Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday dinner which is served around 2:oo-3:00 in the afternoon is a whole family gathering where the center of the table is the roast lamb on the spit and the red eggs which people tap with each other, trying to avoid cracking their own egg. He, whose egg doesn't break, is considered lucky.

Easter Sunday afternoon the faithful gather once more for prayer with lighted candles. All sing the hymn, "Christ is Risen from the Dead". The people greet one another joyously, saying: "Christ is Risen", the Easter salutation which is answered, "Truly He is Risen". The Gospel is read in various languages, proclaiming the Good News of Resurrection all over the universe without discrimination.

Good Friday

Listen to the Good Friday lamenting hymns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfGRZvWaYVc&mode=related&search=

Good Friday

Christians observe Good Friday with fasting, prayer, cleanliness, self-examination, confession and good works.

Holy Week in The Eastern Orthodox Church

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures; and that He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve; after that, He was seen of above five thousand brethren at once."1 Cor. 15:3-6

Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday celebrates the glorious and brilliant feast of the Entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. Zechariah had prophesied the entrance of the Messiah into Jerusalem, saying: "Rejoice greatly ... O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, the King comes unto Thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass", Zech. 9:9.

Monday of Holy Week
On this evening we begin with the Hymn of the Bridegroom, "Behold the Bridegroom comes in the midst of the night... beware, therefore, O my soul, lest thou be borne down in sleep..... and lest thou be shut out from the Kingdom . . ."

Great Holy Tuesday
On this evening is sung the beautiful "Hymn of Cassiane", probably a work of Patriarch Photius. It begins: "The woman who had fallen into many sins recognized thy Godhead, O Lord; Woe to me, saith she; receive the sources of my tears, O Thou who doth gather into clouds the water of the sea. Who can trace out the multitude of my sins and the abysses of my misdeeds? "O Thou whose mercy is unbounded".

Great Holy and Wednesday Morning
The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated on this day for the last time during Lent. This very ancient Liturgy is a Vesper Service, with the Holy Gifts presanctified in the Liturgy on the previous Sunday. This Liturgy is solemn, and reflects the grandeur and simplicity of the early Church.

Great Holy Wednesday Evening
Four Events are being celebrated : the washing of the disciples' feet, the institution of the Holy Eucharist, the Marvelous Prayer, the betrayal".

Great Holy Thursday Evening
This service is long. Participation in the prayers and the historical sequence of the events, as related in the Gospels and hymns, provides a vivid foundation for the great events yet to come. Following are the references of the "Twelve Gospel" readings of this service:
1. St. John 13:31 thru Ch. 18,1
2. St. John 18:1-29
3. St. Matthew 26:57-75
4. St. John 18:28 thru Ch. 19:16
5. St. Matthew 27:3-32
6. St. Mark 15:16-32
7. St. Matthew 27:33-54
8. St. Luke 23:32-49
9. St. John 19:38-42
10. St. Mark 15:43-47
11. St. John 19:38-42
12. St. Matthew 27:62-66
These readings relate the last instructions of Christ to His disciples, the prophecy of the drama of the Cross, the dramatic prayer of Christ and His new commandment.
After the reading of the fifth Gospel comes the procession with the Crucifix around the church, while the priest chants the 15th antiphon: "Today is hung upon the Tree, He Who did hang the land in the midst of the waters".
During the Procession, the faithful Christian kneels and prays for his spiritual welfare, imitating the thief on the Cross who confessed his faith and devotion to Christ. He then approaches and reverently kisses the Crucifix.

Good Friday Morning
During this service, the removal of the Body of Christ from the Cross is commemorated with a sense of mourning for the terrible events which took place. Once more, excerpts from the Old Testament are read together with hymns, and again the entire story is related, followed by the removal from the Cross and the wrapping of the Body of Christ with a white sheet as did Joseph of Arimathea.

Good Friday Evening
It is a lamenting lityrgy consisting of psalms, hymns and readings, dealing with the death of Christ, in contrast to His divinity, and in expectation of His Resurrection.
its Creator hung by His own creatures: "Creation was moved . . . with intense astonishment when it beheld Thee hung in Golgotha". The Odes remind us of the vision of Isaiah, who saw Christ, "the unwaning light of the manifestation", and cried aloud, "The dead indeed shall arise and all those on earth shall rejoice". During this service the Body of Christ in a flower-bedecked Sepulcher, symbolizing the Tomb, is carried around the town in the procession.The entire congregation joins in singing the, three parts of the "Hymns of Praise" .

Great Holy Saturday Morning
Psalms are read and Resurrection hymns are sung which tell of Christ's descent into Hades. "Today Hades cried out groaning" is the hymn's description of the resurrection of Adam and the conquering of death. Thus this day's celebration is called "First Resurrection".

The Holy Sunday of Easter
On Easter Sunday (Saturday midnight) the life-giving Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is celebrated. Before midnight, the Odes of Lamentation of the previous day are repeated. The Orthros of the Resurrection begins in complete darkness. The priest takes light from the vigil light and gives it to the faithful, who are holding candles. The priest sings: "Come ye and receive light from the unwaning life, and. glorify Christ, who arose from the dead", and all the people join him in singing this hymn again and again. From this moment, every Christian holds the Easter candle as a symbol of his vivid, deep faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ as Savior. The priest and people go outside the church, where the priest at exactly midnight reads the Gospel which refers to the Angels statement: "He is Risen; He is not here", Mark 16:1-8.
Then comes the breathless moment as the people wait for the priest to start the hymn of Resurrection, which they join him in singing, repeatedly: "Christ has Risen from the dead, by death trampling upon Death, and has bestowed life upon those in the tombs". From this moment the entire service takes on a joyous Easter atmosphere and firewotks cover the sky of the towns.

March 25th, Greek Independence Day

Greek children celebrate Independence Day

Turnpange's Children in Boullion

We fought the knight and Alix won, she killed him.

Turnpange's Children in Boullion

We met peculiar characters during our stay

Turnpange's Children in Boullion

We are in Bouillon in front of the castle.

Happy Valentine Day

Enjoy your trip to Bouillon
Happy Valentine Day

One week at the Middle Ages

Next week we are leaving to Bouillon for one week. We will tell you how it was when we are back in Turpange.

Epiphany Carols

Listen to the Greek Epiphany Carols

Epiphany

The festive Holidays Season, in Greece, ends on Epiphany Day (January 6) when the Church celebrates the baptism of Jesus and the priests throw a cross in the sea, rivers, lakes or even water reservoirs. In the islands and the seaside towns, young men dive to retrieve the cross and the person, that catches, it is considered blessed. In the other areas the cross is tied on a ribbon and retrieved back by the priest.

In the past on Epiphany Eve carolers went around the houses to sing about the baptism of Jesus. Nowadays the custom tends to be forgotten and is kept only in villages.

Epiphany carols

Σήμερα τα φώτα κι ο φωτισμός
η χαρά μεγάλη κι ο αγιασμός.
Κάτω στον Ιορδάνη τον ποταμό
κάθετ' η κυρά μας η Παναγιά.
Όργανo βαστάει, κερί κρατεί
και τον Αϊ-Γιάννη παρακαλεί.
'Αϊ-Γιάννη αφέντη και βαπτιστή
βάπτισε κι εμένα Θεού παιδί.
Ν' ανεβώ στον ουρανό
να μαζέψω ρόδα και λίβανο.

Today is the day of Light and Illumination

The joy is enormous and the blessing

Our Lady sits down at the river Jordan

Holding a musical instrument and a candle

And asks St. John

“St. John Baptist please baptize my and God’s child

To go to heaven to gather roses and incense”

Christmas Holidays Sweets

In Greece every house is filled with the traditional Christmas Holidays Sweets, “melomakarona” (also called phoenikia) which are honey and walnut cookies and “kourambiedes”, almond and icing sugar cookies. In some areas of Greece especially in Peloponese “diples” (or aftakia, meaning small ears ) a kind of fried pastry covered with syrup and walnuts.

Recipes

MELOMAKARONA

2 cups oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup orange juice

1 cup fine semolina

1 kilo soft flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

Lemon and Orange zest

Simple syrup: (In a pot, mix together 1 cup each of water, honey and sugar and bring to boil while stirring constantly.)

Crushed walnuts

Preheat oven to 200c

Beat oil well with mixer, then add the sugar, zests, orange juice, semolina, and then, a little at a time, the flour mixed with the baking soda.

Form the dough into small shapes, as the pastries will get quite big while baking. Make sure the oven is hot before baking, otherwise the pastries will flatten. Bake for about 30 minutes until pastries are firm and golden brown.

When completely cooled, arrange in rows in a serving plate and pour warm syrup over them. Sprinkle with crushed walnuts.

KOURAMBIEDES

2 kilos soft flour

1 kilo butter

300 grams powdered sugar

300 grams crushed roasted almonds

1 small glass cognac

1 teaspoon baking soda

Rosewater

Preheat oven to 175c

Whiten the butter by beating by hand for ½ hour. Add the sugar, cognac, almonds and finally the flour, mixed with the baking soda. Continue to beat until all ingredients are well mixed.

Mold into crescent or round shapes and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with rosewater, then roll in the powder sugar.

DIPLES

6 cups flour

1 cup sugar

10 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

Oil for frying

1 1/2 cups honey

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup chopped walnuts

A dash of cinnamon

Place flour in a bowl. Add the sugar, vanilla, eggs and baking powder. Knead until dough is smooth and firm.

Let rest for 30 minutes

Cut dough in small pieces and roll out to sheets. With a knife cut sheets into 2 inch wide strips

Heat oil

Fry “diples” both sides. When done place them on paper to absorb excess oil and then in a serving plate. Sprinkle with nuts.

Syrup: In a saucepan bring to boil the water, the honey and the cinnamon while stirring constantly.

Pour the syrup over the "diples".

Bon appétit !!

Listen to the New Year's Carols

Greek New Year Carols

New Year's Carols

ΤΑ ΚΑΛΑΝΤΑ ΤΗΣ ΠΡΩΤΟΧΡΟΝΙΑΣ

New Year Carols

Αρχιμηνιά κι αρχιχρονιά
ψηλή μου δεντρολιβανιά,
κι αρχή - κι αρχή καλός μας χρόνος,
εκκλησιά - εκκλησιά με τ' άγιο θρόνος.

Αρχή που βγήκε ο Χριστός
άγιος και πνευματικός,
στη γη - στη γη να περπατήσει
και να μας - και να μας καλοκαρδίσει.

Άγιος Βασίλης έρχεται
- άρχοντες το κατέχετε -
από - από την Καισαρεία
είσαι αρχό - είσαι αρχόντισσα, κυρία.

Βαστάει εικόνα και χαρτί
με το Χριστό το λυτρωτή,
χαρτί - χαρτί και καλαμάρι,
δες και με - δες και με το παλικάρι.

It’s the beginning of the month, beginning of the year
High incense tree
Beginning of my good year
Church with the Holy Seat

It’s the beginning of our Christ
Saint and spiritual
He got out to walk on earth
And to welcome us

St. Basil is coming
From Caesaria
You know that
May you long live, my lady

He holds (St. Basil) an icon and a piece of paper
With the picture of Christ our Saviour
A piece of paper and a quill
Please look at me, the young man.

New Year's Traditions

On New Year’s Eve children go around the houses singing New Year’s carols "kalanda" using metal triangles and they are offered sweets and money.

At exactly midnight on December 31 the father or the older person in the household turns off the main power switch so "new light" will come with the New Year. Then a special kind of cake called "vassilopita" containing a coin is cut along the members of the family and friends. Every person and even the pets of the household are entitled to one piece. One piece is dedicated to Jesus, one to St. Basil and one to the house itself. Whoever finds the coin in his piece is considered to be lucky for the whole year. Gifts are exchanged at that moment or on the following morning, St. Basil's Day (January 1).

The New Year in Greece is not only celebrated as the first day of the year but they also celebrate it as St. Basil's day. St. Basil is one of the founders of the Greek Orthodox Church. The people of Greece believe that he died on New Year Day so they honour him and remember him for his generosity and kindness to the poor on that day.

According to the legend St. Basil was the archbishop of Caesaria when, the Cappadocian Prefect cruelly intended went to collect taxes. The people, full of fear, asked for their bishop’s protection. He told them to bring any valuable things they had in their houses go together with him to welcome the Prefect. But St. Basil had such an appearance and conviction that the Prefect finally didn’t accept the people’s presents. So St. Basil tried to return their valuables. But it was very difficult because they had offered many similar items: rings, necklaces, coins etc., so St. Basil ordered to make small pies in each one he put one of the items. The following day he gave each Christian one pie. And then the miracle happened! Inside their pies they found whatever they had given.

On New Year Day the farmers' families in Greece take plates of seeds to the church to get them blessed by the priest to start off the New Year.

Listen to Christmas Songs in Greek and French

Greek Christmas Carols

Minuit chrétien

Christmas Wishes

Καλά Χριστούγεννα - Joyeux Noël