For us Greeks, as well as other nationalities, family is the centre of our life. For the Greek migrant generation(s), their hard work and sacrifices were all dedicated for their families’ better opportunities and quality of life. And in business, it is admirable to witness as family businesses develop and grow- as the decades pass- and become thriving third-generation businesses.
Although Danias Group may today be a successful property development company, the diversification of their business has its deep roots in iconic Danias Timber at Marrickville. Positioned on one Sydney’s busy traffic arteries into Sydney city (Victoria Road), the Danias Timber yard is local landmark- everyone knows where it is…
The Danias story in Australia goes back almost seventy years when Evangelos Danias migrated to Australia in 1952- in one of the earliest migrant groups under the Australian Government Assisted Passage Program (ΔΕΜΕ). Migrating as tradesperson, Evangelos worked on the Snowy Mountains Scheme and on the construction of a dam in Tasmania; he then worked as a miner throughout NSW and Queensland. As his son, George, recounts, “With a swag and his Triumph motor bike, he went wherever there was work- all over Australia. He was a great saver too; by the time he finally settled in Sydney, he was established financially. It was a very different time back then; as the first of his family to migrate, he had the responsibility to financially support his family back in Greece- by sending money home- so he only married after all his siblings were married.”
Humble beginnings with Evangelos and Konstantina unloading a truck at Dania Timber. Photo supplied by Danias Family
Evangelos married Konstantina Tsekos, and they settled in Enmore where they had their family- Suzie, George and Michael were born. It was a very Greek household, with the family’s local parish being Agios Konstantinos and Agia Eleni Greek Orthodox Church, Newtown.
As a tradesperson, he was a regular customer at the second- hand demolition yard- which sold building bits and pieces- on Victoria Road, Marrickville; the yard was run by demolisher Cole William and the property was owned by the Crooks family. With so many Greeks settling in the Marrickville area at the time, he was offered a job there. According to George, Evangelos would always recount a story, “He was told, ‘There’s gold in here. If you are smart, you will own it one day…’ Six months later, he bought the yard and our family had a weekly tenancy with the Crooks family until 1999.”
Evangelos Danias at work in the timber yard. Photo supplied by Danias Family Suzie Danias at the office. Photo supplied by Danias Family
Evangelos was very entrepreneurial; only a year after buying the yard, he began stocking West Coast Oregon timber for roofs and frames, and different types of flooring. The yard was already shifting from second hand to new timber; within such a short time, 90% of our timber was new.
In the beginning, the business was based on ‘mums and dads’ customers; over the years, it evolved and large building companies such as Mirvac and insurance companies became customers. According to George, one of Evangelos’ main principles in business was building strong relationships, “My father always treated his customers as friends. We deal with so many third-generation builders- the grandfather, father and son- who are still customers. So many of customers became ‘κουμπάροι’- my father must christened half of Sydney’s Greek children (laughs)!”
A Busy Danias Timber Office. Photo supplied by Danias Family
All three children- Suzie, George and Michael grew up in the business. When Evangelos came home with the news a house was being demolished, the whole family would jump into the truck and off they went to the site where they would all help out loading the truck with items. With such a growing business, it was inevitable the children would later join the family business; Suzie joined the business as soon as she finished high school; George joined a couple of years later; and Michael joined after completing his university course. Michael set up the highly- successful “Hardwood Floors” within Danias Timber. In the last twenty years, George’s son, Evan, and Suzie’s son, Evan Angelopoulos, have joined the team to make the Danias Group a third-generation family business.
The Danias Group’s success is based on their realisation that they have achieved everything as a family. When asked what brings him the greatest joy, George immediately states, “Family”, and he goes on to explain, “Family is sacred for us. Family can make or break you. The greatest gift God gave me was my parents; the greatest gift my parents gave me was my brother and sister. We have always been tight as a family. When we were children, our father was driving us somewhere and we, as children, began bickering and arguing among ourselves; he pulled over the Valiant Safari and told us off for arguing as siblings. It was a simple lesson on how important family is in our lives. And whether it is in business and life, family is everything to us.”
While we celebrate this year’s Greek Easter service, we remember the 17 Greek tourists who tragically lost their lives during a trip to the Holy Land sites for Greek Easter in 1996.
At 7am on 18 April 1996, four Islamists carried out a mass shooting against a group of 88 Greek tourists outside the Europa Hotel in Cairo, Egypt. The shooting resulted in the death of 17 Greek tourists and an Egyptian tour guide, with another 15 injured.
Having just finished breakfast, about to head off on a bus to Alexandria, the four attackers drew up in a white van outside the Europa Hotel. The men opened fire indiscriminately on the Greek tour group, killing a total of 18 people.
A Greek tour guide said had it not been for the fact that the bus provided some cover, many more would have been killed, the BBC reports.
Before that attack more than 920 people, including 26 foreigners, had been killed in political violence in Egypt during the past four years.
Greek Orthodox Holy Land tours remain very popular for the Greek faithful, with many travelling through the Holy sites for 7-14 days.
In light of Greek Orthodox Easter, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia gave an interview to The Greek Herald explaining that while “everything we are experiencing this year is unprecedented and unpleasant, it is done to protect our society and the people close to us.”
Archbishop Makarios does not ignore the fact that the faithful are experiencing feelings of frustration as they are forced to abstain from the services of Holy Week due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, he points out that he is the first to go through this ordeal with grief, as he cannot communicate with his flock.
“It’s as if they have imprisoned a father and are not allowing him to see his family,” Archbishop Makarios says.
He also sends a message of optimism and hope to the faithful, stressing that this crisis will have an end date and explaining how this test can be the beginning of an effort to become better, more spiritual and holy. In addition, Archbishop Makarios also expresses his understanding of people who, during this difficult time, express concerns but reminds us of the message of the Resurrection of the Jesus Christ. Victory over death.
When asked if he is personally afraid these days, he answers categorically no and, among other things, emphasises: “I want to increase my love for Christ every day. Only that. And when you have that goal you are not afraid of illness, pandemics or even death. This love for Christ gives me strength and I move forward.”
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios says his goal is to increase his love for Christ.
Commenting on the issue of Holy Communion and whether diseases can be transmitted through it, Archbishop Makarios also clarifies that no such case has been recorded in the historical course of the Orthodox Church. In support of this, he refers to an example of a priest who did not get leprosy after sharing communion with leper patients on the island of Spinalonga. In fact, he emphasises that he himself would not be hesitant to have Communion after people with diseases had communed, and explained that the restrictive measures applied to the churches are not related to Holy Communion but to the gathering of people and the dangers which can arise from these actions.
Showing his pride in the Orthodox community, Archbishop Makarios also refers to the initiatives taken by the Holy Archdiocese of Australia to support financially affected parishes and alleviate the plight of our fellow human beings who need increased care during this difficult period.
Finally, he does not fail to express his gratitude for the absolute trust and love he received from the Greeks of Australia from the moment he reached the country.
“I’ve been in Australia for a few months now and it’s like I’ve been there for years. I feel part of this body now and every day, I see God’s plan in my life,” he says.
1. Your Excellency, you have been at the Archdiocese of Australia for about a year now and have now been called to face something unprecedented. Mankind is threatened by a virus. Every day, thousands of people are dying on the planet. Can faith be a safe haven in these difficult times?
Indeed, in a short time I will have completed one year since my election and settlement here in the blessed country of Australia. I praise God for this great gift and blessing that he unexpectedly brought into my life and I am very happy because I was called to shepherd a very good people and a worthy clergy. Among the many blessings we have experienced together during this time, we have gone through two great trials. One was with the devastating fires and the other now, with the deadly coronavirus. The first gave us a great message: that the fires were extinguished because it started to rain suddenly from the sky during summer and in the end, what people failed to do, God did. In such great catastrophes, the weakness of modern man is ascertained. The second trial is still challenging us. We will wait to see what God wants from us through this pandemic, because I am sure that something good will come from it. I am certainly sorry for the sick and for those who could not withstand the greedy pandemic and lost their lives. May God rest them and give courage and strength to their loved ones.
The issue of faith is personal and sensitive. What I want to highlight, however, is that in the Orthodox Church we do not have faith that this is how we find the secret to overcoming our problems, our illnesses and our pandemics. In fact, I dare say that Christ did not promise any of His disciples, nor those who will follow Him – that is, all of us – prosperity, health, well-being and material goods. Instead, he warned us and told us: “If I am persecuted, I will be persecuted.” And at another point he told us: “In the world, you grieve.” Therefore, faith is not a cure for the sufferings of this world. Faith, however, is the basis for knowing Christ and following Him. Some resort to faith, believing that they can overcome their illness. I don’t know if that should be the case because faith in God is not about some form of deal. Faith helps us to understand and accept God’s silence when we are tormented by questions such as: why does God allow pain, pandemic, coronavirus, and death?
Faith, in other words, is the basis for increasing our daily love for Christ. When this is the question of our lives, we are somewhat liberated. We don’t care if we are healthy or sick. We don’t care if we die today or tomorrow. We do not glorify God for our healing or for our sickness. We glorify God because we have known Him by faith and are close to Him. We don’t care about everything else. They are not a priority for us.
Archbishop Makarios explains the importance of having faith during the pandemic.
2. Globally, as in Australia, we have seen many people panicking. The fear of death has surrounded everyone. In a few days, however, Jesus Christ will teach us again to not be afraid, to do as he did. What does Easter signal in the middle of a pandemic?
Personally, I completely understand the reaction of the people. We have a pandemic that is threatening us every waking hour. We have all suffered many kinds of consequences from this pandemic. It is therefore normal for some of our fellow human beings to have thoughts, worries, phobias and panic attacks. However, the fear of death that has surrounded us, as you rightly asked in your question, is not related to the Orthodox Church. Our Church simply does not use a moral system of values to teach us to be good people. We can find this in all religions and philosophical teachings. Our Church also does not give us a list of virtues that we must obtain or actions that we must do to familiarise ourselves with Christ.
In the Orthodox Church, whoever loves knows Christ. And whoever loves is saved. Our Orthodox Church does not teach us how to be good or bad children, but it teaches us how to overcome death and all that precedes or follows death. That is, illness, wear and tear, stench, fear. Easter, which is essentially the commemoration of victory over death, gives that message exactly. I conquer death like Christ, which means I am free. I don’t care if I die today, tomorrow or yesterday. This freedom teaches us this Easter and every Easter. This fearlessness in the face of the mystery of death is the perspective that our Orthodox Church offers.
3. Many believers in Australia and Greece look forward to Holy Week. This year, in an unprecedented time, they will not be able to attend services. There is frustration. What can you tell them to ease this frustration?
Believe me, the first person to have great sorrow and grief is the Archbishop because the situation has led to me being unable to communicate with our clergy and our people. It’s as if they have imprisoned a father in prison and do not allow him to see his family. That’s how I feel and that hurts me a lot. I am sure that many people have similar feelings, who would also like to celebrate with me the great events of the Despotic Passion and the Resurrection. I am sure that this is how thousands of believers all over Australia feel because they cannot experience these days like every year. That is, in the temple, sharing senses, listening to the night hymns, the fragrance of the incense, the view of the Bridegroom, the Crucified Christ and the Epitaph, the reception of the Holy Light, the taste of Holy Communion. Everything we are experiencing this year is unprecedented and not pleasant.
All this is done to protect our society and the people close to us. As pointed out in a recent cyclical on coronavirus, we do not want our Churches to become a source of infection and transmission of the virus. We respect the presence of our neighbour, we listen to the guidance of the State and we comply with the instructions of science. I want to tell our people not to be sad and upset, even though I know I’m asking for something difficult. Fortunately, this situation does have an end date. No pandemic in human history lasted forever. The measures will pass and our Churches will open, and then we will all celebrate together. In the meantime, let’s try to get the best results while facing whatever is ahead of us. I mean let’s see what positives we can get out of this unpleasant situation. Let me give you an example.
The pandemic has confined us to the indoors. This allows us to implement an old habit that we have forgotten. Family prayer. In the old days, people would slowly return from their fields and work to their homes. They ate a piece of bread and then all together they prayed in front of the image of Christ. The father would say the “Heavenly King” prayer, the mother would say the prayer “I believe in one God,” the first child would say the “Lords Prayer,” and the little child, who did not know much, would say “Lord have mercy.” This image of the traditional family was lost by Hellenism and the Greek Diaspora.
Today we go on vacation as a family, we visit as a family, we go shopping as a family, we go to the restaurant as a family. But we do not do family prayer. We complain that today’s couples are easily separated and thus, families break up. I invite you to show me a couple that prays together as a family and I will guarantee that this couple will never separate. So you see, we have lost that blessed practice. Now with the coronavirus, we perhaps have an opportunity to bring this practice back to our homes. Here’s one positive thing that can happen. So, in this way, do not be disappointed but try to become better, more spiritual and more holy through the trials and difficulties of life.
‘It is a time to implement family prayer,’ Archbishop Makarios says.
4. Do you personally, Your Excellency, fear these days? Where do you draw strength to continue your important work and how does the Archdiocese manage this unprecedented situation?
I’m not afraid at all. I feel free because I am not afraid of death. I know that sooner or later I will be called to the passage on the other side. I try in my life to fight for the people that God has entrusted to me. I’m not interested in being saved alone. I do not want personal salvation. If all my flock, the Bishops, the clergy and our people are not saved, then let me not be saved either. Paradise is society. To be in society all together. I’m not fighting in this life because I’m looking forward to winning something good in the next one. I want to increase my love for Christ every day. Only that. And when you have this goal, you are not afraid of illness, pandemics or even death. This love for Christ gives me strength and I move forward. And if you want, I suggest to everyone that they have Christ as their source of strength as well.
5. It would be a journalistic omission not to mention the mystery of Holy Communion. The Romanian Orthodox Church has for a time offered vulnerable believers the option of using a disposable plastic spoon. A decision taken due to the reactions of the faithful. What would you say to those who read this news about Holy Communion?
I personally believe the decision made by some clergy and bishops in Romania was wrong. But, you see, the feelings and criteria of the people had an impact. The people have not accepted such innovations that tarnish our tradition and faith. We, of Orthodox faith, in our historical course have no instance of anyone getting sick from Holy Communion. I, who come from Crete, know the case of Spinalonga. Spinalonga is a small island where lepers used to go for solitary confinement. The priest who served our brothers there, shared the Holy Communion with them. The paradoxical and unexplained thing is that he did not die of leprosy. He was not infected with the disease.
However, the issue of Holy Communion is a matter of faith. I cannot force anyone to believe that diseases are not transmitted by the Holy Communion, just as I cannot force anyone to believe in the afterlife or in the resurrection of the dead, which is a basic teaching of our Orthodox Church. Personally, I would have no problem communing after people who have been exposed to diseases. What is happening now with the closing of the Churches is not related to Holy Communion but to the gathering. The virus is very easily transmitted through simple communication, handshakes, etc. That is why our churches are closed. Not because I fear that the virus could be transmitted with Holy Communion.
6. It is inevitable that many people in Australia will suffer from the economic consequences of the coronavirus. Many of our compatriots may not have the money they need to provide the best care for their elderly in nursing homes, and others may not be able to pay school fees for their children. Has the Archdiocese planned any measures to alleviate the financial burden of the faithful in need?
Of course, due to the pandemic, humanity is experiencing new situations that affect the daily lives of many families. Many fell ill, some lost their jobs, some lost their salaries or were financially disadvantaged. We have to admit though that the state is showing great care for those impacted and is implementing initiatives for them. Especially in instances where people have to go to nursing homes or cases related to the education of children.
The Archdiocese is trying to look at each case that arrives at its office individually because they are not all the same. And where we can help, we certainly help. We have already helped several of our compatriots who had difficulty going to Greece. We are in constant communication and cooperation with the Greek Consulates, here in Sydney and Melbourne, and there is common coordination and coexistence.
Archbishop Makarios praised the actions of the Morrison Government.
At the same time, in Melbourne, because the problem is more acute there, we started a new program for the distribution of food to those who do not have the basics and really need the help of the Church. This program also includes students from Greece. And I would like to take this opportunity to thank Very Reverend Archimandrite Evmenios Vasilopoulos, Archiepiscopal Vicar of Northcote, to whom I have entrusted this new program and is overseeing it with great success. I would also like to thank our compatriots in Melbourne and the wider region for responding and offering food and other material goods to our brothers and sisters in need.
The Archdiocese attends to them and with the help of a group of volunteers, clergy and the general population, many families and individuals are fed daily. Some of our brothers and sisters personally go to the offices of the Archdiocese and the three parishes which are collection centers and get what they need.
Meanwhile, the Archdiocese has exempted parishes from their contribution for the year 2020, as the closure of churches has dramatically reduced church revenues. We try to do the best we can. We try to give peace to every person who asks for our help. For as long as we can.
7. We would like you to give us your first impressions of your stay here, but also the view you have formed of the faithful in Australia so far. Given that we are celebrating a different Easter, what message do you want to give to your flock?
I praise God for this great blessing where I have found myself in Australia as the Archbishop of a blessed flock. It was something I had never dreamed of, nor of course had I sought it. I praise God and thank our Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew, as well as the holy Hierarchs of the Blessed and Holy Synod, for their trust and love.
Our people are very blessed. From the first moment I arrived here, they welcomed me and showed me absolute confidence and love. Our Greek community deserves a lot of praise. I’ve been in Australia for a few months now and it’s like I’ve been here for years. I now feel part of this body and every day I see God’s plan in my life. It is often revealed to me that the previous 45 years of my life have been preparing me for these moments that I live now, for our people and for this Archdiocese that I serve. With our Bishops, Clergy and Believers we have an excellent spiritual and loving communication. We are a family and the feeling of love towards me from the clergy and the people is intense and strong.
It starts with Christ. I feel that Christ unites us all. And I personally feel that I love these people uncontrollably and unlimitedly. I can’t explain it logically, how and why it happens. Every night I communicate through prayer with all the faithful. I start geographically from Perth, I go to Adelaide, I go north to Darwin, I go through Cairns, I go down to Brisbane, I go to Melbourne, Tasmania and Canberra and I end up in Sydney. Geographical boundaries help me to have all the clergy and the people in my room every night. Prayer is the means by which I communicate with my good Bishops and with the clergy and people on a daily basis.
As time goes on, I’ve started to recognise people and certain things and I try to prioritise the progress of our Archdiocese and our people. There are certainly many challenges. I do not want to say that there are no challenges, as they exist in every living organism. There are and, in fact, some of them are difficult. But all together, united and with love, we move forward and testify to the Crucified and Resurrected Jesus Christ in our modern society.
My message to readers and all other fraternal friends, near and far, is to realise that the Resurrection of Christ unites heaven and earth, the living and the dead. The pandemic may have closed our Churches and deprived us of Holy Communion, but it did not prevent us from being united in the name of Jesus Christ. The pandemic, after all, helped us understand that love is not a simple feeling, but a way of being in the world. I call on all people to have love, understanding, kindness and grace in their hearts.
Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority announced on Wednesday that it would extend a travel ban on all non-EU citizens until May 28 as part of measures to halt the spread of the coronavirus in Greece.
Commercial flights to and from six countries also remain banned until May 15 at the very least.
“For the purpose of preventing the spread of COVID-19, the Civil Aviation Authority announces the extension of the temporary ban on flights from Italy, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany to Greece and vice versa,” the announcement read.
Usually busy tourist destinations in Greece are now deserted following the travel ban. Source: AP News.
The travel ban to these countries excludes humanitarian and cargo flights, including those containing hygiene products.
All emergency and military flights, as well as the transportation of FRONTEX personnel, will also be allowed. Turkey is excluded from the military aspect of this exception.
With 108 deaths and a little over 2,200 confirmed cases, the Greek government is preparing to start gradually lifting restrictions in early May.
Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis says he is just trying to stay in shape after coming through a bout of glandular fever that saw him shed 10kg and left him unable to breathe while sleeping.
The South Australian, who underlined his potential when he defeated Roger Federer in Miami in 2018, was forced to miss the year’s first Grand Slam in Melbourne due to the illness.
“I was told I had stopped breathing when I was sleeping, my throat was so inflamed,” Kokkinakis, who reached a career-high ranking of 69 in 2015, was quoted as saying by Australian media.
“I lost 10 kilos because I couldn’t eat, now I’m trying to stay in shape, trying to stay sane. I’m not looking too far ahead, trying to maintain shape and not push it too much.
“When we get the all-clear, I’ll ramp it up.”
Injuries to his elbows and knees, as well as muscle problems, have interrupted the 24-year-old’s career and he has been forced to battle his way back through the secondary tours.
The infection once again put him on the back foot but he hopes he can have a clear run once tennis resumes after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I tried to get back on court late December before I knew anything was wrong, and I was running out of gas quickly but I thought it might be the bushfire thing with all the smoke,” said Kokkinakis, who is now ranked 237.
“I was going through four or five shirts a night with a fever, my bed was drenched, I went to Melbourne and I was hitting and I was running out of gas.
“My throat was killing me and it was lingering. It felt like razor blades down my throat so I went to hospital in Melbourne.
“I got back to Adelaide and it got really bad, I couldn’t eat and I struggled to drink water. I ended up in hospital again. But I’m better now, I’m feeling relatively healthy, but it’s been frustrating.”
For Orthodox Christians, this is normally a time of reflection and mourning followed by joyful release, of centuries-old ceremonies steeped in symbolism and tradition.
As the coronavirus rampages across the globe, claiming tens of thousands of lives, governments have imposed lockdowns in a desperate bid to halt the pandemic. Businesses have been closed and church doors shut to prevent the virus’s insidious spread.
For some, the restrictions during Easter are particularly tough.
“When there was freedom and you didn’t go somewhere, it didn’t bother you,” said Christina Fenesaki while shopping in Athens’ main meat market for lamb — to cook in the oven at home in the Greek capital instead of on a spit in her ancestral village. “But now that we have the restrictions, it bothers you a lot. It’s heavy.”
In Greece, where more than 90% of the population is baptised into the Orthodox Church, the government has been at pains to stress that this year’s Easter cannot be normal.
People look at the city of Athens, Greece, with the church of Agios Georgios on the left. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
It imposed a lockdown early on, and so far has managed to keep the number of deaths and critically ill people low — 105 and 69 respectively as of Thursday, among a population of nearly 11 million.
But officials fear any slippage in social distancing could have dire consequences, particularly during a holiday that normally sees people cram into churches and flock to the countryside. Roadblocks have been set up, and fines doubled to 300 euros ($325), for anyone found driving without justification during the holiday.
“This Easter is different. We will not go to our villages, we will not roast in our yards, we will not go to our churches. And of course, we will not gather in the homes of relatives and friends,” government spokesman Stelios Petsas said. “For us to continue being together, this year we stay apart.”
Patriarch Bartholomew I, spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox, has urged the faithful to adhere to government measures and World Health Organization guidelines. But keeping people out of churches hasn’t proved easy.
A Greek Orthodox priest closes the entrance of a church in the start of the Holy Tuesday ceremony held without worshippers in Athens, Greece, during a lockdown order by the government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
In Greece, after days of delicate diplomacy with the country’s powerful Orthodox Church, the government banned the public from all services after the church’s governing body imposed restrictions but not a full shutdown. Authorities also quickly scotched a Greek mayor’s plans to distribute the “Holy Light” door-to-door throughout his municipality just after midnight on Saturday.
Some priests have defied the shutdown. One recently offered communion — where the faithful sip from the same spoon — through an Athens church’s back door.
“Each person has the church inside of them,” said Kleanthis Tsironis, who heads Athens’ main meat market. He will spend Easter at home with his wife and two daughters, and will miss the resurrection liturgy. But churches will eventually open, he said, and Easter traditions will return.
“Souls are being lost,” he said of the virus deaths across the world. “And we’re going to sit and cry because we didn’t roast on a spit? We’ll do that later, when the measures are over.”
Holy Saturday is the last day of Holy Week and Lent. This day is dedicated to the Burial and Descent of Christ into Hades. In the morning, the first Resurrection is celebrated in the church, during which the song “ἀνάστα, ὁ Θεός, κρίνων τὴν γῆν, ὅτι σὺ κατακληρονομήσεις ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι” is sung.
At midnight on Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday, the Resurrection of Christ is celebrated according to the Orthodox standard.
We are staying home during these days of the Divine Passion and through the Greek Herald, we participate in the mystagogy of these days, listening daily to the hymns of Holy Week.
Listen to the hymn here:
#KeepItGreek
Το Μεγάλο Σάββατο είναι η τελευταία μέρα της Μεγάλης Εβδομάδας και της Μεγάλης Σαρακοστής. Η ημέρα αυτή είναι αφιερωμένη στην Ταφή και την Κάθοδο του Χριστού στον Άδη. Το πρωί εορτάζεται στην εκκλησία η πρώτη Ανάσταση, κατά την οποία ψάλλεται το “ἀνάστα, ὁ Θεός, κρίνων τὴν γῆν, ὅτι σὺ κατακληρονομήσεις ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι”. Τα μεσάνυχτα του Μεγάλου Σαββάτου προς Κυριακή του Πάσχα εορτάζεται κατά το ορθόδοξο τυπικό η Ανάσταση του Χριστού. Μένουμε σπίτι αυτές τις ημέρες του Θείου Πάθους και μέσω του «Ελληνικού Κήρυκα» συμμετέχουμε στη μυσταγωγία των ημερών, ακούγοντας καθημερινά τους ύμνους της Μεγάλης Εβδομάδας
On Great and Holy Saturday, the Orthodox Church commemorates the burial of Christ, the day between the Crucifixion of our Lord and His glorious Resurrection.
Traditions at home
On the morning of Holy Saturday, preparations begin for the next day’s Easter feast. The traditional mayeritsa soup, which uses the organs and intestines of a lamb, is prepared and eaten after the midnight service.
On Holy Saturday, children will also light their special lambatha, traditionally given to them by their Godparents. Though the candle itself is typically white, it can be lavishly decorated with favourite children’s heroes or storybook characters.
Shortly before midnight at church, all lights are to be turned. When the clock passes midnight, the Priest calls out “Christos Anesti” (“Christ is risen”) and passes on the flame (the Holy light of the Resurrection). A flame transferred through a holy candle, and distributed among the family, is set to symbolise Jesus’ light of resurrection.
Friends and neighbours also exchange “Christos Anesti” with one another as a way of wishing one another well. In response, they will say “Alithos Anesti” (“truly, He is risen”) or “Alithinos o Kyrios” (“true is the Lord”).
Holy Saturday Prayer
When he took down Your immaculate Body from the Cross, the honorable Joseph wrapped it in a clean linen shroud with spices and laid it for burial in a new tomb.
When You descended unto death, O Lord who yourself are immortal Life, then did You mortify Hades by the lightning flash of Your Divinity. Also when You raised the dead from the netherworld, all the Powers of the heavens were crying out: O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory be to You.
The Angel standing at the sepulcher cried out and said to the ointment- bearing women: The ointments are appropriate for mortal men, but Christ has been shown to be a stranger to decay.
The
last few days of the Holy week, just before Greek Easter, are my favourite
ones. The smell of lit candle in the church, the colour of the violets that my yiayia
and I used to decorate the ‘Epitaphio’ with and the emotion that the Greek
Easter hymns always stir up, compile some of my sweet childhood memories.
Now
as a mother of two and an immigrant myself, I strive to help my kids create memories
tied to the family’s Greek language, traditions and culture and help them form
their cultural identity, living indeed in two cultures, in two countries.
It’s
not always easy and as the coronavirus spreads anxiety and panic across the
globe, I could have easily skipped baking the koulourakia / tsoureki and dyed the
red eggs.
I
mean we have more important things to think about during a pandemic. Don’t we? We
even need a tactical plan to get loo roll. Draining!
So, in these uncertain times I choose the resilience, solidarity and the back to basics path. This is what I want to teach my kids.
George and Ariadne making traditional Greek Easter cookies. Source/ Argyro Vourdoumpa
You
see, I was brought up hearing stories from my grandparents, about how they grew
up in the years during and after World War Two and the Greek Civil War and how
they survived eating potato peels. Yes, they went through hardship and they
came out of it stronger.
If
they survived the war, I think I – or even better we – can try to pull through this
health crisis. Together.
I
will embrace my family and the community to find support and give support. I
will make more koulourakia and share them with friends who don’t have a
community to turn to and I will support as many small businesses as I can.
I felt great pride the other day when I read this article on the Guardian about how Greece is beating coronavirus despite a decade of debt. And I believe Greek Communities around Australia are doing their best to support those on temporary visas, our elderly population and people in need.
For
the first time Greek Orthodox Parishes across Australia, live stream services, to
ensure the community can participate from the comfort of their own homes, due
to the ‘social distancing’ restrictions.
Community
radio stations, television and newspapers are joining forces with Australia’s
broader Greek Community, to keep informing us despite their losses.
Our
Greek school teachers are going online to pass on knowledge and on Greek
community FB groups I see more messages of support and kindness than ever
before.
I
see Australians of Greek origin, supporting this country, our other home, with
everything they have. We are resilient and our values have lasted during the
course of history.
I
want this pandemic to finish, but the solidarity must go on above and beyond
the flattening of the curve. We owe it to the future generation.
Greece
is wherever a Greek is. And wherever a Greek is, there is going to be koulourakia,
tsoureki and a smile.
The COVID-19 outbreak found humanity almost completely unprepared. And while some countries have dealt with the overwhelming risk effectively, it has become clear that extra care should be taken for nursing staff to reduce risk of exposure.
The increased care of nursing staff has come as a result of good cooperation with technology. During this difficult time, voluntary efforts have flourished for 3D printing and the production of raw material of plastics. In Greece, the company “TED3D”, based in Volos, moved quickly and managed to supply the country’s nursing staff with more than 5,000 face shields, as revealed to The Greek Herald by head researcher, Elias Fritzalas.
“It simply came to our notice then. Thus, the ability of companies such as TED3D to play a key role in helping first-line health care providers has emerged,” head researcher Elias Fritzalas says to The Greek Herald.
“On this occasion, the research team was formed, consisting of us, the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Thessaly with Assistant Professor Georgios Saharidis, the Pulmonary Clinic of the University of Larissa with Professor Konstantinos Goupoupiliou of Gourgouliani and the contribution of Dias Elias Karametou.”
Greek company ‘TED3D’ have already distributed over 5000 face shields, to be used by nurses and other medical staff. Photo: TED3D Facebook
“This group started working about 1 month ago today, recording, studying, designing, producing and testing first-hand items.”
Face shields are used in hospitals across Europe to prevent the direct transmission of coronavirus through bodily discharge. Elias Fritzalas reveals, however, that her face shield is 100% their own design, and possesses important advantages over others.
“It is enclosed, protecting from ear to ear, the whole doll and well below the chin.”
“To date, we have managed to produce and deliver 5000+ face shields and we hope to produce many more.”
3D Printing the “Holy Grail” for mask production
3D Printing has proven to be a saviour device, not only in Greece, but in countries such as Italy and Spain, which have been hit hard by the pandemic.
“In general, the community and the public now tend to consider 3D printing as the “holy grail”, which of course does not apply in all cases,” Mr Fritzalas reveals.
Face shields are used by nursing staff to prevent transmission through bodily discharge. Photo: TED3D Facebook
“To give an example, 3D printing, as applied worldwide by the community, has concluded that the shield has a 3D printed frame that takes an average of about 1 hour to produce a mask (the “glass” in front). We, with the plan we have implemented, managed to produce 30 shields per hour…”
The public is advised to stay at home during this epidemic, yet if people are required to engage in public travel, it is recommended that they where a face mask or protection device. While face shields, developed by companies such as TED3D, are only accessible for health care workers, masks and other protective devices are essential to reducing the spread of this global epidemic.
