By Marianna Mossonidis, founder of The Greek Circle
On Friday, December 12 nearly 30 Greek Australians came together to honour their heritage at The Greek Circle’s “Paint Your Xorio” launch event, where participants explored Greek migration from the Bronze Age to modern times and created paintings inspired by their homelands.
The Paint ‘n’ Sip night, hosted at the Kalymnian Brotherhood in Coburg, began at 6pm with food, drinks, and an hour of mingling as guests filtered in.
Something really important to me as the founder of The Greek Circle is for people to connect with one another during events and form friendships that continue well beyond them.
I was delighted to see many attendees finding similarities with people they’d not previously met and to see, by the mingling component of the night, many people adding each other on Instagram as a means to stay in touch.
The presence of other groups such as NUGAS and the Pallaconian Brotherhood Youth Group, which I am incredibly grateful for, also gave attendees even more pathways into community.
At 7pm, all attendees were seated for a lecture delivered by Dr Stavroula (Stephie) Nikoloudis, Lecturer and Coordinator of the Greek Studies program at La Trobe University.
Her presentation covered many topics, including the Greeks of the Bronze Age and their migration patterns, followed by the development of the Greek language, including a brief look at Linear B script. Moving into the modern era, Dr Nikoloudis covered sailor-convicts of the 19th century in NSW, then proceeded to focus on three individuals who migrated from Greece to Victoria in the post-WWII period and their lasting contributions to Australian society.
At 8pm, attendees were moved to a separate section of the hall for a guided paint class, accompanied by soft drinks, wine and Nippers tsipouro and ouzo. The painting aspect of the night aimed to create a tangible keepsake to bridge people to their xorio.
Whether attendees were born in Greece or second- or third-generation Greek Australians, their artworks served as a personal tribute to their roots, with many guests using their own photographs as inspiration.
The night concluded with goodbyes and group photos to capture the memories.
“Paint Your Xorio” is just the beginning of a bigger vision to see more Greek youth involved with culture and community. As The Greek Circle continues to expand, I hope to see more connections being made and a celebration of who we are and where we came from.
