Greek Orthodox Easter is an opportunity to unite with our families, spend time with relatives we haven’t seen for a while, and enjoy food which evoke memories of our childhood and emotions of love and happiness.
This experience can differ for Greek and non-Greek elderly in aged care around Australia, but many of the facilities and homes do try to get creative to bring joyful moments to the elderly as they celebrate Easter.
This year, The Greek Herald spoke with people from the Greek Community Home for the Aged in NSW, as well as Pronia, Fronditha Care, Grace of Mary Greek Cypriot Elderly Hostel and St Andrew’s Hostel in Victoria, to see how they’re celebrating the religious week.
Greek Community Home for the Aged, NSW:
The Greek Community Home for the Aged is run by the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW (GOCNSW). Facility manager, Katerina Kouris, tells The Greek Herald that Easter celebrations at the home are a special opportunity to rejoice, eat, drink, socialise, and be merry.
“Easter commemorates Jesus Christ’s agony, death and resurrection, symbolising everything is reborn and restored,” she says.
Activities at the home started with Clean Monday’s paper-kite day in the Sydney suburb of Cronulla, followed by ‘Tsiknopempti’ and ‘Apokries.’
“Our residents celebrated with a big BBQ accompanied with live Greek music, dance and wine. We also honoured the 25th of March national holiday by singing the Greek National Anthem and watching Greek TV channels showing the ‘parelasi’ (march) from Syntagma Square in Athens,” Ms Kouris explains.
As Orthodox Easter is the most significant time of the year, Ms Kouris says a traditional fare is planned for elderly residents where they can enjoy red dyed eggs, koulourakia, tsourekia, traditional sweets and of course – magiritsia soup. There will also be visits to the local Greek Orthodox Church to attend “Apokathilosi” service.
“Easter Sunday lunch for our residents will be served with traditional roast lamb, an assortment of baked vegetables, salad plus all the customary accompaniments,” she says.
“We’re certain our residents will enjoy all the culinary delights which Chef Panagiotis and the staff are preparing for our Greek Orthodox Easter.”
Ms Kouris says the schedule of activities enriches the residents’ spirituality for the festive days ahead. There will also be activities including cooking sessions with the residents and decorating with vibrant colours. Chocolate Easter eggs will also be distributed to all the residents on Easter Sunday.
“All these wonderful, sentimental and traditions bring back memories of customary Greek recipes. Our residents share with us their “secrets” for their recipes,” Ms Kouris adds.
“Research has proved that keeping the elderly active in the kitchen can make them feel beneficial again and improves their mood, and we can certainly see this happening!”
Pronia, Victoria:
Like every year in Pronia’s aged care centres in Victoria, preparations for Orthodox Easter have been underway all week.
“Smiles, good mood, imagination… are necessary conditions for a perfect result,” Pronia’s Communications and Community Engagement Officer, Dorothy Hatzopoulos, tells The Greek Herald.
Their first activity was decorating white candles with the residents.
“Elderly, carers and staff set up our workshop and made Easter candles, not only for us but also for our grandchildren and friends and for the people who support our every effort,” Ms Hatzopoulos says.
“Next comes the making of the ‘Lambri’ buns and the dyeing of the red eggs. As Holy Week approaches, the menu in the centers is shaped accordingly, offering Lenten food and fasting sweets.”
It should be noted that Pronia’s Planned Activity Groups (PAG) centers offer weekly meetings in four suburbs of Melbourne (Brunswick, Clarinda, Sunshine, Balwyn), and for one to participate referral is needed from My Aged Care.
“For many of the senior participants, this weekly outing is the best day of their week. They look forward to it as they meet their friends and spend a day filled with activities, entertainment and good company,” Ms Hatzopoulos concludes.
Fronditha Care, Victoria and NSW:
At Fronditha Care, this year’s Orthodox Easter preparations and celebrations will include a church service, the dyeing of eggs and a baking day. Residents will also decorate the cross, wreaths and lambathes, as well as a small Epitaphio.
Celebrations will take place at all of Fronditha’s aged care facilities with music and hymns. Holy Communion will be offered to residents by a local priest.
Easter celebrations will also be held for the Social Support Groups. The corporate office will dye eggs and bake koulourakia and Easter will be celebrated with a BBQ feast featuring souvla meats, live music and Easter candles. Volunteers will man the BBQ at most of Fronditha Care’s facilities.
Grace of Mary Greek Cypriot Elderly Hostel and St Andrew’s Aged Care, Victoria:
Stefanos Vlahogeorgos is the Director of Nursing at Grace of Mary Greek Cypriot Elderly Hostel and St Andrew’s Aged Care in Victoria. He describes Orthodox Easter as the most important and holy day of our Greek culture.
“We celebrate it according to the tradition and the custom of our elderly,” he tells The Greek Herald.
“This year, as every year, our aged care facilities will be for another time, the focus of attention, especially with the traditional preparations, which include Holy Communion, Sarakosti, liturgies from our priest, egg dyeing, koulourakia, tsourekia, flaounes, kaltsounia and Easter decorations.”
He says that the hostel’s festivities are known for being unique and for their central role in the life and the faith of elderly people.
“Our grandmothers and grandfathers will live an important Easter in the hug of our home, which will bring them joy, love and mental satisfaction.”
