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Greek Australian ‘Travel Guides’ star left speechless after visiting Greece for show’s season premiere

The Greek Herald
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Greek Australian ‘Travel Guides’ star left speechless after visiting Greece for show’s season premiere

An opportunity to travel the world for free? Sign me up!

This is exactly what Travel Guides trio Dorian (24), Kev (28) and Teng (25) did after seeing a Nine Network casting ad posted to Facebook, while on the hunt for cheap flights to Bali.

“We thought it could be fun to maybe make a video and audition tape and send it in and we’ll never hear back from them,” Dorian said to The Greek Herald.  

“All of a sudden we heard back from him three days later.”

The three good mates are former Target co-workers and budget travellers who share a love of junk food, computer games, music and movies. The trio made their first appearance in season 2 of the show and have continued their travel adventures this coming season (Season 4).

Travel Guides trio Dorian (24), Kev (28) and Teng (25) Photos courtesy of the Nine Network.

Despite referring to themselves as “the three Asian boys”, Dorian comes from a Greek Australian family, with his yiayia arriving in Australia in the mid-to-late 60s and settling down in the Melbourne suburb of Oakleigh.

Despite his proud Greek heritage, Dorian never had the opportunity to visit Greece until he was sent there in 2019, unknowingly, by the Travel Guides producers.

“The thing that I love most is we never know what to expect, because we’re not told what country we’re going to go to until we rock up at the airport and we don’t know what activities we’re going to do until we rock up in the morning to film,” Dorian said.

“I was meant to go (to Greece) I think three times and always had to cancel last minute.”

In the series return, the trio, along with the other Travel Guides, take off on a Greek island-hopping holiday. Starting in the ancient capital, Athens, they hop aboard the ferry to the party island of Mykonos and the traditional island of Milos.

The Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Photos courtesy of the Nine Network.

Most Greek Australian families know that when they plan a trip to Greece, a visit to see the relatives is a high-end priority. However, under a tight schedule of only a week in Greece, Dorian said there was no time to visit his extended family.

The “three Asian boys” have collected many fans throughout the show’s airing, but none bigger than Dorian’s mum.

“Mom is our biggest fan,” Dorian said.

“I sort of can’t go to any supermarkets or anything without mum having told the people at the checkout that I’m going to be on the show tonight.”

“My whole family was super stoked. Obviously they wish we could have met relatives, but there just wasn’t any time and we weren’t in the right places, unfortunately.”

Travel Guides trio Dorian (24), Kev (28) and Teng (25). Photos courtesy of the Nine Network.

To kick off the Greek holiday, the Travel Guides checked out the historical sites of Athens and, putting their own twist on history, they go for a few Olympic records of their own, with varying levels of success.

Leaving Athens they head to the party island of Mykonos, to which when Dorian was asked about the differences in the party scene between Greece and Australia, the Greek Australian said it “doesn’t compare”.

Back on the ferry, the travellers head for more stable shores. The best-kept secret in the Greek Islands awaits them on Milos, where white volcanic cliffs curve like marble into vivid blue seas.

But the party has also followed them to this traditional paradise, where it’s one of the biggest festival days of the year and the whole island has gathered to celebrate with bells on.

The Fren family. Photos courtesy of the Nine Network.

Dorian revealed to The Greek Herald that Greece has been his favourite visited location on the show so far, with Athens’ history and beauty being a lifetime highlight.

“It’s the heart of everything, so much history there,” Dorian said.

“The people sort of reminded me of Oakleigh times 20; People calling out to each other on the street, walking around with their coffee, sitting at the cafes all day.”

“My least favourite moment was probably boarding a plane to leave.”

The fourth season of Travel Guides will premiere on Wednesday, April 28, on Channel 9.

Five Greek Easter traditions you should know about

The Greek Herald
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Five Greek Easter traditions you should know about

By Ilektra Takuridu.

The Greek Orthodox church is privileged to have such beautiful Easter traditions that are rich in history and full of symbolism. These traditions are what make the holiday truly special.

Here are five of the most important Greek Easter traditions you should know about.

Tsoureki and dying eggs red:

Tsoureki and dying eggs red.

One of the most important Easter traditions is the baking of Greek-style sweet brioche bread, called Tsoureki. It is made so that there are three braids, these are done to represent the three aspects of the  Holy Trinity. On the same day, eggs are dyed red, the colour symbolizes the blood of Jesus. Both the Tsoureki and red eggs are made on Holy Thursday but can only be eaten on Easter Sunday.

Epitaphios:

Good Friday service at Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Lowell. From left, Theona Tully, 13, of Chelmsford, Kennedy Apostolou, 10, of Chelmsford, and Savannah Rios, 12, of Lowell, walk around the Epitafio. Photo: SUN/Julia Malakie.

Epitaphios is a wooden bier structure that holds the icon of Jesus Christ. This icon is taken through the main roads of the village for everyone to see. Members of a local band play music and people who follow the procession sing Greek religious hymns and light candles. The wooden bier is always decorated with the most colourful flowers that have a symbolic meaning. Most common colours are red, which symbolize the blood, purple symbolize the mourning of Jesus and finally white, which symbolize purity. This ceremony takes place at night, on Good Friday.

“Lambada” – the Easter candle:

A lambada.

Candles are the most significant part of the Greek Easter. In most Greek families, Godparents buy for their Godchildren a decorated Easter Candle, called the Lambada. These candles are usually decorated with jewels or small toys that are attached to the candle with a colourful ribbon.

The midnight service:

On Holy Saturday, people participate in the Resurrection Liturgy.

At midnight on Holy Saturday, people meet in the church with their candles to participate in the Resurrection Liturgy. At exactly at midnight, the church goes completely dark and the priest lights a candle. This candle represents the eternal flame of Jesus. The priest then shares the flame and people begin to light up each other’s candles. Whilst this is happening, church bells start to ring and the sky is lit up with fireworks. Tradition says the first person who has their candle lit up by the Priest will have luck all year. People after the midnight service come back home with their candle still lit to mark a cross on top of their doorway, which is a sign of a blessing.

Roasting Lamb (Souvla):

Easter Sunday is the day where the whole family meets early to prepare the spit-roasted lamb, this day as any big Greek celebration, is full of traditional music and dance. The lamb’s significance goes back to the old testament, where Abraham is asked to sacrifice his son to God. There are many different ways how to prepare the Lamb usually, the preparation it depending on the region, but the most common way is to rub the lamb with olive oil, garlic, lemon and then sprinkle it with spices like dried oregano, salt and pepper.

Moreland City Council celebrates bicentenary of Greek Revolution through art

Andriana Simos
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Moreland City Council celebrates bicentenary of Greek Revolution through art

A new exhibition showing at Brunswick Town Hall, Coburg Library and Brunswick Library celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution, tying into a year-round program of activities planned globally.

The exhibition, which runs until April 30, focuses on the works of Greek artists in the Moreland Art Collection, including George Matoulas, Anastasia Bekos and Mark Babtsikos.

Moreland Council is also commissioning a new work of art for the Moreland Art Collection by a local artist of Greek heritage to celebrate the bicentennial anniversary.

Image: Anastasia Bekos. The arrivals, 1991. Oil on Canvas. 69.5 x 105 cm.

Moreland Mayor, Cr Annalivia Carli Hannan, said the Greek Bicentenary exhibition is an important celebration of Moreland’s rich cultural diversity and commemoration of a significant event in Greece’s history.

“Thursday, March 25, 2021 marked 200 years of Modern Greece. People of Greek heritage make up 6.1% of Moreland’s population, this is an important event we’re proud to celebrate by bringing people together through art and culture,” Cr Carli Hannan said.

  • Image: John Werrett. George, Effy, Jenny and John Apostolakos, 1993, Photograph 36 x 28.5 cm.
  • Image: John Werrett. Maria, Peter, Lillian and John Zoumboulakis, 1993, Photograph 36 x 28.5 cm.

One notable feature of the exhibition is Street of Surprises, Photographs from Sydney Road, Brunswick, a photo-series by John Werrett documenting faces Werrett encountered on Sydney Road in 1993. The series highlights the population of Greek business owners and residents in Brunswick and their contribution to the area.

An activation of Werrett’s series will see reproductions of the portraits installed along Sydney Road.

Information about the Streets of Surprises portraits can be found via the Counihan Gallery’s social media pages using the #StreetofSurprises hashtag or by visiting the Brunswick Town Hall from Wednesday, March 10.

Greece’s Deputy Foreign Minister sends hopeful Easter message to Greek diaspora

The Greek Herald
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Greece’s Deputy Foreign Minister sends hopeful Easter message to Greek diaspora

Greece’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kostas Vlasis, has sent a hopeful message to the Greek diaspora to mark Greek Orthodox Easter this week.

In his message, Mr Vlasis wishes everyone a joyous Easter and expresses his hopes that this Easter will be a new beginning for everyone.

“The word Easter means passage. Passage to a new day, a new beginning. May this Easter be the end of the ordeal and the beginning of a new course for all,” the Deputy Foreign Minister writes.

Full message in English:

Dear compatriots,

I am very happy because the great feast of Orthodoxy, Easter, gives me the opportunity to contact you once again, the Greeks who live and work abroad, and who always have Greece in your heart and in your soul. Your advancement and progress in the field that each of you has chosen, makes us very proud.

Easter, the celebration of the brilliant Resurrection of the Lord, is for us Greeks a day of ascension. After the martyrdom of the Passion, death is defeated and the Cross becomes a symbol of hope.

Greece’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kostas Vlasis.

It is this hope that has kept us united and strong over the past year, one of the most difficult years in recent years. Last year we were forced, due to the pandemic that hit the world, to celebrate isolated from our loved ones, away from the all-night services and the observance of local customs that we Greeks especially honour and maintain. It was, however, our duty to do so for our fellow human beings, but also for ourselves. In this difficult time, the hope of victory has kept us afloat.

This Easter, it is time to reap the fruits of this sacrifice. We look forward to spring with optimism and look forward to the summer that will bring us all closer, as we will again have the opportunity to travel and visit our favorite places.

During these Holy Days, our minds can only be on those who faced the unequal battle with the invisible enemy of the pandemic and did not succeed. Unfortunately, the numbers worldwide show that there are many. But we are also grateful to all those on the front lines, to the hospitals, to the medical structures, to the laboratories, giving hope to the sick patients and to all of us who now have the coveted vaccine available, as a passport to a new beginning. With a sense of responsibility, I urge you all to continue to adhere to the safeguards so that we do not bend now that the end of this adventure is near.

Dear compatriot friends,

The word Easter means passage. Passage to a new day, a new beginning. May this Easter for all be the end of the ordeal and the beginning of a new course.

I wish you all a Happy Resurrection with health and joy to you, your families and your loved ones, wherever they are.

Nazi German troops enter Athens, Greece in 1941

The Greek Herald
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Nazi German troops enter Athens, Greece in 1941

By John Voutos.

On this day in 1941, Nazi Germany kicks off the Battle of Greece on their tour of the Balkans at the height of WWII.

Nazi Germany invaded Greece in April 1941 following a complicated timeline of escalating tensions between Mussolini’s Italian Army and the Hellenes.

Greek populations were decimated and around 900 villages were destroyed in part of the Axis’ four-year occupation of Greece.

History:

World War II began on the 1st of September 1939. The Axis alliance, formed between Germany, Italy, and Japan, were beginning to destabilise the European order.  

German soldiers march into Athens [CC-BY-SA Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-164-0357-29A / Raunch] via timesofisrael.com.

Meanwhile, Greece was extending its defence with the British army.

Greece was collateral damage in the wider scope of damage wrought by the Nazi Germans in their quest to invade the Soviet Union and safeguard its Romanian oil supply.

The Nazis begun their quest for the strategic strong-hold of Athens on the 27th of April 1941 to support Mussolini’s 6-month [October 1940 – April 6, 1941] stalled and failing invasion of Greece.

By June 1941, Greece was entirely under Axis occupation.

The Nazis allied with the Italians, and 58,000 British troops allied with the Greeks.

Women protest against shootings, which led to more than a month of street fighting in Athens (May 1941). Photo: Dmitri Kessel/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty.

Protests and attacks ensued and the formation of a right-wing Nazi puppet regime in Athens followed.

Half of Athens’ 2.5 million population received food from the International Red Cross during this period. The other half would suffer from starvation.

In September 1943, after the Italian collapse, the Germans turned their attention to the Jewish population of Athens and the rest of formerly Italian-occupied Greece.

Athens celebrates liberation (October 1944). Photo: The Diplomatic and Historical Archive Department, via Flickr, uploaded 16 October 2007.

German troops began their evacuation on 12 October 1944, and by November, had withdrawn from mainland Greece through Yugoslavia. The Nazis surrendered a few months ahead of the end of WWII after wreaking havoc for almost four years.

About 85% of Greece’s pre-war Jewish population were murdered. A bulk of which suffered the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, including about 800 from Athens alone. Athens lost over half of its Jewish inhabitants as a result of the occupation. 11-12,000 survived.

A woman weeps during the deportation of the Romanite Jews of Ioannina (25 March 1944). Photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-179-1575-08 / Wetzel / CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Furthermore, ¼, or 45,000, of the Allies were captured or murdered. Over 40,000 civilians died of starvation in Athens; tens of thousands more died in reprisals.

11,500 Nazis were captured; 2,500 of which died.

Cypriot resistance fighter and politician, Vassos Lyssarides, dies aged 100

The Greek Herald
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Cypriot resistance fighter and politician, Vassos Lyssarides, dies aged 100

Vassos Lyssarides, one of Cyprus’ most respected politicians who was active in the ethnically divided island’s politics since its 1960 independence from British colonial rule and was involved in the global socialist movement, died on Monday. He was 100.

In a post on his official Twitter account, Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, said the country lost “one of its historic leaders who helped shape (its) identity.”

“(Lyssarides) made his mark on our political life over many decades. We owe him much,” Anastasiades wrote.

A trained doctor, Lyssarides figured prominently in efforts to restore democratic governance to Cyprus after a 1974 coup by supporters of union with Greece. The coup triggered a Turkish invasion which split the island along ethnic lines.

Lyssarides founded in 1969 the socialist party EDEK which he led until 2001. He was first elected to parliament in 1960 and held his seat without interruption until 2006. Between 1985-91, he served as Parliament Speaker.

Lyssarides also served as vice-president of the Afro-Asian Solidarity Organization.

Lyssarides also served as vice-president of the Afro-Asian Solidarity Organization, a non-governmental group with a presence in more than 90 African and Asian countries that according to its website struggled against colonialism, apartheid and armed conflict.

He was also secretary-general of the International Committee in Solidary with South Africa, a body aiming to free then-imprisoned anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela. He established many close relationships with African and Middle Eastern leaders including Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, and Cuban leader, Fidel Castro.

Lyssarides’ wife Barbara, a native of the US city of Detroit, died in 2019 at 85.

Source: Washington Post.

Lyssarides and his wife Barbara.

Erdogan calls on Biden to reverse calling mass killings of Armenians a genocide

The Greek Herald
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Erdogan calls on Biden to reverse calling mass killings of Armenians a genocide

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called on President Joe Biden to immediately reverse his declaration that 1915 massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire constituted genocide, a move he said was upsetting and diminished bilateral ties.

Biden’s historic declaration on Saturday has infuriated its NATO ally Turkey, which has said the announcement had opened a “deep wound” in relations that have already been strained over a host of issues.

READ MORE: US President formally recognises Armenian Genocide as Australian PM falls short on remembrance.

In his first comments since Biden’s statement, Erdogan said “the wrong step” would hinder ties and advised the United States to “look in the mirror,” adding Turkey still sought to establish “good neighbourly” ties with Armenia.

“The US president has made baseless, unjust and untrue remarks about the sad events that took place in our geography over a century ago,” Erdogan said after a cabinet meeting, and repeated a call for Turkish and Armenian historians to form a joint commission to investigate the events. “I hope the US President will turn back from this wrong step as soon as possible.”

He also slammed the US for having failed to find a solution to the decades-old conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh – where the United States, Russia and France were mediators – and said Washington had stood by as massacres unfolded.

READ MORE: Greece launches peace initiative for Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict.

“If you say genocide, then you need to look at yourselves in the mirror and make an evaluation. The Native Americans, I don’t even need to mention them, what happened is clear,” he said, in reference to the treatment of Native Americans by European settlers. “While all these truths are out there, you cannot pin the genocide accusation on the Turkish people.”

Archived footage of the genocide. Photo: Wikipedia commons.

Turkey supported Baku in the conflict last year, in which Azeri forces seized swaths of lands in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Biden’s statement came at a time when Ankara and Washington have been struggling to repair ties, strained when Turkey purchased Russian defense systems resulting in US sanctions; policy differences in Syria; and legal matters.

Erdogan said he expected to “open the door for a new period” in ties and discuss all disputes with Biden at a NATO summit in June, but warned that ties would deteriorate further unless the allies can compartmentalise issues.

“We now need to put aside our disagreements and look at what steps we can take from now on, otherwise we will have no choice but to do what is required by the level our ties have fallen to on April 24,” he said.

READ MORE: The Armenian Genocide – 10 Things That You Need to Know.

Greek, Armenian and Assyrian communities march for recognition of the genocide:

Erdogan’s move to criticise Biden comes just two days after the Greek, Armenian and Assyrian communities marched together in Sydney and Melbourne for the very first time to push for the recognition of all three genocides by the Australian Government.

READ MORE: Greek, Armenian and Assyrian communities march for recognition of the genocide.

In Sydney, the march set off from the historic Domain parkland before wounding its way past NSW Parliament House and stopping at the Armenian Genocide Monument outside St Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral. Three wreaths were laid by six young ladies, representing the three peoples who endured the crime of genocide. The march then wound through Hyde Park to Sydney Town Hall.

President of Pontoxeniteas Sydney, Maria Anthony, said it was a great turn out, one that would make “our ancestors… so proud.”

“We were the voice they didn’t have, we are the freedom they didn’t have and we will be the ones that will get the justice they all deserve,” Mrs Anthony said.

Source: Reuters / The Greek Herald.

Esther Anatolitis: “A range of government decisions have deprioritised our culture”

Argyro Vourdoumpa
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Esther Anatolitis: “A range of government decisions have deprioritised our culture”

One of Australia’s leading advocates for the arts, culture and the creative industries, Esther Anatolitis is well known for her drive for change while maintaining a commitment to fostering local, regional, national and international perspectives on contemporary arts issues.

With a passion for multiculturalism, drawn by her own migration journey, the arts leader talks to The Greek Herald about her passion to create a fair and ambitious contemporary arts sector and the significance of the arts in modern society.

Advocacy work inspired by Greek values 

Anatolitis, born in Sydney in the ‘70s, is the child of Greek migrants from the Peloponnese region in Southern Greece.

In 1980, the family returned to Greece where they were planning to live permanently but ended up coming back to Australia in less than a year.

“I was only four years old then. My earliest memories are from Greece,” says Anatolitis, who has been residing in Melbourne for twenty years and visits Greece every 2-3 years to see her parents who repatriated in 2010. 

With a background in the media, architecture and the arts, when asked about her passion for the creative industry, Anatolitis brings into the conversation the ethos and Greek values she carries with her into her work.

“I’ve been always motivated by a set of values -classical Greek values and very contemporary- around the public good, around the way we express ourselves, around ‘filotimo’, hospitality and the way we welcome people in our home and in our critical space,” she says. 

“Running arts organisations and being an advocate for the arts has been -in an advocacy sense- about how we keep creating those environments and where we are creating our own culture rather than accepting it ready made.”

‘Culture deprioritised by government decisions’

Last year was a rough one for the country’s cultural and creative sectors with experts estimating that the jobs lost will take more than five years to recover to pre-pandemic levels. 

“We have all these depressing statistics from last year, that show how many jobs were lost, what the impacts where. APRA AMCOS data shows that live music has been operating at less than 4 percent of pre-COVID times,” Anatolitis says. 

Picture: Twitter/Esther Anatolitis

“A lot of artists were not able to access any kind of income support. Universities and local governments which are the biggest owners of galleries, museums and theatres were deliberately excluded from all of the income supports. 

“It’s been a really disappointing thing to see through the pandemic response, that a range of government’s decisions have deprioritised our own culture.”

The importance of an artistic approach to a crisis

Asked on whether Australia would have had a more diverse approach to the COVID crisis if more artists were part of the pandemic response teams, Anatolitis has no doubt. 

“Absolutely,” she says.

“Something that is frustrating in Australia is that unlike other parts of the world, we don’t tend to invite an artistic response into complex decision making.

“It’s great that after a lot of advocacy last year, there is now a creative industries body that feeds into the government headed by the Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Liz Ann Macgregor,” Anatolitis says stretching that “we need far more diversity of all kinds in that kind of decision making.”

Asking her how arts can shape our future the arts leader she replies that “art is a way of thinking differently”

“Art reminds us that we are alive. It searches our emotions; it clarifies our thinking and animates our mind”.

Referring to this year’s IWD theme “Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world” and sending a message to other women who are reading this interview Esther Anatolitis is bold.

“Thank you. Because by doing all the things that you do, you are all already doing -as the statistics tell us- more than people who identify as male and you are getting paid less.

“In fact, that in itself is worthy of congratulations,” she concludes. 

Greek communities around Australia gather to celebrate Palm Sunday

The Greek Herald
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Greek communities around Australia gather to celebrate Palm Sunday

By Argyro Vourdoumpa and Andriana Simos.

On the Sunday before the Feast of Great and Holy Pascha, the Greek Orthodox Church celebrates one of its most joyous feasts of the year – Palm Sunday.

On this day, Greek Orthodox people celebrate the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem by attending church services, receiving crosses made out of palm leaves and dining on fish and skordalia with family and friends.

Across Australia this year, celebrations were brighter than ever before.

New South Wales:

His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia held the main Palm Sunday church service at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of The Annunciation of Our Lady in Redfern.

During the service, Archbishop Makarios gave a small sermon to parishioners, calling on them to consider what they “ultimately ask of God.”

His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia held a Palm Sunday church service at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of The Annunciation of Our Lady in Redfern.

“The people of Israel were asking for strength – let us ask for salvation. The people of Israel demanded freedom from the Roman Empire – let us ask for freedom from our passions and weaknesses,” the Archbishop said.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Makarios distributed the palm crosses and then accepted flowers and traditional red eggs from the church’s Greek school students.

Similar scenes were playing out across other parts of Sydney at Greek Orthodox churches such as St Nectarios Parish in Burwood, Sts Raphael, Nicholas and Irene Parish in Liverpool, and The Resurrection of our Lord, our Lady of Myrtles, St Elessa Parish in Kogarah, among many others.

Over 200 parishioners from the Kogarah parish, as well as parishioners from the Holy Monastery of St George, Yellow Rock, even came together for a beautiful Palm Sunday luncheon. Over $30,000 was raised on the day to aid the building works of the St George Monastery, according to a Facebook post.

  • Palm Sunday at St Nectarios Parish in Burwood. Photo: Facebook.
  • Luncheon at Kogarah. Photo: Facebook.

Greek Orthodox Community of The Nativity of Christ, Port Adelaide:

More than 300 members of Adelaide’s Greek community gathered on Sunday, under strict Covid protocols, to celebrate the first day of the Holy Week and honour Anzac Day in the newly renovated Greek Orthodox Church of The Nativity of Christ in Port Adelaide.

The Liturgy, led by His Grace Bishop Silouan of Sinope, was the first one open to the public after the church underwent repairs due to the extensive damage suffered from a fire in December 2019.

Photo by The Greek Herald.

“We reopened after seventeen months and everything is new. We love being in our home again. Everyone is happy but it’s been a long road,” Port Adelaide Greek Orthodox Community President, John Douvartzidis, told The Greek Herald.

“I would like to thank our members for their patience and their understanding. Everyone has been supportive and this is the good thing with our community. We are very close,” said Douvartzidis, extending his gratitude to the community’s dedicated volunteers and the various Committees who have been working tirelessly.

Photo by The Greek Herald.

Asked for a message to the youth ahead of Easter, the President invited everyone to come and “experience the church”.

“The service is mostly done in English and the Liturgy books are in both languages so everyone can follow and understand. Everyone is welcome,” he said.

Photo by The Greek Herald.

The Palm Sunday service concluded with a memorial service for Anzac Day and students of the Port Adelaide Greek School reciting the Australian and Greek national anthems.

The attendees then moved to the adjacent hall where they enjoyed a scrumptious seafood feast prepared by the Community’s volunteers.

Photo by The Greek Herald.

Canberra and Jervis Bay:

The Archepiscopal Vicar of Canberra, Very Reverend Father Prochoros Anastasiadis, held a special Palm Sunday liturgy at the Greek Orthodox Church of St John in Jervis Bay on Sunday.

Father Prochoros handed parishioners, both young and old, palm crosses at the end of the service, before everyone gathered in the nearby hall for a special luncheon.

  • Father Prohoros held a Palm Sunday service in Jervis Bay.
  • Photos: Facebook.

Nearby, at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Canberra, over 100 parishioners attended the Divine Liturgy. After the service, people were able to purchase tsourekia and three-dozen eggs with red dye.

Everyone was in awe of the church, which was beautifully decorated with the help of President of the Greek Orthodox Community & Church of Canberra, John Loukadellis, Mary Efkarpidis, Anna Tsoulias, George Pertsinidis and John Tzavaras, among many others.

  • St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Canberra was selling tsourekia. Photos: Facebook.
  • President of the Greek Orthodox Community & Church of Canberra, John Loukadellis (right) helped decorate the church.

Melbourne:

The annual Palm Sunday service was held by the Archdiocesan Vicar of the Northcote District, Father Evmenios Vasilopoulos, at the Greek Orthodox Parish of St Nicholas in Yarraville. A luncheon was enjoyed afterwards.

“Wishing everyone a blessed Holy Week!” the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, District of Northcote, Victoria, wrote on Facebook after the service.

  • Archdiocesan Vicar of the Northcote District, Father Evmenios Vasilopoulos. Photos: Facebook.
  • Luncheon at St Nicholas in Yarraville.

Later that same day, Father Vasilopoulos held the first of three Bridegroom services at the Parish of St Nectarios in Fawkner.

During the service, Father Vasilopoulos carried the icon of Christ the Bridegroom in procession, wile parishioners sang the “Hymn of the Bridegroom.”

“It was my duty”: SA’s eldest Greek veteran marches alone to mark Anzac Day

Argyro Vourdoumpa
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“It was my duty”: SA’s eldest Greek veteran marches alone to mark Anzac Day

On Sunday, April 25, across the country many paused to acknowledge the service and sacrifice of those who have served and their families – from the Boer War to Gallipoli and to those currently in uniform.

Among them, 94-year-old Nikos Evreniades, one of the last remaining Greek veterans in South Australia and the only to represent his country in Adelaide’s Anzac Day march.  

“It was my duty. I had to go,” the Blair Athol resident who marched on the back of a military jeep provided to him by the South Australian RSL Branch, tells The Greek Herald. 

“I called the RSL and asked them to give me the jeep again like they’ve done for the last years as I can’t walk,” he says.

Mr Evreniades with members of the Greek Ex-Servicemen Association of SA in a previous Anzac Day march

One of the longest standing members and former Secretary General of the Greek Ex-Servicemen Association of South Australia formed in 1974, Evreniades says that “although the members of the association decided not to march, due to the fact that Anzac Day was on the same day with the Greek Orthodox Palm Sunday, I couldn’t skip paying tribute to those fallen”.

“I was the only one to represent Greece. I fought in the [Greek Civil] war for eight years. I have never missed an Anzac Day march and I will be participating for as long as I am alive.

“I will be marching alongside the Australians who honoured us and protected us,” he says.

Evreniades, who was born in the Greek village of Vatolakkos in Grevena, immigrated to Australia, in August 1954 with his wife and daughter. After living in Bonegilla for almost a month he moved to Adelaide where he has lived ever since.

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