Saint George is one of the most beloved saints of the Eastern Church. In particular, the people of Cappadocia, his homeland, had recourse to him for help and assistance from very early on and his honour and fame spread throughout the world. The achievements of the saint didn’t remain only Read more
Protopresbyter Panteleïmon Krouskos For many people with a secular outlook, decorating the Christmas tree is the essence of Christmas. In Greece, this custom was imported from abroad and was introduced by the Bavarians*. The first time a Christmas tree was decorated was in Otto’s palace and thereafter it spread Read more
James W. Lillie On Lazarus Saturday, I realized I couldn’t find my copy of the services for Great Week, so, naturally, I went down to the local supermarket and bought another copy. This ease of access to Church supplies (charcoal, wicks, incense, televised services for the sick and so on) Read more
The Raising of Lazarus Lazarus Saturday is dedicated to Poor Lazarus, his death and resurrection. It’s a portent of the death and Resurrection of Christ, which will be celebrated the following week. According to Saint John’s Gospel, Lazarus was a friend of Christ and died in Bethany: In the town Read more
What we call ‘kalanda’ (carols) are the songs of praise and goodwill which are sung on the eve of the great Christian feasts and which belong, in anthropological terms, to what we call good luck rituals. The carols for the Twelve Days of Christmas are still remembered, though those for Read more
Alexandros Christodoulou, Theologian The time of the descent. As regards the time of the descent, we can see that Christ’s divine soul descended into Hades immediately after His exclamation on the Cross ‘It is finished’, when His soul was separated from His all-pure body. He remained there three days, Read more
Georgios Kyprianou It is the case that many people have expressed their own understanding and convictions regarding tradition in a variety of ways. The worst of it is that many have trampled upon it in order to promote and build upon it their own careers and selfish ambitions. It’s Read more
Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana Although he was an innovator [In Athens the Greeks asked ‘May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears…’ (Acts 17, 19-20)], the attitude of the Apostle of the Gentiles towards the achievements Read more
The Vasilopita (VasilOpita) is the main custom in Greece for New year. It’s one which we encounter throughout Greece, though naturally with local variations. These are mostly to do with the ingredients of the cake. In some places it’s a cake, though there are also parts where it’s a savory Read more