Anastasia

Easter With The Family in Greece

Spending Easter with Alkis' family in Greece has always been a wonderful holiday to look forward to and a great family get-together. On Thursday, May 2, we flew to Thessaloniki feeling excited about meeting family and friends who we hadn't seen for a year. Thanasis, Alkis' youngest brother, picked us up at Macedonia Airport and drove us to Serres, Alkis' hometown, which lies at about 83 km from Thessaloniki. In about an hour, we arrived in Serres and checked in at Philippos Xenia Hotel - our favourite hotel in Serres. Soon after check-in, which was amazingly fast and efficient, we realised that we were starving as we only had a snack on the plane. Late lunch at Ouzomagies was very rewarding! I fast during the Holy Week and was pleasantly surprised to see the variety of lenten dishes available at the tavern. There's one thing I regret, though. I was so hungry that I forgot to take photos of all the great food we had there. Later in the evening we had dinner at the hotel's splendid roof garden restaurant with Zoe - Thanasis' daughter - her husband Stratos and their beautiful daughters - six-year-old Maria who's already been to Primary School and can read very well and four-year-old Alkistis, our goddaughter.

The Tower in Thessaloniki

This is what we woke to the following morning.

Serres

Serres

Serres

At Philippos Xenia Hotel, we had a beautiful, spacious room overlooking the back yard. This was only a small part of the evergreen city of Serres. We rented a car and soon after breakfast we explored the surrounding countryside. Serres boasts the most beautiful countryside in Northern Greece, off the beaten track. The park at Eleftherias Square in the city centre matches the beauty of the country. We enjoyed coffee and bougatsa there and just before lunch an ouzomeze   

Serres

Alkis in his hometown Serres

Serres - City Centre

The Archaeological Museum in Serres

Ai Yiannis - Serres

Ai Yiannis - Serres

On Easter Day, May 5, we had the perfect traditional Greek Easter lunch at Gazoros - a small village at about 25 km from the city of Serres.  Thanasis proved to be a master at making the traditional ovelias- lamb on the spit. Alkis was just a ...sous-chef (under-chef) and was only trying to help! The result was simply delicious!

Thanasis, my brother-in-law, cooking ovelias - lamb on the spit

Ovelias and Thanasis

Thanasis - Just Perfect..or not?

Some more ...cooking

what a feast!

The Lamb!

Alkis as a sous-chef was only trying to help!

The two brothers have finally agreed that the Easter Lamb is...just perfect!

Alkis and his nephew, Konstantinos

The Family

On Easter Monday, we left Serres for beautiful Thessaloniki - also known as the nymph of Thermaikos. We stayed at Macedonia Palace Hotel which we didn't really like and  regretted not booking Electra Palace, but we got better prices at Macedonia Palace. We got a double room for €100 a day vs €170 at Electra but it wasn't good value for money, anyway.  However, this did not spoil our holiday.  We'll simply not go back again!

Macedonia Palace

Alkis and I walked along Nikis Avenue to Aristotelous Square and had a great dinner just the two of us at Roumeli Tavern by Athonos Square. Walking back to the hotel was an invigorating experience after all the great food we had there. 

A Stroll in Thessaloniki

Dinner at Roumeli Tavern

Roumeli Taverna - Athonos- Thessaloniki

On Easter Tuesday, we were invited for lunch by our great friends Irini and Stelios at Scholari - situated at about 25km from Thessaloniki . This is where I met Aspa - a wonderful person who I consider to be a wonderful friend now, even though I've only known her for a few hours!

Stelios, Irini, Me, Aspa and Asterios

Stelios, Alkis, Asterios

 We had  such a great time there and enjoyed it  so much.  Irini proved to be a top chef but we also loved the men's cooking,... like the baby goat on the spit. I know Stelios contributed a lot but my congratulations go to Asterios! Believe it or not, we had a huge dinner at Anestis Tavern in Perea, Thessaloniki. We were invited by Antonis - Alkis' cousin - and his wife Irini. And we still had a lot to eat and drink.

Macedonia Palace

Wednesday morning was shopping day. Thessaloniki made me reconsider shopping in Athens! In the evening, we had another great dinner at Roumeli Tavern with Antonis and  Irini.

Alkis in Thessaloniki

A few years ago, I was quite reluctant to spend Easter with Alkis's family in Greece. I thought I'd feel a stranger being from Cyprus. But his wonderful family made me feel I'm part of them. I would like to thank everyone for their wonderful hospitality and for making me feel at home. 

Monday's Greek Recipe - Greek Easter Cooking

For the Greeks, Easter is regarded as the greatest celebration of the year. The festive pascal menu includes a wide variety of traditional foods such as magiritsa (the midnight soup), ovelias (seasoned lamb or goat on the skew), kokoretsi (seasoned lamb offal wrapped in chopped indestines), tsoureki (a kind of brioche-fluffy easter bread) and flaounes in Cyprus (easter cheese pies) and, of course, the easter eggs. They are mostly painted red on Holy Thursday and symbolise Christ's blood. However, other colours can be used such as green, blue and yellow to symbolise springtime and the fertility of nature. During the Midnight Easter Supper and the Easter Lunch each person chooses an egg and raps it against another's egg. The one whose egg survives and remains uncracked is considered lucky.

Midnight Easter Supper

 

A. GREEK EASTER EGGS

 

My Easter Eggs

 

You will need
1 package of  easter eggs  dye
1/2 cup white vinegar
12 eggs, at room temperature
olive oil for glazing

Procedure
1.Wash eggs carefully to remove any dirt.

2.Place the eggs in a large stainless steel pot, preferably in a single layer, cover with water, add some white vinegar and  bring to a boil for about 10 minutes. Turn off heat.

3. Dilute the dye powder in a cup of warm water and add it to the eggs stirring lightly.

4. Check for colour after 10-15 minutes, remove eggs that  have reached the desired colour and cool slightly on a rack.

5. .Rub each egg with an oiled cloth to glaze the surface and polish with kitchen paper.

6. .Keep dyed eggs in the fridge until ready to use.

Tips
1. The eggs must be left at room temperature for about an hour before boiling them.

2. A natural red dye can be made from yellow onion skins. Just simmer the skins of 15 yellow onions with 2 Tbs white vinegar and 4 ½ cups water for 30 minutes. Strain and let cool until it reaches room temperature. The result will be an orange colored liquid. Simmer eggs, covered, in this liquid, and they will turn a lovely red color.  Turn heat off after 20 minutes and leave to cool with the eggs that have not attained the desired depth of colour yet.

B. MAGIRITSA - Easter Midnight Soup

 

My Magiritsa

 

INGREDIENTS

a lamb's liver

heart lights and intestines

juice of 3 lemons

 salt

6 spring onions, trimmed, rinsed and finely sliced

 25 gr. butter (about 1/2 cup)

2.  2 lettuces, trimmed, shredded and rinsed carefully (use only their young leaves and hearts)

 a cup of fresh dill or fennel, rinsed and finely chopped

a cup of finely chopped parsley

1.2 lt hot water

 salt and black pepper

60 gr. rice (about 1 cup)

avgolemono sauce (egg and lemon sauce)

2 eggs

juice of 2 lemons 
 
METHOD
Rinse all the meat. Turn the intestines inside out with the help of a thin stick and rinse them thoroughly. Rub them with salt and lemon juice and rinse them again. Cube them into small portions. In a large saucepan, sautee the onions in the butter, until they start to change colour. Add the chopped intestines, liver, lights and heart, fry together for a few minutes, stirring. Add the shredded lettuces and all the fresh herbs and sautee for a few more minutes. Add the hot water, and seasoning, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Then add the rice and cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes, before proceeding with the avgolemono sauce. Add the Avgolemono Sauce* to the soup, stirring. Return to a very gentle heat for 2 minutes, stirring at the same time. It should be by now a relatively thick soup.

*Avgolemono Sauce

Lightly beat 2 eggs. Add the lemon juice and beat again. Add 3-4 spoonfuls from the soup and stir to mix. Then add the avgolemono to the soup stirring well.

C. FLAOUNES - Easter Cheese Pies

Makes about 12.

 

Flaounes and Tsoureki

Ingredients
Yeast dough
1 ½ lbs (750gr) strong plain flour,
1 sachet easy bake yeast,
1 teaspoon salt,
2 teaspoons sugar,
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil, water to mix.

Cheese filling
8oz (250gr) cheddar cheese ot 12oz flaouna cheese if available,
4oz (100gr) halloumi,
1 tablespoon flour,
1 teaspoon baking powder,
1 tablespoon crushed dried Mint,
4 eggs, lightly beaten.

To finish
1 egg, beaten,
sesame seeds.

Method
Sift flour into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast, salt and sugar. Add the oil and enough water to make a firm dough. Knead for at least 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a plastic bag and leave in a warm place for an hour to rise.
For the filling, coarsely grate the cheeses, add the flour and baking powder then gradually stir in the beaten egg and seasonings until you have a stiffish paste ( keep some of the beaten egg back if the mixture becomes too runny).
Divide the dough into egg sized pieces and roll these into 4'' (10cm) discs.
Place a generous tablespoon of filling in the centre of each pastry disc, spreading it slightly. Pull dough up at 3 points to make a triangle, or 4 points to make a square. You should stilll be able to see the filling in the middle.
Press corners together to seal and leave to rise. Just before baking, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle some sesame seeds over the finished flaounes.
Bake in a hot oven gas 8, 450'C, 230'C for 12-15 minutes until cheese filling is puffed and flaounes are golden.
Serve warm or cold.

Monday's Greek Recipe -Tsoureki - Greek Easter Loaf

Easter is round the corner and all over Greece and Cyprus, it's that time of year again when housewives bake their tsourekia, their flaounes, their Easter cookies and look forward to the greatest celebration of the year. The Greek Easter is filled with all those smells of our traditional Easter cooking. Tsoureki, the Greek Easter Loaf, is something very similar to the french brioche and yet unique. It's our very special Easter treat.  If you are ...patient, it's easy to make.

Ingredients

• 1 kilo (2lbs 4 oz) flour plus 1 extra cup of flour
• 1 cup of lukewarm milk
• 2 sachets instant dry yeast
• 1.5 cups sugar
• cherry mahaleb and mastic or grated lemon rind
• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 6 eggs
• 1 egg to glaze
• 1-2 tbs sugar to glaze

Directions

• Pour the milk into a deep bowl and add in 1-2 tbs of sugar and the yeast.
• Dissolve the yeast well with your fingers and gradually add 1/2 cup from the 1 kg flour through a sieve mixing with your fingers till it becomes a watery batter. Cover the bowl with foil and wrap it with a warm towel. Leave for 15-20 minutes to rise.
• In the meantime, melt the shortening without browning. Beat the eggs well. Pound the cherry mahaleb and mastic with two tbs sugar.
• In another large bowl, mix the remaining of the 1kg flour with the remaining sugar, cherry mahaleb and mastic. Pour in the melted shortening and knead gently.
• Add the eggs and continue to knead gently. Make a well in the centre, pour in the batter and knead to combine.
• Continue kneading gradually adding  about 1 cup flour to make a fluffy dough. 
• Wrap it with a woolen blanket and leave in a warm place for 5-8 hours or till it doubles in size.
• Knead again. The size of the dough will get smaller.
• Divide into three portions and each portion into another three.
• Roll out into strips of 2cm thick. Plait these strips together loosely. This makes 3 tsourekia.
• Place the tsourekia on a large baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper leaving some space in-between.
• Cover again with a warm towel and leave in a warm place for about 2-3 hours or till the dough doubles in size.
• Beat lightly 1 egg with 1-2 tbs sugar and glaze the tsourekia.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven (150*C / 302*F) for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: The milk must be lukewarm - not hot! Otherwise, the strength of the yeast will be reduced and the tsoureki will not rise.

Recipe by: Sandra Lysandrou

This recipe was originally published on April 18, 2011

 

25 March Festive Lunch at Archontiko Papadopoulou

Last Monday was a national holiday celebrating Greece's Independence from the 368 years of Ottoman occupation. Just like on all special days, the Greeks celebrate with festive food and family reunions. According to Greek tradition, on 25 March, the special menu is cod fritters served with skordalia. Skordalia is a traditionally thick, tangy purée of boiled potatoes mixed with lots of garlic and olive oil. Apart from cod fritters, all kinds of fish compose a festive 25 March menu.

The Restaurant at Archontiko Papadopoulou

Alkis and I celebrated at Archontiko Papadopoulou which suggested  a special, festive version of Ta Pilina (The Clay Pots). For starters we had a truly divine fish soup with vegetables which arrived piping hot and was served with lemon and freshly baked homemade bread served with green olives. This was followed by the cold starters - village salad, wild greens with olive oil and lemon, beetroot salad and stuffed vine leaves with rice and mint as well as traditional dips.

A delicious, piping hot fish soup for starters.

The Cold Starters

....and homemade bread served with "elies tsakistes" - green olives à la chypriote

The hot  starters included zucchini and tomato fritters and a vegetable pie and were followed by the main courses - "The Clay Pots". Although only baked potatoes and octopus with vegetables was served in a clay pot, all the rest was simply an ode to the palate: oven-baked sea bass on ceramic tile, oven-baked cuttlefish with an olive oil and lemon sauce, stuffed calamari with rice and vegetables, mushrooms with coriander and onions and baked potatoes.

Stuffed Calamari and Cuttlefish in olive oil and lemon sauce

In the clay pot:: octopus with vegetables

In the clay pot: baked potatoes

We did make room for the dessert - chocolate cake, walnut pie and our very own pishies - traditional pies with cinnamon. As 25 March is a fasting day, all the desserts did not contain any animal fat at all. The chocolate and walnut  cakes were sweetened with tahini and did not contain eggs, butter or milk.

The Desserts!

After a festive meal, the hardest moment is when you ask for the bill. Believe it or not, we paid for the whole festive menu €25 per person! My husband and I would like to congratulate the Executive Chef, the Maitre D' and all the staff that contributed to a great service. My husband is allergic to fish. Upon reservation, he asked for just a grilled chicken fillet for main course. He was pleasantly surprised with all the great chicken dishes the Chef had prepared for him.  

If you live in Cyprus and love good food made with pure ingredients, don't hesitate to book a table at Archontiko Papadopoulou. It's a unique culinary experience and great value for money. 

25 March 1821 - The Greek War of Independence

  Photo Credit

The Greek War of Independence celebrated on March 25 all over Greece and Cyprus was, undoubtedly inspited by the Annunciation of Virgin Mary. Exactly nine months before Christmas, Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was chosen to bear Jesus Christ - the Son of God.  On March 25, 1821 Bishop Germanos of Patras raised the banner of the Greek Revolution thus marking the beginning of the Greek War of Independence. Kolokotronis, Karaiskakis, Athanasios Diakos, Bouboulina, Kanaris and many others showed the world that freedom cannot be earnt without sacrifice.

"Οποιος ελευθερα συλλογαται, συλλογαται καλα." ~ Ρηγας Φεραιος

"Who thinks freely, thinks well" ~ Rigas Fereos

   " Για δες καιρό που διάλεξε ο Χάρος να με πάρει

     Τώρα π'ανθίζουν τα κλαριά και βγάνει η γης χορτάρι" - Αθανάσιος Διάκος

" Oh what a moment Hades has chosen for me to perish

   Spring grass everywhere and boughs in blossoms to cherish" - Athanasios Diakos

How it All Started

In the 4th-5th centuries B.C., the people of Greece flourished through a Golden Age. During that time, Pericles, Plato, Aristophanes and other great names prospered, and Athens gave rise to the world's first democracy, which later inspired the United States Founding Fathers. After the Golden Age of Athens, Alexander the Great, from the northern Greek state of Macedonia, conquered the world from Greece through India, spreading Greek culture throughout the near and Middle East.

Part of the Parade in Larnaca on March 25, 2011

The Immigration from Peloponnese, Crete and other Aegean and Ionian Islands to southern Italy was known for centuries as Magna Graecia. This immigration influenced the Roman elites in the western empire and remained dominant in the eastern empire. In 330 A.D., the Roman emperor, Constantine the Great, established a separate capital for the eastern empire in the Greek City of Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople. Christianity was declared the official religion of the empire and the First Ecumenical Council was convened. In 476 A.D., the western empire ended when the Huns conquered Rome. Greek culture and language, Orthodox Christianity, Roman political institutions, and a dominant Greek population held the eastern empire strong for another thousand years until May 29, 1453, when the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople and all of Greece. For 368 years of Ottoman occupation, the Hellenic people were second-class citizens, subjected to heavy tax burdens, brutal slavery, and oppressions. They could not ride horses, and their first-born sons could be forced to convert to Islam and serve in the Sultan's "Janissary" units. In Constantinople, the famous Greek Orthodox Church of Agia Sofia was converted to a mosque. The Greek Orthodox Church continued to exist, though, and preserved Greek culture and learning until the time of rebellion.

Photo Credit

In the 1700's, St. Catherine the Great of Russia ousted the Turks from the Black Sea Coast, creating numerous towns with Greek and Byzantine names, including Odessa. She offered Greeks financial incentives and free land to settle these regions. Many took her offer, namely, A. Tsakalof, E. Xanthos, and N. Skoufas, three businessmen who founded the Philiki Etairia (Friendly Society) in Odessa in 1814. The Philiki Etairia branched throughout Greece, where members met in secret in planning for liberation. These leaders believed that armed force was the only way to strive for liberation, and they made generous monetary contributions towards the freedom fighters. Meanwhile, the Phanariotes, such as A. Mavrokordatos and A. & D. Ypsilantis, were wealthy Greek families of Constantinople who dominated commerce in the Ottoman Empire and weakened it from within. On March25,1821,Bishop Germanos of Patras courageously raised the Greek flag at the monastery of Agia Lavras in the Peloponnese, and declared "Eleftheria i Thanatos" (Freedom or Death).

  Photo Credit

Photo Credit

During the first year of the war, the Greeks captured Monemvassia, Navarino (Pylos), Nafplion, Tripolitsa, Messolongi, Athens, and Thebes. Mavromichaelis, governor of Mani, sieged strategic Turkish garrisons and homes. Turks retaliated in other areas of Greece, especially on the island of Chios, where 25,000 civilians were massacred. T. Kolokotronis, noted as the most important figure in the Greek revolution, sieged Tripolis and forced its surrender, defeated the army of Dramalis and inflicted major blows to Ibrahim's army. Other important leaders during the revolt were G. Karaiskakis, C. Kanaris, General Makriyannis, M. Mavrogenous, L. Boumboulina, A. Miaoulis, Nikitaras, Papaflesas (Grigorios Dikaios), and many more. Help came from aristocratic young philhellenes, such as Shelley, Goethe, Schiller, Hugo, de Musset, and Lord Byron.
The Isles of Greece

by Lord Byron
(1788-1824)

---

The isles of Greece, the isles of Greece!
Where burning Sappho loved and sung,
Where grew the arts of war and peace,
Where Delos rose, and Phoebus sprung!
Eternal summer gilds them yet,
But all, except their sun, is set...

The mountains look on Marathon--
And Marathon looks on the sea;
And musing there an hour alone,
I dreamed that Greece might still be free;
For standing on the Persians' grave,
I could not deem myself a slave.

A king sat on the rocky brow
Which looks o'er sea-born Salamis;
And ships, by thousands, lay below,
And men in nations--all were his!
He counted them at break of day--
And when the sun set, where were they?

And where are they? And where art thou?
My country? On thy voiceless shore
The heroic lay is tuneless now--
The heroic bosom beats no more!
And must thy lyre, so long divine,
Degenerate into hands like mine?

'Tis something, in the dearth of fame,
Though linked among a fettered race,
To feel at least a patriot's shame,
Even as I sing, suffuse my face;
For what is left the poet here?
For Greeks a blush--for Greece a tear....

Fill high the bowl with Samian wine!
Our virgins dance beneath the shade--
I see their glorious black eyes shine;
But gazing on each glowing maid,
My own the burning teardrop laves,
To think such breasts must suckle slaves.

Place me on Sunium's marbled steep,
Where nothing, save the waves and I,
May hear our mutual murmurs sweep;
There, swanlike, let me sing and die:
A land of slaves shall ne'er be mine--
Dash down yon cup of Samian wine!

The Ottomans took over the Peloponnese once again by 1827. However, a combination of Russian, French and British fleet destroyed the Turko-Egyptian fleet in the Bay of Navarino in October 1827. When Sultan Mahmud II defied the odds by proclaiming a holy war, Russia sent troops into the Balkans and engaged in another Russo-Turkish war with the Ottomans. With Russian troops at the gates of Constantinople in 1829, the sultan finally accepted Greek Independence by the Treaty of Adrianople. The Protocol of London formally recognized Greek Independence in 1830. Greece endured many more struggles until 1947, when her current borders were achieved.

Adapted from Malista-Greek Independence Day History

( Part of this post was originally published on March 25, 2010)

Green Monday's Greek Recipes

Green Monday, also called Clean Monday, is a public holiday in Greece and Cyprus as it marks the beginning of Lent. It is celebrated with family picnics in the countryside, kite-flying and  Greek Lenten foods consisting of shellfish, vegetables and various greens. For many Greeks, this day also marks a 40-day fasting period which ends on Easter Day. Here are some of my favourite recipes for Green Monday's Lenten menu.

Lettuce, fresh Spring onions and radish

Lagana - Azyme Bread Baked on Green Monday

The Starters: taramosalata, tahini, houmous, aubergine salad, olives, carrots and radishes

Pickled Vegetables

Baked Okra in Tomato Sauce

Μπάμιες στο Φούρνο - Baked Okra

Ingredients

• 1 kilo okra
• 2 onions, coarsley chopped
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2 cups ripe tomatoes, grated
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup hot water
  

Directions

• Rinse the okra and spread on a kitchen towel to dry.
• Trim stalks but do not remove cone-shaped tops.
• Place the okra in an ovenproof dish and mix with all other ingredients.
• Bake in preheated moderate oven (160*C - 170*C) for about an hour stirring occasionally.

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B. Wholegrain Rice with Mixed Vegetables and Ouzo

Wholegrain Rice with Mixed Vegetables and Ouzo

Ingredients

• 2 cups wholegrain rice (brown rice)
• 3 cups hot water
• 3 zucchini, chopped in rings
• 3 aubergines (eggplant), chopped in medium-sized pieces
• 2 red peppers, chopped in thick strips
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup parsley and mint, coarsely chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2  cup ouzo
• salt and pepper

Directions

• Heat the olive oil in a pan and gently fry the zucchinni, aubergines and red peppers over medium heat for 20 minutes.
• Add the ouzo and keep cooking for another 5 minutes.
• Add the parsley , the mint and salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
• Boil the rice till all the water is absorbed and add it to the vegetables stirring gently for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and serve.

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C. King Prawns in Olive Oil and Lemon Juice Sauce

King Prawns

King Prawns in Olive Oil and Lemon Juice Sauce

Ingredients

• 8 king prawns
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• fresh lemon juice to taste
• salt to taste
• pink pepper

Directions

• Boil the king prawns in salted water till they turn pink.
• Keep boiling over low heat for 5 minutes.
• In a shaker mix the olive oil and the lemon juice with some freshly ground pink pepper.
• Peel the prawns while still warm and serve with the olive oil and lemon juice sauce.

The Carnival in Lemesos

The Carnival in Lemesos dates back to antiquity and is closely related to the history of the Greeks. as it is linked to the Dionysian Festivals called the "Dionysia". During these festivals, a contest was held amongst the three great dramatists of Ancient Greece : Sofocles, Aeschylous and Euripides. Whether it was drama or comedy, the actors had to wear a mask, hence the habit of disguising oneself in modern times.

Photo Credit

The word "carnival" derives from French and Italian -  meaning the end of the meat-eating period. The Greek word for carnival is "Apokries" and is celebrated by the young and the old alike, regardless of age, sex or social status. It is the time of year when people forget all about routine or conventions and follow their passions. It is, above all, a day to relax and have fun.

Photo Credit

Photo Credit

In Cyprus, Lemesos - the second largest city after capital Nicosia - is undoubtedly the Carnival Queen! For the people of Lemesos, it is a festival they look forward to every year and an integral part of our customs and traditions. This year, Sunday 17 marks the end of the Carnival with the grand parade in Lemesos. On Monday - called "Green Monday" - the Greeks observe the beginning of Lent which ends on Easter Day - the greatest celebration of the year for the Greek Orthodox. 

Tsiknopempti - Fat or Burnt Thursday

Tsiknopempti (Burnt Thursday)  is the Greek equivalent of Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras). It is  celebrated eleven days before the start of Lent. The "Burnt" part refers to the grilling of meats (barbrcue), a big part of the celebration of this day.

Photo Credit

The weekend following "Burnt Thursday" will also have parties and other events such as  the Carnival. Technically, that Sunday is the last allowable day for eating meat and is sometimes called "Meat-eating Sunday" .  In Cyprus it's called "sikoses" from the greek verb "sikono" literally meaning "to rise" , but , as a metaphor it means to be up and dance and be merry and eat to your heart's content ! Right now, all the Greek restaurants and tavernas are literally packed and the Greeks party, eating grilled meats, drinking wine, ouzo or retsina and dancing. Many Greeks also paint their faces black ...to match them with the spirit of tsiknopempti (Burnt Thursday).whereas others prefer to make their own barbecue at home and invite their friends and family.

Photo Credit

Such a pity Tsiknopempti always falls on a school night! I'll sign off wishing you "Kales Sikoses" - a traditional wish we exchange in Cyprus on Tsiknopempti.

In Memoriam: Grigoris Afxentiou - 3 March 1957

I will fight and fall like a Greek
(Grigoris Afxentiou in a letter to his wife, Vasiliki)



Photo Credit

Grigoris Afxentiou is the pre-eminent hero of the EOKA struggle 1955-1959 to liberate Cyprus from British colonial rule in an effort to unite the island with Greece. Afxentiou was born in the village of Lysi, Famagusta district, (now under Turkish occupation) on 22 February 1928 and killed in the Battle of Machairas on 3 March 1957.

After a four-year stint in Greece, initially as literature student at Athens University but unable to afford the fees then serving in the military as a lieutenant on the Greek-Bulgarian border, Afxentiou returned to Cyprus in 1952, where he worked with his father in the fields and then as a taxi driver.

When EOKA was formed in 1955, Afxentiou was one of the first to enlist and because of his military background, charisma and boldness, quickly gained the trust of EOKA’s leader, Giorgos Grivas, who made him his second in command.

Afxentiou led attacks on British installations on the island, such as the power company and the broadcasting corporation, and was responsible for training EOKA recruits in weapons' use, bombmaking techniques and guerrilla warfare. The British put a bounty of £5,000 on his head.

In December 1955, the British surrounded the EOKA hierarchy, including Grivas and Afxentiou, in the Troodos mountains, near the village of Spilia. Grivas split his men into two groups, with his group fighting the British ascending the north side of the mountain, while Afxentiou took command of the second group fighting the British ascending the south side.

All the while engaging the enemy, the Greek forces retreated to the summit of the mountain and, in heavy fog, managed to escape to the west, leaving the confused British, thinking they’d come across EOKA and not each other, to shell and fight among themselves. Grivas claimed that during the Battle of Spilia the British suffered 50 casualties; the British say they had three.

For the next year, Afxentiou, constantly on the move, often disguised, continued to direct and conduct operations from hideouts in the Troodos mountains, and at the beginning of 1957 found himself holed up near Machairas monastery, south of Nicosia.

On 3 March 1957, British troops from the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers and the Grenadier Guards acting on a tip-off surrounded Afxentiou and his four comrades in their hideout, and called for the men to surrender. Afxentiou ordered his men to leave to fight another day but insisted he had to stay. ‘I will fight and die,’ he told them. ‘I have to die,’ he said and repeated this four times.

With Afxentiou alone now, the British stormed the hideout, but Afxentiou held them at bay. They lobbed hand grenades into the shelter, but the wounded Afxentiou wouldn’t give up and continued to fight. The British sent in one of Afxentiou’s comrades, Avgoustinos Efstathiou, to persuade Afxentiou to surrender, but Efstathiou decided to stay and fight with his leader.

Eventually, after resistance that lasted 10 hours and after all conventional methods had failed, the British poured petrol into the hideout to burn out the EOKA men. Afxentiou once again persuaded Efstathiou to leave but still wouldn’t surrender himself. A charge was attached and the hideout blown up in an explosion that reverberated throughout the mountains.

The intensity of the flames made it impossible for the British to approach the hideout and it wasn’t until the following morning that the British were able to get inside, where they found Afxentiou’s burnt body and next to it a sub-machine gun, revolvers, grenades and a copy of Kazantzakis’ Christ Recrucified, given to Afxentiou by the Abbot of Machairas.

 

 

The clip is from a Cyprus TV documentary on the EOKA hero Grigoris Afxentiou. It shows newsreel footage from the Battle of Macheras, the capture of Avgoustis Efstathiou and the death of Afxentiou.

   

The Greek National Anthem

SOURCE: Hellenic Antidote

 

October 28, 1940 - Greece Says No to Axis

This post was originally published on October 28, 2010.

All Greeks feel an outstanding movement when they recall in their memory the epic facts of an heroic era: 1940. Indeed, those great and glorious events sealed with indelible glory the historic evolution of the Hellenic nation.

It is true that the nation feels exceptional pride for the great "NO" on the 28th of October 1940, said by the Hellenic people at the very early dawn of that historic day.

"The League of Nations, that supported the hopes of all nations for constant peace, was literally disintegrated and lost any substantial significance, after USA withdrew, in a mood of isolation, from the Organization, followed by Germany in 1939, Italy in 1935, as well as an antagonism in showing "peace loving" attitude by the rest of the Western Democracies, mainly England and France, that could not timely foresee and realize the coming threat of war. "

The Hellenic Epic of 1940, a phenomenon psychologically and historically unexpected for the entire world, was unjustly treated by the events that followed : occupation, resistance, executions, the December 1944 coup, the first post-war years, the outburst of the nuclear era, these were facts that shadowed the previous deeds, sealing, and locking-in that chapter of history, before having the chance to explore its monumental significance, a chapter that was only opened after the country’s liberation from the German boot.

The generation of the '40s proved, once more, that the sacred passion for the freedom of the country is the ultimate duty for all Greeks, who have repeatedly proved it during their age-long existence, and they will not cease to do the same, as long as they live in this beautiful country.

by LTC (Armor) Ioannis Georgoussis
Translated by: Translation Office / HAGS

Cyprus' Contribution to the 1940 Hellenic Epic

• 20,000 Greek Cypriots including 800 women supported the Greek cause against the Axis
• 15,000 wedding rings were given to support Greece's fight for freedom against all-mighty Italy.
• 40 Greek Cypriot students joined the Greek army.
• Turkish Cypriots also supported the Greek cause for freedom.
• Thousands of Greek Cypriots were arrested and captured in Peloponese and Crete.
• 650 Greek Cypriots were killed in the battlefield and buried in 12 different countries.

Information collected from Phileleftheros Online