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Athens Acropolis Becomes Accessible To The Visually Impaired
During the inauguration, Culture & Sports Minister Lina Mendoni noted that “equal access to cultural goods is a goal, an objective and a bet for the ministry and its services.”
The haptic course features 12 stops and 4 information points, with signs in Greek and English Braille and a tactile 3D model of the archaeological site of the Acropolis, also with Braille notation in Greek and English.
Accompanying the visit are guides in large print and in Braille in six languages, among several more types of aid, while guards on the site have been trained to assist visually impaired people with the available tools.
In addition, an app for Android and IOS cellphones is also available through the Ephorate of the City of Athens.
The special route for the blind was implemented in collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Athens and the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece organization, with the support and sponsorship of the Onassis Foundation.
To read this article in full, please visit: greekreporter.com
The SNFCC Christmas World Returns
It all starts with a big celebration on Thursday, December 1 at 19:00. The Ice Rink returns to the SNFCC Canal—this time made of synthetic ice, which offers skaters the experience they love with zero energy consumption—light installations transform the Stavros Niarchos Park into a dreamscape, illuminated fir trees suffuse the Agora with their glow, and the festive light and music reach every corner. The Greek National Opera’s Children’s Chorus will sing festive melodies in the Agora.
Then, American conductor, composer, and director of the Young People’s Chorus of New York City Francisco J. Núñez, along with Chórεs by Marina Satti and vocalists and musicians, invite all visitors to sing along to favorite Greek and international songs—Christmas carols and non-Christmas songs too—creating one big festive choir. This special sing-along concert will be held in collaboration with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York, as part of the SNF-LC Agora Initiative, an effort to reimagine public space which includes the creation of “Twin Agoras” between the SNFCC and the Lincoln Center.
Admission for the public is free.
Festivities continue throughout December, with lots of music, popular Christmas tales at the SNFCC Lighthouse, workshops for kids, games for the whole family, dancing with LED hula hoops, an improvised percussion orchestra, Christmas wishes written on crepes with chocolate (!!!), a treasure hunt on the Great Lawn and, of course, photos with Santa Claus, and much more.
The end of December will also mark the opening of a permanent new feature at the SNFCC, a 9-meter Climbing Wall for climbing enthusiasts and beginners alike.
The holiday events will culminate on New Year’s Eve, when the SNFCC will welcome the new year with a spectacular fireworks show, a huge party at the Agora, and the traditional SNF RUN: 2023 FIRST RUN, organized by SNF in collaboration with the nonprofit Regeneration & Progress under the supervision of the 1st Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Athens University Medical School (Sports Excellence).
To explore SNFCC's full program of Christmas Events, please visit: snfcc.org
Main Image: Nikos Karanikolas & Pelagia Karanikola
Athens Welcomes Christmas With Tree Lighting on December 1
Concerts, performances, parties, shows, workshops, and happenings will kick off on December 1 and run through January 7 in 129 neighborhoods and 35 squares across the city. Ten Christmas villages, including Omonia Christmas Market and the Kypseli Municipal Market, complete with Santa and elves, stilt walkers, jugglers and puppets will welcome young and old and set the mood for the holiday season.
“The year’s Christmas festivities take place in the city’s 129 neighborhoods. We will decorate the streets and squares with bright lights and ornaments, sending a message of joy and optimism to all Athenians,” said Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis.
Athens’ main 21-meter-tall Christmas tree comes from Karpenisi, the mayor’s hometown, and will be lit with 40,000 lights and hundreds of ornaments during the special tree lighting ceremony on December 1 with the virtual participation of mayors from across the globe sending a message of peace, unity, and solidarity.
Greek pop singer Tamta will be performing live in concert together with the Athens Big Band. Petros Kourtis and The Tin Soldiers Marching Band will be opening the evening. Other popular performers such as Rena Morfi and Nikos Portokaloglou, Stavento, Ivi Adamou, Enorasis, Evridiki and Myronas Stratis, and Dimitris Starovas will be taking the stage at Syntagma Square from December 20 onwards.
To read this article in full, please visits: news.gtp.gr
The Christmas Factory Returns At Technopolis
Omonoia Christmas Market: A Festive Addition To The City Center
Shops To Extend Hours For The Holiday Season
On Saturdays, they will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays, December 11 and 18, they will open from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m., in order to help the public make their holiday purchases.
It should be noted that the member companies of SELPE have taken all the necessary measures to comply with the health rules, the association stressed.
Originally published on: ekathimerini.com
Hotel Grande Bretagne Kicks Off The Festive Season With Its Tree Lighting

Christmas At The National Gallery
The National Gallery—Museum of Alexandros Soutsos has prepared a rich festive program addressed to the residents of Athens and Attica, both young and old. Activities include themed tours, innovative educational programs, festive bazaars, and many more!
In the Gallery’s main building, a special surprise awaits visitors and listeners on Thursday, December 22. ERT will be participating in the EPMAS’ Christmas events through its radio stations, Second Programme 103.7, Third Programme 90.9, and Cosmos 93.6, as well as their producers, who will be broadcasting live from the National Gallery for six hours, spreading the festive message everywhere.
The Gallery will also be running a series of educational programs like "The Pilgrimage of the Shepherds" and "Nativity," offering themed tours to families with children aged 3 to 12 years old. These programs aim to introduce young and old to the true spirit of Christmas, as captured by some of the greatest artists. At the same time, through the "Meet Pablo" educational program, children are invited to get acquainted with the fascinating world of Pablo Picasso.
As we count down to Christmas, the themed tours will continue with a journey through time titled "Religious Painting." From Domenikos Theotokopoulos and his "Concert of Angels" (1608-1614) to Steven Antonakos and his "White Iconostasis" (2003), visitors will be able to see how great artists have captured and continue to capture the magic of Christmas in such a unique way, even though the materials and forms have changed over the centuries.
Throughout the holidays, the EPMAS Store will be hosting bazaars with old and new editions, giving visitors the opportunity to buy unique Christmas gifts!
Festive programs will also take place in other parts of Greece, including the Gallery’s Nafplion annex and the Coumantaros Art Gallery in Sparta.
Originally published in Greek on: protothema.gr
Translated by: Codico Lab
Maria Callas' Home To House Academy Of Lyric Art
The Municipality of Athens is set at the beginning of next year to announce a tender for the restoration and renovation of the historic neoclassical home of the world-renowned Greek prima donna located on central Patission St.The great soprano lived in the house on Patission St from 1937 to 1945.
The project, scheduled to be completed in two years’ time, includes the restoration of the building’s facade, roof and interiors and will be fully accessible to people with disabilities.
The Academy of Lyric Art Maria Callas is a non-profit organization that will offer university-level music education in lyric opera.
Additionally, the municipality aims through the refurbished building, the new museum dedicated to the great Greek soprano – the Maria Callas Museum – to open in the summer of 2023 coinciding with the 100-year anniversary of the universal artist’s birth, and the Olympia Municipal Music Theatre Maria Callas, to establish Athens as a cultural hub and attract travelers seeking unique culture and arts experiences.
Last week, on the occasion of the prima donna’s birthday, the Greek Culture Ministry announced that Maria Callas’ centennial birthday next year will be included on UNESCO’s list of anniversaries for 2023.
Callas was born in 1923 in Manhattan to Greek parents who had emigrated to New York City. She later moved with her family to Athens and from there took the world by storm emerging as one of the greatest opera singers and best-selling performers of all time. She died in 1977.
To read this article in full, please visit: news.gtp.gr
Photo Exhibition Of Historic Greek Costumes At The Acropolis Museum
'Raiment of the Soul' is an initiative by the Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation. The Acropolis Museum presents the exhibition in collaboration with the National Historical Museum of Athens and is under the auspices of Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou. It will run until March 26, 2023.
Most of the costumes used belong to the National Historical Museum of Athens and were loaned by the late Ioannis Mazarakis-Ainian, general secretary of the museum, to photographer Vangelis Kyris and embroidery specialist Anatoli Georgiev.
Originally published on: tornosnews.gr