Halva is a semolina pudding, sweetened with syrup and studded with nuts. Halva is an easy to make, delicious, lenten dessert that is widely served on Kathara Deftera and during the fasting period before Easter. Make sure you brown the semolina enough to get a lovely cinnamon brown colour and a delicious nutty flavor.

 

Serves: 8-10
Difficulty: Intermediate

Cooks in: 40 minutes
 

• 3/4 cups sunflower oil
• 1 cup coarse semolina
• 1 cup fine semolina
• 3 cups granulated brown sugar
• 4 cups water
• Zest of 3 oranges
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 150 g almond slivers

 

 

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C set to fan.
2. Toast the almond slivers in a shallow baking pan lined with parchment paper for 5-8 minutes.
3. In a non-stick pot saute the vegetable oil with the fine semolina and coarse semolina, over medium-low heat.
4. Stir the mixture continuously for about 4-5 minutes, until the semolina becomes golden brown. Do not rush this process since semolina burns easily. Sauteeing the semolina gives it a rich and nutty flavor.
5. When ready, add the sugar, water, orange zest, cinnamon, and cloves.
6. Stir for another 10 minutes until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. You will know it is ready when it starts to pull away from the bottom of the pan.
7. Add the almonds and continue to stir.
8. Transfer the mixture into a 22 cm bundt cake pan, hit the cake pan on a hard surface to make sure the mixture settles and your halva is nice and compact.
9. Turn it over after 5 minutes.

Find this and other great recipes on: akispetretzikis.com

 

FokiaNou Art Space is pleased to present “Nude”, a solo photography exhibition by Maria Bourbou, opening Saturday 7 March at 7 pm. Bourbou’s work appears as dreamlike images where fiction is mixed with reality and where past, present and future are fused. In this series, she focuses her lens on the naked body using natural light. The interior environment is bare, so that the subject imposes itself. The work acts as a mirror of ourselves, and attempts to display emotions and strength. At the same time it is displayed as a symbol of beauty and harmony.

Born in Athens, Maria Bourbou studied Photography at the private photography school «E.M.E.F» of Dimitrios Xliveros in Athens, as well as German Language and Literature at the University of Kiel (Germany). In recent years, Maria Bourbou has been living and working in different countries in Europe. Her work has been exhibited and collected internationally including at the Instituto de Camões in Lisbon, the gallery Teambox, (LX- Factory, Lisbon) and at the Konrad Adenauer Building of the European Parliament in Luxemburg. She recently had a solo show at the Hellenic American Union in Athens, and has participated in many group exhibitions, most recently at the Salon du CAL 2018 in Luxembourg, at “Back to Athens 6” (International Art Festival in Athens), presenting the digital poem «Myopia» . Some of the works in this series were shown in the exhibition “Gender and Other Boundaries” at the Museum of Archeology and Ethnography of Setúbal, Portugal.

FokiaNou Art Space is an artist-run project space in the intimacy of a small apartment in an old building in the center of Athens. The space encourages collaborative creative efforts between Greek and foreign artists, thereby promoting and supporting the local art community. The space hosts exhibitions, workshops and projects under the direction of two artists, Mary Cox and Panagiotis Voulgaris. 

Opening: Saturday 7 March 19.00
Duration: 7 – 28 March 2020
Hours: Thursday – Saturday 17.00-20.00

Greeks are famous for their hospitality toward guests, visitors, family, and friends. They are renowned for being philoxenoi, as if it is written in their DNA. Anthropologist Sofia Zinovieff, first lived in Nafplio, Greece in the late 80s as a postgraduate student researching modern Greek identity and tourism. Her article gives in-depth insight into the hidden aspects of Greek hospitality.

 

No matter how graceful Greek hospitality is, anthropologists argue there's more to the phenomenon than free-floating kindness. In essence, it's part of a system. In many pre-industrial societies, you automatically give a stranger a meal or a bed for the night, knowing that someone will do the same for you or your loved ones. Some degree of reciprocity is implied, even if it is not implemented. These habits become deeply rooted.

Another very significant factor is the way hospitality contributes to social standing. Many of us may have witnessed Greek "big men" paying for everyone on an evening out or offering large feast in their homes to recognize the processes described above. The Harvard anthropologist Professor Michael Herzfeld believes that, on the island of Crete, hospitality creates a symbolic reversal of power relations. As Herzfeld writes, "At the level of collective representations… [hospitality] signifies the moral and conceptual subordination of guest to host."

After finishing her PhD, Sofia Zinovieff, returned to Greece with her Greek husband and 2 daughters. She writes, "In Athens, I soon saw that aspects of traditional hospitality and generosity have survived, even if circumstances have changed. The reality of millions of tourists visiting each year makes it harder to find the random acts of kindness encountered by earlier travelers. And while many Greeks have been inspiringly hospitable and openhearted towards refugees and migrants (whose mass arrivals coincided with the country's own recent economic crisis), we have also witnessed philoxenia's ugly opposite – xenophobia. Nevertheless, the tendency to maintain social ties and rules of hospitality within the city is still reminiscent of earlier times in more rural communities." "When you treat someone to a coffee or a meal or invite them into your home, you bind them to you in a fluid, open-ended debt that may never be repaid but that may help you in some way in the future. This is the village within the city."

However, the potential for self-interest does not diminish the positive impact of hospitality which creates a "virtuous circle". Hospitality remains hardwired in Greece, if fact you rarely come into someone's home without being offered a glass of water, sweets, and much more. Despite anthropologists' arguments, the potential compensations of hospitality are unlikely to be a concious motive of the giver or the receiver.

Even though Greece society has changed drastically in the recent decades, the self-worth and honor of an individual, their philotimo as it is called in Greece, is still reflected on the way they treat a guest.


To read this article in full, please visit: Greece-is.com

The online tax declaration platform, for the incomes of 2019, is expected to open at the end of this month. Taxpayers and corporations will be able to submit their tax returns until June 30, and the first installment will be payable a month later.

Τhe higher ceiling for achieving the tax-free threshold through online payments will be applicable from the 2020 financial year. Consequently, the declarations submitted this spring will have the previous limits of 10% for all incomes up to 10,000 euros, 15% for incomes from 10,001 to 30,000 euros, and 20% for revenues of over 30,000 euros.

 

As of last year, couples receive separate tax clearance documents, concerning only their personal incomes and not the income of their spouses, regardless of whether they submitted a joint or separate tax declaration.

To read this article in full, please visit: ekathimerini

According to a global survey from WIN/Gallup International, the world’s leading association in market research and analysis in Europe, the Greeks are the cleanest people in Europe, with 85% agreeing that they wash their hands with soap and water automatically.

The results come in the right moment, given the recent outbreak of the coronavirus, where hand-washing is one of the essential measures to deter the spread of the virus. To date, Greece has only reported 7 cases of the coronavirus, while Italy has more than 1,000 cases.

The survey examined a total of 62,398 people worldwide and found there are significant differences by region. More specifically, people from China and Japan were much less likely to automatically use soap and water (23% and 30% respectively). In comparison, Saudi Arabians are among the cleanest nations in the world.

Surprisingly enough, one in three people across the world doesn’t always wash their hands properly after going to the toilet even though it is estimated that hand-washing with soap alone could save over 650,000 lives each year (Greenland et al. 2012).

The President of WIN/Gallup International Association, Jean-Marc Leger, said: “It is estimated that 35% of the global population has no access to safe bathroom facilities and that an alarmingly high number of people across the world are not washing their hands with soap and water, either because of a lack of facilities or bad habits. We are proud to release this study and to contribute to raising awareness worldwide about the benefits of hand-washing with soap.”


To read this article in full, please visit: Greek City Times

As part of the celebrations for the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence, the National Archaeological Museum in Athens has curated a special exhibition.

The exhibition’s name “For these we fought: Antiquities and the Greek Revolution”, is a fitting choice, based on a quote attributed to General Yiannis Makrygiannis. A leading historical figure, he advised Greek fighters to fight for their much-deserved freedom and not to sell or give away any of Greece’s antiquities. 

There will be five sections featuring 26 artifacts from the Museum’s collections juxtaposed with 26 modern works by painters from across Europe. The exhibition attempts to showcase the relationship between Greeks and antiquities and their inspiring role during the war and the establishment of the Greek State. As a result of the frequent and barbaric thefts of their antiquities, Greeks rallied round ideologically to support a higher ideal and principle and a strong philhellenic movement was born. 

The exhibition reminds us of how important it is to preserve our cultural heritage and encourages us to continue fighting for the return of everything that was ever stolen.  

Whether you run to add days to your life or run to add life to your days, the Athens Half Marathon presents the perfect fitness challenge!

Kick-off the new decade by setting your sights on this annual springtime event that marks the first big milestone of the Athens sporting calendar. As usual, the 21km road race starts and finishes in Syntagma Square, in front of the Greek Parliament, after two laps around Athens’ historic centre. For those who want the adrenaline rush without the agony, there’s also 3km and 5km events, as well as a 1km special route for children and people with disabilities. 

Registrations close on 9 March. Heed our advice though and sign up pronto to dodge disappointment: this race gets bigger every year.

This May, NHS Psychologist, Tom Crossland is taking on an incredible 2,000-mile run, from Greece to London, to raise awareness of the needs of survivors of trafficking. The goal is to raise £50,000 for the TRIBE Freedom Foundation, a charity inspired by a 1,000-mile run to set up the first UK home for trafficked children.

Tom Crossland was born with cerebral palsy. He was not able to walk until he was over 3 years old and as he grew up, he found it difficult to maintain his balance and stay on his feet. Running never came naturally to him. It's only through hard work, determination, persistence, and meticulous planning that he can go to a place in his body and mind that gives him the strength and endurance to go on.

‘I fell over all the time… I had a permanent hole in the left knee of my trousers and a permanent graze on my left hip. This never stopped me from being active, however, and taught me that success is not measured by how many times you fall over but by how many times you get up.’ said Tom.

Setting off from Athens on 1 May 2020, Tom will run the equivalent of 90 marathons in 90 days, supported by a small number of friends, family, and members of the TRIBE community.

All funds raised by Tom will be going to TRIBE Freedom Foundation, a UK charity that works to fight modern slavery across the UK, by raising awareness, providing funding and support for frontline projects to fight modern slavery and working on projects to equip survivors with the long-term services to overcome their previous exploitation.

Talking about the reasons why Tom wants to support trafficking survivors, he said: ‘Through my work and adventuring, I have developed deep gratitude for the being born in the UK and the freedoms this allows. I am passionate about fighting for human rights. Over the past few years, there have been large numbers of people entering Europe in search of asylum, freedom, and safety. The reality is, that in their desperation, people will use their life savings to pay human traffickers to help them reach mainland Europe and the UK.’

His journey is one of overcoming obstacles, pushing your body and mind to its limits and then further, practicing self-care and being mindful, focused and being in the moment.

Talking about the challenge, Tom said, ‘These people, who have escaped war or persecution, are then sometimes forced into slavery or indentured servitude. This robs them of one of the most important and fundamental human rights; to be born free and to live with liberty and security of person. This is why I am going to run from Greece to London between May and August 2020. I hope by following the journey across Europe that refugees and trafficked people make, I can raise public awareness of these issues and help The TRIBE Freedom Foundation end modern slavery.’

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XpatAthens is proud to be a Media Sponsor of Run To Refuge 2020

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About TRIBE Freedom Foundation

Modern Slavery is a shocking crime that is sadly taking place all around us, hidden in plain sight. In 2018, almost 7,000 potential victims of modern slavery were identified in the UK alone, and that number is growing every year. In fact, the true number of victims in the UK is likely to be much, much higher. In 2018, the Global Slavery Index estimated that there could be as many as 136,000 modern slaves just in the UK. Globally, there are 40.3 million people living in modern slavery.

TRIBE Freedom Foundation is the charity inspired by a 1,000-mile run to set up the first home for trafficked children in the UK. Today, we work to fight modern slavery across the UK, by raising awareness, providing funding and support for frontline projects to fight modern slavery and working on projects to equip survivors with the long-term services to overcome their previous exploitation. We empower communities to create an impact.

Vulnerable victims are forced into sexual exploitation, forced labor or domestic servitude. Criminals today use violence, intimidation, and coercion to control their victims rather than keeping them locked up in chains. Some victims are trafficked from abroad, sold the dream of a better life – but in reality becoming subject to cruel abuse. Others are recruited from the streets of Britain, forced into criminal exploitation. Today, the largest cohort of modern slaves in the UK are British nationals. This needs to stop.

Learn more at tribefreedomfoundation.com and @tribefreedomfoundation on Instagram / Facebook

A great historical sports event revives, linking past and present along with modern History, reminding people of the timeless values of Ancient Greece. The Authentic Marathon Swim, Skyllias & Hydna represents the revival of the original marathon swimming route, 2.500 years after it was first accomplished by Skyllias and his daughter Hydna, both of whom helped Greece in the historical naval battle of Artemision in the year 480 B.C. The event includes open water swimming races of 10km, 3km and 1.5km, as well as an 800m. swimming race for kids that will take place on July 4-5, 2020, at Pefki, Evia in the Municipality of Istiaia-Edipsos, on this Olympic year.

The press conference of this historical sports tourism event was hosted at NJV Athens Plaza, in the presence of Deputy Minister of Culture & Sports, Mr. Lefteris Avgenakis, President of the Greek National Tourism Organization, Mrs. Angela Gerekou, Secretary General of Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE), Mr. Dimitris Kafantaris, Mayor of Istiaia-Edipsos, Mr. Ioannis Kontzias, silver Olympic medalist and world champion, Spyros Gianniotis, Greek national federal technical coach, Nikos Gemelos who has undertaken the technical direction and design of the swimming routes and Active Media Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Akis Tsolis.

During the press conference, Deputy Minister of Culture & Sports, Mr. Lefteris Avgenakis stated: “The organizers of this event need to be congratulated for teaching athletes the value and greatness of the historical achievement of those two swimmers. It is fully aligned with our philosophy of extroversion and the development of sports tourism in our areas. Thanks to this event the history of this land is promoted, and an opportunity for publicizing the natural wealth of the area is created, while also assisting in the development of the local economy and employment through the attraction of visitors from all around the country. The philosophy of this event thoroughly identifies with our main goal of making sport a way of life while achieving: improvement in quality of peoples’ lives, promotion of a healthy model of living and preparation of better citizens through sports. We work systematically in order to attract small and medium-sized events that can establish our country as a force in sports tourism”.

The President of the Greek National Tourism Organization, Mrs. Angela Gerekou stated: “We support sports tourism, and the Authentic Marathon Swim. As we move forward with our strategy of sustainable tourism growth with regional and thematic specialization, we promote the development of tourism in all our country’s Regions. Moving towards this direction we are in pursuit of significant events that can offer high added value to local communities and our country. In this context, sporting events adopt a vital role, due to the high level of interaction that they possess and due to the physical presence of participants that leads to a significant reach in the overall population. For Greece, sports tourism is pinpointed as a strategic target in the effort of promoting thematic specialization of the 2 Greek tourism product. The new sporting event “The Authentic Marathon Swim”, driven by the historical moment of Skyllias’ and his daughter’s Hydna swim from Afetes to Artemision, aims at creating an event that can offer international recognition and increase tourism levels. Greek National Tourism Organization aligns its position with the Ministry of Tourism and supports the publicization and promotion of such attempts, providing our Auspices, in order to give organizers another motive to achieve the best possible results. By supporting actions that promote thematic forms of tourism, such as sports tourism, we highlight the multiple capabilities of the Greek tourism product, adding to the well-known saying “sun and sea”. We are proving that through cooperation and methodical work we can apply our principles for balanced tourism growth between islands and mainland destinations, so that each region can be benefited, and give benefit back to the economy and the community. Finally, I would like to add that we are in continuous communications with the Municipality of Istiaia-Edipsos and all responsible bodies in order to have a successful event”.

On behalf of the event’s organization, Mayor of Istiaia-Edipsos, Mr. Ioannis Kontzias stated: “Our Municipality, through the motivation of the historical and cultural background of this land, initiates through the emblematic swimming event “The Authentic Marathon Swim, Skyllias & Hydna”, a variety of extroversive actions with the goal of developing and boosting our tourism product”.

A statement was also made by silver Olympic champion in open water swimming, as Spyros Gianniotis stated: “This is an historical event that links our past and our present with the glorious times of Ancient Greece. I am honored to be a part of this sporting event being the first Olympic champion in marathon swimming coming from our country. I wish that through this initiative we can attract young champions and great swimmers from all around the world towards marathon swimming, to enjoy this authentic route”.

The Authentic Marathon Swim, Skyllias & Hydna aims at uniting people of all nations and areas of this world, providing them with an opportunity of discovering and experiencing the history of the authentic marathon swimming route. In an effort of globally promoting the event, the organizers will collaborate with internationally recognized platforms of global events, attracting athletes from abroad. More information on the swimming races and the opening of registrations will be announced in the following weeks.

Many prominent personalities from the area of swimming were present at the press conference. People who have helped and continue to strengthen the Greek sport, each one in their own way and through their position, such as Marianna Lymperta, Dimitris Manganas, Dimitris Negris, Giannis Kotsiopoulos, Spyros Chrysikopoulos, Ioannis Palantzas and Nikolaos Simantiras.

A statement was sent by the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Harry Theoharis, in which he states: “Culture and Tourism are two concepts that are tightly linked, especially when they “meet” in order to illustrate the history of our land. The organization of events that promote culture and tourism, is considered vital by our Ministry and Government, obtaining our full support. An event of this nature is “The Authentic Marathon Swim, Skyllias & Hydna”. The event that takes place with the permission of the Hellenic Swimming Federation and under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, will attempt to do exactly that, by promoting the historical wealth of Artemision and Greece. A sporting event, that is simultaneously considered to be a staple of tourism and culture, with added value for the local community and the surrounding area as it contributes towards the promotion and the extension of services offered to tourists and customers that visit our country. Sports tourism identifies one of the main forms of thematic tourism, featuring great potential for growth in our 3 country, being considered as one of the immediate priorities in the strategic planning of the Ministry of Tourism for the following decade. Our country, having a mild climate and an unparalleled coastline, is ideal for the development of sports tourism and the organization of such events. I would like to offer my warmest regards and congratulations to the organizers and participants, while noting that such events contribute towards the overall attempt of developing Greek tourism and the promotion of our country”.

Moreover a statement to the organization was sent by the President of the Hellenic Swimming Federation, Mr. Dimitris Diathesopoulos who mentioned: “The Hellenic Swimming Federation, being the most relevant athletic federation, supports your event as it will be held under our auspices and I would like to believe that, similar to other attempts, it will succeed in terms of its organization and in terms of competition. Through this particular event the history of our country is highlighted, as it revives the authentic marathon swim of Skyllias and his daughter Hydna during the historical Naval Battle of Artemision, 2.500 years later. Best wishes to all participants and good luck”.

The Authentic Marathon Swim, Skyllias & Hydna will be co-organized by the Municipality of Istiaia-Edipsos and Active Media Group.

 

Anamnesia was the press event’s supporter providing all guests with Greek made unique gifts.

Sports Production: Active Media

Group Hashtag: #authenticmarathonswim

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