Dyeing red Easter eggs is a symbol of Orthodox Easter and a long-standing tradition. Although it is also quite common to dye eggs in other colors, Greek Easter is rarely or almost never celebrated without red eggs!

 

The tradition of cracking red eggs when the clock strikes midnight into Easter Sunday symbolizes new life, much like when a chick cracks its shell and comes to life. The egg-cracking game or "tsougrisma" as it is called in Greece is an integral part of Easter celebrations and the person with the strongest egg is said they will have good luck for the whole year!

 

Since Greek Easter eggs are not just for celebration purposes, but are also meant to be eaten, here are 4 simple tips for vibrant and perfectly cooked Easter eggs:

 

1. Leave the eggs out of the fridge for at least 3 hours before boiling them.

2. Boil the eggs in cold water–if you place the eggs in boiling water their shells are more than likely to crack.

3. Keep in mind that fresh eggs are less likely to crack, but will be a bit more difficult to peel.

4. Add a pinch of salt in the water; this will help prevent your eggs from cracking while boiling and make them easier to peel.

It is a typical Greek tradition to name children after their grandparents. However, different people follow this tradition in slightly different ways; sometimes, the baby is named after the father's parents, regardless of gender. Sometimes, the parents will give names from both families, so a baby boy takes its father's father's name, and a baby girl takes its mother's mother's name.

Today, many young parents use the parent's names as the child's middle name, and some decide not to follow tradition at all.

It is very often that a baby's given name is typically Greek but is translated to something slightly different and a bit easier to pronounce. For example, Aspasia becomes Sia, Dimitris becomes Jim, Kostantina becomes Dina and so on.

Orthodox Tradition – Naming Your Child After A Saint

Each child, regardless of who they are named after, usually takes on the name of a Saint. In Greece, a name day is a very special day celebrated much like a birthday.

 

This content has been sourced and prepared by Codico Lab

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was the only house of worship destoryed by the September 11th attack in New York.  From the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America: 

"On September 11th 2001, the barbaric attack not only destroyed the majestic Twin Towers but also the tiny yet historic St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, located south of the second tower of the World Trade Centre.  In the aftermath of its destruction, very little survived: two icons, one of St. Dionysios of Zakynthos and the other of the Zoodochos Pege, along with a few liturgical items, a book and some candles.

Within days, the Archbishop travelled personally to Ground Zero, setting foot on the site where the Church of St. Nicholas stood, in order to conduct a memorial service for the victims of those who perished in the attacks and to offer prayers for the families in mourning."

The New York Times, profiled the long road to rebuilding the church:

"Construction has begun in earnest on the St. Nicholas National Shrine, a Greek Orthodox church and the nondenominational bereavement center, designed by Santiago Calatrava, which will overlook the memorial..."

To read more, please visit: Greek Current

Many studies have advocated drinking coffee to receive numerous health benefits – and now a new study suggests that Greek coffee may be the key to living a longer life.

Researchers from the University of Athens Medical School in Greece analyzed the link between Greek coffee and its potential benefits on cardiovascular health and found those who drank boiled Greek coffee had significantly better heart function, Counsel & Heal reported.

According to the study, only 0.1 percent of Europeans live past the age of 90.  However, on an island off the coast of Greece called Ikaria, the number of people living past the age of 89 is 10 times higher than the rest of the European population.  The Athens Medical School researchers were curious to understand if the islanders’ coffee consumption played a role.

To read more, please visit: Fox News

Elena Syraka created her first pieces of jewellery while at school, without realising this would ultimately be her calling. After studying at the Veloudakis Fashion School in Athens, she went on to ESMOD in Paris, where she decided to focus on jewellery design. Her official debut into the field was in 1995 and about a decade later, she decided to focus exclusively on fine jewellery. Her designs balance between opposite elements, such as the masculine and the feminine, the strict and the fluid.

With a passion for ancient civilisations and a deep interest in Greek history and heritage, Elena offers a contemporary interpretation of classical symbols.

Elena’s jewellery is handcrafted in Athens and various collections come in limited edition numbered pieces. She has now reached her 20th anniversary as a jewellery designer and is proud to see her Nour collection being exhibited in major museums around the world.

To read this article in full, please visit: Why Athens

‘What happened next? What happened to the boys?'

Once upon a lifetime, twenty-five years ago or more, I wrote a book called A Foreign Wife. In it I recorded my experiences during my first five years in the Peloponnesian village to which I had unexpectedly migrated in 1980.’

Life in the Peloponnese continues to delight and challenge Gillian Bouras. Seeing and Believing resumes the narrative as her sons create their own families and time delivers a fresh crop of joys and heartaches, to which she tries to adjust.

Acutely responsive to what she calls ‘the conspiracy of beauty in Greece,’ she celebrates the natural world in prose that indicates a lifelong engagement with words. Global events send her to historians for enlightenment, while tragedy closer to home —fire, unexpected death— prompts reflection on the solace of contrasting creeds. In between she observes the human comedy with dry humour.

Gillian Bouras was born in Melbourne in 1945. She worked as a teacher in Australia before moving to Greece with her husband and children in 1980. Her first books were about this experience. She lives in the Peloponnese, Greece, as well as maintaining ties with Australia. Her journalism has been published in six countries.

For more information, please visit: Gillian Bouras.

 

For world famous basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece holds a special place in his heart.

Because of his love and ties to the country, the Minister of Tourism, Elena Kountoura, invited Mr. Antetokounmpo to become an ambassador of Greek tourism and help promote the country to the world. 

The Minister of Tourism was very emotional when she saw how much the NBA star loves Greece, who accepted her invitation straight away. Unofficially, Giannis has been promoting the country through his succesful achievements.

Giannis, of course, wanted to thank the Minister of Tourism for her effort to strenghten Greek tourism and stated that he and his family will do anything to boost the beauty and culture of his beloved country.

Furthermore, the Milwaukee Bucks player ran for a good cause on July 7th, 2018, encouraging solidarity in Greece.

The video below shows the tourism campaign by Visit Greece where Antetokounmpo invites you to his beautiful country!



Originally posted in Greek on Athens Voice
Translated by XpatAthens

Greece has proven many times again what an ideal holiday destination it is. This year, the country ranks 2nd in Blue Flag beaches worldwide and the Athens Airport just landed a spot in the Top-3 best airports in the world. Have you booked your ticket to Greece yet?

These days my 7-year-old daughter wants to play 'hospital' all the time. We pretend to be the nurses helping patients who are infected with the coronavirus and have to be operated. At first, no one survived; everyone died at once. "We can't go on like this, I need to change the scenario," I thought to myself. As I was given the role of head nurse, I changed the story, and from that point on, everyone recovers from their illness! Hooray!

News about the coronavirus is everywhere, and children hear it all. Our new living conditions, the fear of what has already happened topped with the fear that "we haven't seen the worst yet," affect them directly. You need to talk to your child in a way that makes him or her feel safe so that they don't get more scared than they may already be. So how are you going to do this?

First, you start with an open discussion about the virus. After all, your child does see people in masks and gloves. It's an excellent opportunity to talk about precautions and to put things into perspective. Don't forget that you're the one filtering the news for your child.

You give information according to your child's age. Talk to him or her about their concerns. Ask them about what they already know, what they believe will happen, and how they feel about it. Maybe they have questions. Your answers need to be honest.

If you are concerned about the situation, make sure you calm down first before you talk to your child. Panic doesn't help anyone.

As children are self-centered, it's easy for them to think they will get the virus. If this is the case with your child, reassure them by saying that children cannot catch the virus as easily as adults and go through the precautions they need to take. Children feel empowered when they know what to do to protect themselves.

Follow a routine, especially now that schools are closed. Routine gives children a sense of security. Regular meals and sleeping hours help children stay healthy and happy.

Keep the communication channel with your child open. It is perfectly ok to admit that you do not know everything, that you do not have the answers to every question, and that you will keep your child up to date on any critical developments.

Remember, you're setting an example for your children. That's why you're staying home!

If there’s a topic you’re interested in and would like to learn more about you may contact me via email. For more information about me and my work check the XpatAthens Directory or visit my website. Because this is your life!

 

The award-winning sports tourism event Navarino Challenge, with a high sense of responsibility towards its participants and visitors, announces the postponement of the event to October 15-17, 2021, taking into consideration the epidemiological data and current health conditions prevailing in our country, despite designing and getting the necessary approvals for the strict health protocols.

Registered athletes and participants will receive relevant email communication from the event, whereas those interested can learn news and read all announcements directly through Navarino Challenge’s communication channels.

Navarino Challenge is held under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization, with the support of the Pylos-Nestor Municipality. Navarino Challenge has joined the Greek actions of the #BeactiveHellas 2020 program of the European Commission and is held under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Sports. All running races are co-organized with Messiniakos Gymnastic Club and EAS SEGAS Peloponnese Region.

Samsung is the Official Technology Partner.

Vikos Natural Mineral Water is the event’s Official Sponsor.

Luanvi is the Official Sports Supplier.

Pylos-Nestor Municipality, Poseidonia, Karalis Beach Hotel are Navarino Challenge’s Official Supporters.

Messinian Spa is the Official Beauty Partner.

On is the Official Shoe Partner.

Nestlé FITNESS® is the Official Breakfast Partner.

Target Security, Fysiotek Sports Lab are the event’s Partners.

Avance is the Official Car Rental Partner.

SKAI is the Premium TV Partner.

National Geographic is the Strategic Partner.

24MEDIA is the Premium Media Partner.

Deree - The American College of Greece is the Educational Partner. 
Explore Messinia, FitnessArt, Navarino Golf Academy, Navarino Outdoors, Navarino Racquet Academy, Pilates by Mandy, Red Swim Academy, Swim Academy, Triantafyllidis Beach Arena, Vizantinos target sport club, Marathon Team Greece are Navarino Challenge’s Athletic Partners.

Navarino Challenge is assisted by Vita N Travel, Karalis City Hotel & Spa, Lifeguard Patrol, Pylos Association of Enterprises for Tourism Development, Maritime Athletic Pylos Association “Nestor”, Pilia Express, Kayak.

Anazoe Spa, Attica Selections, Kessaris, Nargile, Panellinios Agora Games are the Discount Partners.

Active Media Group is responsible for the event’s Sports Production.

Photo Credit: Elias Lefas

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