorian one
It must be after the Jewish holiday of Passover
It must be on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox, which for this purpose is fixed as March 21st.

Most of us know all about Greek Easter, it's meaning and traditions. But we get many questions here about why it falls on different dates than Western Easter. A big question we get is "How is Greek Easter calculated?" This is a good question - the day is governed by three main conditions:

It must be based on the Julian calendar, not the Gregorian one
It must be after the Jewish holiday of Passover
It must be on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox, which for this purpose is fixed as March 21st.

Every few years, "Western" (Catholic and Protestant) Easter and Greek Orthodox Easter coincide; these years are indicated by (same) following the date:

2008 - April 27th
2009 - April 19th
2010 - April 4th (same)
2011 - April 24th (same)
2012 - April 15th
2013 - May 5th
2014 - April 20th (same)
2015 - April 12th
2016 - May 1st
2017 - April 16th (same)
2018 - April 8th
2019 - April 28th
2020 - April 19th
2021 - May 2nd
2022 - April 24th
2023 - April 16th

In Greece, the actual Easter festival begins several days before Easter. Preparations begin on Holy Thursday, when the tsoreki, or Easter bread, is baked, and the eggs are dyed red, symbolizing the blood of Christ.

Many Orthodox fast in the days leading up to Easter, restricting themselves from meat, butter, milk and olive oil. Most also go to their priest to make their confessions and partake in the Holy Communion.

On Good Friday, the church's priest or monk takes down the icon of Christ from the cross and wraps it in linen, reenacting the ancient burial rituals. The icon is then placed in a casket surrounded by white lilies, and paraded through the town as worshipers lament the death of Christ.

On Holy Saturday, parishioners attend late night mass, bringing with them unlit candles. As the clock strikes midnight, the priest announces joyously, "Christos anesti" or "Christ Has Risen".

Worshipers light their unlit candles from the church's Holy Flame, which is said to be have taken from Jesus' nativity cave in Jerusalem.

The pre-Easter fast ends with this lighting ceremony, so worshipers quickly return home to enjoy a feast meal. The soot from the burning candles is often used to make the sign of a cross upon a home's threshold. A cross from the Holy Flame candles is thought to protect the home and its inhabitants during the coming year.

Easter Sunday is considered a festive day of rejoicing with friends and family. The traditional meal is roasted lamb-symbolizing Jesus, the Lamb of God-and dyed eggs.

Greeks have an egg cracking tradition, known as tsougrisma, which is somewhat akin to American's wishbone tradition on Thanksgiving. In Greece, friends and neighbors crack their eggs against one another's to see who ends up with the whole egg. The one holding the last whole egg is deemed the lucky one. Making the feast even more jovial is the free flowing Greek wines and ouzo, which often help these meals last well into the night.

Many of these colorful traditions are practiced today not only in Greece, but in America and other countries around the world with growing Greek immigrant communities. Whether new immigrant or third-generation, the Greek community abroad is strong-and nothing brings out that Greek pride more than the Easter celebrations.

We hope this information is helpful and we hope you all have a wonderful Easter! Kali Anastasi!

Sarbel Exclusive

We've always loved Sarbel as a singer, but he is special to GreekBoston since he was one of the first stars we brought to Boston for a concert show along with Eirini Merkouri and Vanessa Adamopoulou. Sarbel is currently in the studio finishing his new album which will be released in May, and "Exo Trelathi" will be the first single released from the new album. We have some great backstage footage from his video shoot and you can see it here on GreekBoston.com!

View the video »

GreekBoston Picture Galleries

Pretty much all Greeks everywhere that have an internet connection know that GreekBoston takes and posts picture galleries from various Greek events. But did you know we were one of the first websites - Greek or not - to post event galleries on the web?

Pretty much all Greeks everywhere that have an internet connection know that GreekBoston takes and posts picture galleries from various Greek events. But did you know we were one of the first websites - Greek or not - to post event galleries on the web? Well, we started posting event pictures back in 1998, and it would be tough to find another communty website that has been doing it this long. Of course nowadays, every website from every corner of the web posts picture galleries from every event imaginable, but we like to take pride in the fact that we were one of the first ever... YAY us!

Another thing many people may not know is that as a community website, we post pics from any kind of Greek event, not just clubs. We actually want to get more involved in posting galleries from various non-club events, such as Greek festivals, religious events, and pictures submitted by any of our viewers. If you have pictures from an event and you want them seen by our thousands of viewers, just contact us by email at info@greekboston.com and we'll tell you how to submit pictures via web, email, or mail.

We feel that our picture galleries serve a pretty good purpose uniting Greeks to their culture and traditions, even though many of the galleries are from clubs. But it's still kind of fun to sneak a peak :) And we're proud to have started a trend that has been followed by many other websites out there. So please enjoy the GreekBoston Picture Galleries and make sure to smile for the cameras when you see us!

Zhto H Ellas!

It's one of our favorite times of year here at GreekBoston because Greek Independence Day is almost here! This year the Federation of Hellenic-American Societies of New England is going to have a great parade event. The parade this year will be held on...

It's one of our favorite times of year here at GreekBoston because Greek Independence Day is almost here! This year the Federation of Hellenic-American Societies of New England is going to have a great parade event. The parade this year will be held on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 1pm. It will follow the usual route of Boylston Street to Charles Street with another great celebration immediately following the parade, filled with food, dancing, and live music on the Boston Common.

We hope there is a great turnout this year showing support for our Independence Day, and also for our Hellenic community here in Boston and New England. We'll be filming and taking pictures so make sure you smile for the cameras! Hopefully the GreekBoston group will be marching again this year but we're not sure yet. It was hard to cover the event while marching last year, so if we have enough coverage we'll march, if not, we'll be in the crowd trying to get the best pics and video as always.

Kali Oreksi!

We have started an official GreekBoston blog to keep all our viewers up to date with all the great events, features, and news going on in the GreekBoston community!

To start our first blog off, we wanted to let you all know about some new features available to you. Our Food & Wine section will get bigger and better when we bring you video coverage of the wonderful wine dinners hosted by us! The wine dinners are a great place to learn about new restaurants, wines and cuisine, and also the perfect atmosphere to meet and socialize with sophisticated groups of friends - old and new! If you want to enjoy the finer side of the Greek life, stay tuned to the Greek Lifestyle section which we lovingly call Kali Oreksi!

500 Wineries & Counting

Greece has one of the oldest wine cultures dating back to over 3,000 years. You have probably heard the comment, "Greeks were the first to make wine and introduce to it all of the winemaking regions of today". As a fellow Greek, its great to hear and so much pride felt when others acknowledge that historical fact. Believe it or not, Greece’s ‘New World wine culture’ is younger than... Greece has one of the oldest wine cultures dating back to over 3,000 years. You have probably heard the comment, "Greeks were the first to make wine and introduce to it all of the winemaking regions of today". As a fellow Greek, its great to hear and so much pride felt when others acknowledge that historical fact. Believe it or not, Greece’s ‘New World wine culture’ is younger than ten years. As shocking as it sounds, Greece’s wine culture has gone through many phases of suppression that has now allowed it to blossom unlike other countries. The timeline of events such as, the occupation of the Romans, Ottomans, Axis powers and Greece’s domestic issues throughout the 20th century have contributed to the lack of wine production.

Greece’s 'New World' wine culture has finally begun to emerge from the labyrinth. In 1998, there were close to 200 fully operating wineries throughout all the regions of Greece. Ten years prior to that, the numbers were relatively low, since the production was mainly grape growing that was sold off for many different purposes. Thanks, to the support and efforts from The European Union collaborating with the government of Greece, programs and financial assistance have been implemented to grow and develop one of the world’s oldest wine region. The programs have assisted in developing and educating viticulturists and oenologists on many different levels from nurturing their vines to handling sophisticated equipment.

Since then, there are 566 fully operating wineries (produce the wine and bottle it on premise) throughout Greece, a significant increase that has shown the promising potentials of the country’s future. The region with the largest amount of wineries is Peloponessos, 135; Central Greece 131: Makedonia 114; The Aegean Island, 57: Crete, 52, Thessaly, 33; Thraki 13; Epirus, 8. Of course there are many more operations throughout Greece, but they are technically a full operation and their production levels are relatively small for the supply of their respected local market.

This in my opinion is a 'renaissance', of what used to a mirror image of the wine culture in Greece millenniums ago. Domestically, sales of these productions have gone to record levels, it is now the time where investments and development need to be directed towards the exports of these fine wines. Continue to watch the selections that appear on the shelf at your local wine shop or on the wine lists at some of your favorite restaurants.