The mastiha tree is a trademark of Chios and the main source of income for many residents on the Greek island. Its cultivation started in ancient times as the trees produce a rare resin in the shape of teardrops, which is largely exported around the world.
But today, some old or abandoned mastiha trees on the island need a regeneration. This is where the new environmental project, ‘Adopt a Chios Mastiha tree,’ comes into the picture.
Mastiha trees on Chios island release rare resin in the shape of teardrops. Source: Adopt A Chios Mastiha Tree.
Launched in 2019 by Chios local, Lenia Ziglaki, the project aims to help Greek diaspora connect with the traditional process of mastiha cultivation, as well as ensure the future growth of the tree.
“The cultivation of Mastiha has been included by UNESCO in its list of the ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’,” the website reads.
Founder of the project, Lenia Ziglaki (right), cleans the mastiha resin during the cultivation process. Source: Adopt A Chios Mastiha Tree.
“By adopting a Chios Mastiha Tree, you will enter a world full of aroma, tastes, but also of hard work.”
Once someone adopts a Chios Mastiha tree, they will receive: (1) an Adoption Certificate, (2) 50 grams of natural Chios Mastiha, and (3) a photograph of their tree with a characteristic sign-board on it, specially designed for the adoptee.
And fear not, if you are unable to visit your tree, know that it will be well looked after by the project volunteers who work day and night to complete the cultivation process of soil spreading, vein carving, sifting, washing and cleaning.
Only the best for a mastiha tree which remains iconic to the island of Chios.
Greece has assumed the Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) for one year, taking over from the German Presidency.
In a statement, the Greek Foreign Ministry said Greece “is deeply committed to promoting the IHRA’s work, which is key to keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive.”
The central theme of the Greek Presidency is, “Teaching and learning about the Holocaust: Education for a world without genocide ever again.”
“In this context, a number of events will be held aiming to educate younger generations and society as a whole on what the Holocaust means, so that it is never again repeated,” the statement reads.
The IHRA Presidency handover took place on April 1 via an online ceremony where a number of Greek leaders made addresses, including Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Deputy Prime Minister, Panagiotis Pikrammenos, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, and Education and Religious Affairs Minister, Niki Kerameos.
Ambassador Christodoulos Lazaris, who also gave an address, will serve as the IHRA President.
The Greek Presidency of the IHRA coincides with the bicentennial of the start of the Greek War of Independence and according to the Ministry, “is an opportunity to promote the fact that modern Greece was built on humanitarian ideas and fundamental freedoms.”
“…Greek society is committed to remaining vigilant in the fight against racism and anti-Semitism and to preserving the memory of the victims of the Holocaust,” the statement reads.
Silence has replaced the low hum of conversation and the clink of glasses that pervaded the sidewalk cafes across Athens. Their chairs and tables, once occupied throughout the day and deep into the night, stand stacked in empty piles, some secured by chains.
When coronavirus infections rose again in Greece in the fall, the government imposed a second lockdown. Retail stores, bars, restaurants and cafes found themselves shuttered once more, forced to close their doors in early November to prevent the virus’s insidious spread.
Iron tables stand in front of a decorated fence outside a shuttered traditional restaurant in Plaka, district of Athens, on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Photo: AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris.
Retail stores opened briefly during the Christmas holidays, with social distancing measures in place, and starting Monday will be allowed to reopen to customers on an appointment basis. But the restaurants, bars and cafes, which by nature gather groups of people closely together, will enter their sixth month of being shut except for take away or delivery service.
While state subsidies such as rent coverage, loans, tax reductions and paid employee furlough schemes are available, the formula hasn’t worked for all business owners.
Vassilis Panteris, co-owner of an all-day bar that provides coffee, food and drinks in a central Athens neighborhood, shut down at the start of Greece’s second lockdown on Nov. 7 and hasn’t opened since.
Tables and chairs stand outside a shuttered traditional fish restaurant in Aspropyrgos, a northwest suburb of Athens, on Friday, March 26, 2021. Photo: AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris.
The main reason, he told AP News, was the partners feared they wouldn’t be able to make enough money from deliveries to cover operation costs, even with fewer staff members. They also worried that some customers coming by for take-away coffee, food or drinks wouldn’t adhere to social distancing and other government regulations, exposing the café to hefty fines.
Panteris said the business has lost about 30,000 euros ($35,000) since the start of the pandemic. Business owners hope for more substantial government support to retain employees and keep their establishments alive. Greece sank back into recession last year due to the pandemic and accompanying lockdown measures.
Tables and chairs outside a shuttered traditional fish restaurant in Aspropyrgos, a northwest suburb of Athens, on Friday, March 26, 2021. Photo: AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris.
“It’s hard to make predictions about the course of the business in the middle of such an unstable environment,” Panteris said.
Since the start of the pandemic, Greece has reported more than 263,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 8,000 virus-related deaths. The country of around 11 million people so far has administered 1.7 million vaccine doses, with over 600,000 people fully vaccinated with two shots.
The Australian dairy industry is preparing to fight an EU ruling which vows to restrict cheese manufacturers outside Cyprus from marketing their products under the name ‘halloumi.’
Cyprus, which has a population of about 1.2 million people, has hailed the decision to recognise the famously grillable cheese as a product distinct to the divided Eastern Mediterranean island after a seven-year wait.
But the move is set to cost local Australian cheese manufacturers tens of millions of dollars, according to the Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC).
If the EU’s demands are adopted, about 56 cheese products in the Australian market would be impacted, hitting a large proportion of local production and exports, imposing considerable and unnecessary costs for many parts of local industry and their regional communities.
Employees work at a halloumi factory in Athienou, Larnaca, Cyprus, on March 30, 2021. Photo by George Christophorou/Xinhua via Getty.
The semi-hard cheese made from goat and sheep’s milk is produced in numerous countries, including Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and several in the Middle East. A lengthy battle in Europe resulted in British cheese makers calling their product “Squeaky Cheese.”
Cypriot dairy farmers call the cheese their “white gold” because it’s the nation’s second-biggest export – earning a record $385 million last year – mainly to the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany and Greece.
But Chair of the ADIC, Terry Richardson, says the EU’s demands are unreasonable as the origins of the cheese are irrelevant.
“Halloumi is a cheese that can be, and is, produced anywhere in the world. The origin of the cheese is irrelevant because the name is generic and associated not with the region in Cyprus, but with a certain taste, texture and functionality,” Mr Richardson told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Claiming there is a special knowledge that only producers in Cyprus possess is absurd and will lead to an unfair and anti-competitive outcome.”
Australia – EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA):
The EU has long-insisted that Australia adopts its Geographical Indications (GIs) system under the pending Australia – EU Free Trade Agreement to protect products that it believes possess qualities associated with certain European regions.
While halloumi is not listed as a GI request under the pending agreement, it could be added once the trade deal comes into effect.
Australian Dairy Products Federation President, Grant Crothers, told the SMH the GI system was anti-competitive, overly restrictive and “failed to take into proper account Australia’s status as a multicultural nation and our significant European heritage.”
Federal Trade Minister, Dan Tehan, added that while the EU had not asked Australia to protect the name as part of the trade negotiations, he understood the importance of the continued use of the term halloumi to the industry.
“The government will not decide to protect GIs under the FTA unless the overall deal is in Australia’s interests and no action would be taken on any future GI requests without the government working with the Australian dairy industry first,” he said.
Just a few days before the planned visit to Turkey by Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, Turkish Energy Minister, Fatih Donmez, has announced that drilling rigs and survey ships will “soon” return to the Eastern Mediterranean.
“The Oruc Reis is continuing its seismic surveys off the coast of Antalya [in southern Turkey], the Barbaros has gone for long-term maintenance and is in the shipyards in Tuzla, while the Yavuz drillship is completing the procurement of supplies. They will soon return to their planned work in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Donmez said.
At the same time, Turkish Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar, accompanied by the leaders of the air force, navy and army, visited the island of Imvros on Friday.
Turkish Energy Minister, Fatih Donmez.
According to Turkish media, this was the first time the Turkish defense minister together with the entire command of the armed forces visited Imvros, and it was for this reason seen as an important move, given the island’s strategic location in the Aegean.
At the same time, it emerged on Friday that a Turkish Coast Guard vessel crashed twice into a Greek naval vessel in an area near the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos six days ago.
Kathimerini has confirmed that the incident occurred at night, when, during a patrol by the Greek boat in the sea area east of Lesvos, it was rammed by the Turkish vessel, causing minor damage. A similar incident took place in January in the area of the Imia islets.
Meanwhile the tension was palpable on Friday morning on the Greek-Turkish sea border near Lesvos, where increased migration flows were recorded.
More specifically, between 2 am and 7 am six boats with about 300 migrants in total set sail from the coast of Turkey to Lesvos. Sources from the Hellenic Coast Guard said six Turkish Coast Guard vessels were moving in the wider area but did not try to prevent the migrant boats from entering Greek territorial waters, while in three cases they even tried to facilitate them.
Sources from the Hellenic Coast Guard told Kathimerini that they located the six migrant boats before they crossed into Greek waters and notified the Turkish Coast Guard, which eventually picked them up.
At some point every well-meaning parent comes to a realisation that something has to give. Little Sevasti can’t do Ballet and Greek dance and Greek class and English tutoring and Maths competition and Chess club and Tennis without burning out at the end of each week.
We, as parents, must decide what is important for their health and what ideals are important to our family. You must decide the culture of your family, the familial culture.
Is the acquisition of the Greek language important? Is tutoring important for a child slipping behind at school? Maybe there could be a focus on certain activities at different times of the year. For example, swimming in the summer months, football in the winter months, academic tutoring only for a short time rather than being stuck in coaching forever.
Also, using Greek classes as a child-minding service is a not on. You may as well not take your child to Greek lessons, especially if you don’t plan to follow up on homework, or at least do some reading with them and have the child prepared for their next lesson. This is one reason children play up in class and interrupt others who are interested in learning. When children see their parents not taking an activity seriously then neither will they.
Be consistent. No use screaming at children to complete their homework and then allowing them to get away with not doing it and playing their electronic games instead.
Children know how to manipulate situations with parents. Parents often become frustrated and give in. Remember if your expectations for your children are low so will the outcomes be in all areas of their education not just for speaking Greek.
The Olympia milk bar has remained shut for the past four years, after falling into disrepair in 2017, yet the Greek locals of Stanmore kept hope that the iconic milk bar would return.
These dreams were shattered earlier this week after Nick Fotiou, owner of the Olympia milk bar, reportedly moved out of the building after concerns for his living conditions.
The landmark building had been boarded up by NSW Health, who had deep concerns for Fotiou’s welfare as the building continued to decline, with a ceiling collapse and extensive mould from a missing window.
Olympia Milk Bar in 2017. Photo: JESSICA HROMAS/Sydney Morning Herald
Four years ago, the Inner West Council ordered the Olympia to be closed until repairs were carried out after an inspection, which followed a police report that the awning was in danger of collapsing, revealed it was in a state of disrepair.
Mr Fotiou resisted many offers of help to fix the building but stayed there hoping the council would allow him to reopen.
Mr Fotiou, who is believed to be 91, served meals and drinks at the Olympia for more than 50 years.
Now boarded up: a decorative feature on the floor of the old Olympia Milk Bar in Stanmore.
“Slowly, slowly, slowly,” he said in broken English about how he wanted to bring the Olympia back to life. “But not to rush me. How long it will take, no idea.”
A council spokeswoman said that any future development proposal for the site would be subject to an assessment of its heritage significance and that contributing elements “should be retained where possible”.
Mr Fotiou is now said to be settling in well to a nursing home.
The building has been listed on the NSW Heritage Register and had its history recognised under the Marrickville Local Environmental Plan. People on social media have now called for the iconic Olympia Milk Bar sign to be placed into the Powerhouse Museum as a ‘piece of Australian history’.
Tribute photos have also been shared on an ‘Olympia Milk Bar Fan Club’ Facebook page, which has over 4500 members, with people sending their wishes to Nick Fotiou.
Greece is reporting a series of brushes with Turkey’s coast guard in the narrow stretch of water between the eastern Greek island of Lesbos and the Turkish coast, at a time of generally testy relations between the two neighbors and NATO allies.
The Greek coast guard said that in six incidents between Thursday night and Friday morning, Turkish patrol vessels escorted dinghies filled with migrants attempting to enter Greek territorial waters. It said that in another incident, a Turkish coast guard vessel harassed a Greek coast guard vessel.
All occurred northeast of Lesbos, an island on the main migrant smuggling route from Turkey to Greece.
None of the migrant dinghies, which had been carrying around 300 people in total, managed to enter Greek territorial waters, and all the passengers were eventually picked up by the Turkish coast guard, the Greek coast guard said.
“This morning, the Hellenic Coast Guard reported multiple incidents of the Turkish Coast Guard and Navy accompanying flimsy migrant boats to the border of Europe in an effort to provoke an escalation with Greece,” Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said in a statement. “It is beyond doubt that these migrants departed Turkish shores and given the fact they were supported by Turkey, were not at risk.”
Mitarachi called on Turkey to “stand down and stop this unwarranted provocation.”
There was no immediate reaction from Turkish authorities.
Turkey and Greece have long traded accusations over unauthorized migration. The Turkish coast guard, as well as numerous refugee rights organizations and aid groups, have accused the Greek coast guard of conducting pushbacks — illegal summary deportation — by pushing migrants back to Turkey without allowing them to apply for asylum in Greece.
Greece adamantly denies it carries out pushbacks accuses Turkey of not only failing to crack down on migrant smugglers operating from its shores but actively encouraging migrants who seek to enter Greece illegally.
The Greek coast guard provided details about three of the incidents. It say that in the first, a Turkish patrol vessel entered Greek territorial waters and harassed a Greek coast guard boat by conducting dangerous maneuvers. It provided a video showing a clearly marked Turkish coast guard vessel bearing down on the Greek craft at high speed from behind, passing very close to the Greek boat and leaving it rocking in its wake.
The Greek coast guard said the second incident involved a Turkish coast guard vessel escorting a dinghy with migrants toward Greek territorial waters that didn’t respond to “repeated efforts of communication” by a Greek patrol boat. The migrant dinghy didn’t enter Greek waters, and the passengers were eventually picked up by a second Turkish coast guard vessel, after the first one had departed, the statement said.
In the third incident, the Greek coast guard said two Turkish vessels approached a migrant dinghy still inside Turkish territorial waters and attempted to push it into Greek waters without success.
The Greek coast guard said it was “successfully monitoring the country’s and the European Union’s sea borders under particularly adverse conditions that the continued Turkish provocativeness creates.”
While Greek Orthodox Christians don’t celebrate Easter until May 2 this year, it’s important to acknowledge the many cultures around the globe that celebrate Easter this weekend and over the coming weeks.
From parades in Mexico to an exploding cart in Florence, Italy, each country and region in the world celebrates the religious holiday in their own unique way. Here’s a look at some notable Easter traditions around the globe.
Florence, Italy
As mentioned briefly above, the Italian city of Florence celebrate Easter with a bang, quite literally. The 350-year-old Easter tradition consists of an ornate cart being packed with fireworks and led through the streets of the city by people in colourful 15th century costumes. The cart stops outside the Duomo where it is blessed by the Archbishop of Florence, who then lights a fuse during Easter mass that leads outside to the cart and sparks a lively fireworks display.
Mexico
Celebrated over the course of two weeks, the people of Mexico put on detailed reenactments of Holy Week. Mexicans have a tradition called the ‘Burning of the Judases’, in which people make giant Papier-mâché Judases and blow them up with fireworks. While these extravagant celebrations are quite common in the North-American region, Mexicans are also known to conduct quieter Easter commemorations, such as visiting 12 churches in 12 days.
Verges, Spain
You may have seen images of the ‘Dance of the Death’ and never known what it meant, or even that it is strongly linked with Easter. The tradition, however, is a representation of the life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ and is held on Good Friday every year. The Danza de la Muerte de Verges procession, as it is also called, takes place to the beat of drums and the participants wear skeleton outfits while carrying scythes, ashes and clocks.
Washington DC, USA
For over 130 years, the White House has hosted the Easter Egg Roll on its South Lawn, becoming an iconic family tradition during Easter. The event was started by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878, who issued an order that if any children should come to the White House to roll their Easter eggs, they would be allowed to do so. People may also remember this tradition from the popular Nicholas Cage film ‘National Treasure: Book of Secrets’.
Australia and the United Kingdom
Pancake Day, also known as Shrove Tuesday on the Easter calendar, has become a memorable tradition both in the United Kingdom and in Australia. It is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Shrove Tuesday is the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast. So, during old English times, pancakes were made as the perfect way of using up each of these ingredients.
Sarakosti (or “The Great Lent”) is a tradition for Greeks. It’s a period of fasting, in which people abstain from all meat & animal products (eggs, dairy) except seafood (however fish isn’t allowed).
This is a traditional Greek version of a vegan or vegetarian diet, also followed before Christmas, before the Dormition of the Mother of God in August and for some, every Wednesday & Friday.
Here are some of our favorite recipes for Sarakosti:
Greek Stewed Octopus in Tomato Sauce and Pasta
This is a traditional dish that is served during Greek lent and often consumed on the first day of lent known as Kathara Deftera (Clean Monday). This meal though is great even if you are not fasting or not Greek, it combines lean protein with starch along with the tomato resulting in a complete and nutritious meal.
Find a recipe for Greek Stewed Octopus in Tomato Sauce and Pasta here
2. Dolmadakia Gialantzi
Dolmadakia – stuffed grape leaves are one of the most iconic Greek foods. With lots of dill, mint, scallions, and tender rice, they are a delicacy not to be missed. Find a recipe here.
3. Gemista (Tomatoes and Peppers stuffed with rice)
Juicy, healthy and bursting with fresh and vibrant colors and flavours! Gemista or yemista (which in Greek means ‘filled with’) is a traditional recipe for Greek stuffed tomatoes and/or other vegetables that are baked, until soft and nicely browned. Find a recipe here.
4. Spanakopita (Spinach Pie) Without Cheese
Spanakopita, or spinach pie, is a Greek classic: sweet, earthy leaves and salty cheese encased in layer of shatteringly crisp pastry, it’s as good for breakfast as it is for lunch or dinner. Being delicious hot or cold, vegetarian-friendly and fairly cheap to put together, it’s our top tip for a picnic, lunch or dinner! Find a vegan Spanakopita recipe here
Greek Green Beans (Fasolakia)! Velvety, tender green beans and potatoes, braised in a tomato and extra virgin olive oil sauce. A simple, flavor-packed, and satisfying entree or side dish. Vegan. Gluten Free. Find a recipe here.
