On Sunday, May 19, the Pontian community in Sydney will gather for a Remembrance Day and Commemoration of the Greek Genocide.
The event has been organised by Pontoxeniteas NSW and will begin from 9.30am with a Divine Liturgy Service at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady in Redfern.
A wreath laying service at the Cenotaph on the grounds of the Cathedral will also take place, followed by a Commemoration event in the St Andrew’s Theological College Hall from 12pm.
At 2pm, there will be a trisagion (memorial service) held at the Pontian House in Earlwood, with lunch provided.
Pontoxeniteas NSW will be providing free transport to the events. A bus will be departing from the Pontian House (15 Riverview Road, Earlwood) at 8.30am, returning at approximately 1.30pm.
For those interested, please contact a committee member or email pontoxeniteas@gmail.com to book your seat on the bus.
SEKA Victoria in collaboration with the Cyprus Community of Melbourne and Victoria presented the screening of the documentary film, Journey into Cyprus – East to West, on Sunday, April 28.
Aiming to capture a friendship defying the divide on the island, the film by Yalçın Adal and Stavros Tziortzis portrayed beautiful scenery alongside touching, personal moments for those in attendance to enjoy.
Following the screening, Adal and Tziortzis spoke about their experiences in Cyprus and answered questions from the audience about their journey.
In 2018, Adal and Tziortzis walked from one end of Cyprus to the other to promote the message that Cypriots can live together in peace.
Lambrini Lambrou Christopher was the emcee for the film screening and there were also prominent community members and leaders present including Kat Theophanous MP.
Orthodox Easter is almost here and Queen Victoria Market is brimming with all the produce, goodies and gifts you need to celebrate on Sunday, May 5.
Dairy Hall
Queen Vic Market has your feast covered. Find a huge selection of eggs plus egg dye kits, egg wraps, stickers, displays and gift boxes at The Eggporium. Browse the traders in the Dairy produce hall and discover deli delights including cured meats, cheeses, olives and artichokes, along with specialties like ricotta stuffed peppers from Queen Vic Deli, dolmades from Dianne’s Delights and Greek-style sweet brioche bread, called Tsoureki, from Hellenic Deli.
Butchers
Queen Vic Market has 27 butchers preparing for the Orthodox Easter weekend. From premium lamb cuts, including roast leg and coveted shoulder or rack, to Vic Meat Supply’s handmade gourmet sausages and marinated Greek Lamb, there’s something to delight every palate this Orthodox Easter.
Fishmongers
Look no further than the fish hall for a centrepiece for your Orthodox Easter gathering. From locally sourced salmon, oysters, and fresh prawns to indulgent options like Moreton Bay bugs and blue swimmer crab Queen Vic Market’s fishmongers have curated a lavish array of options for your celebration. Need assistance in creating a standout dish? Don’t hesitate to consult knowledgeable traders for expert advice and inspiration.
Fresh Produce
With more than 40 fruit and vegetable stalls, you won’t be short on options. Seasonal roasting varieties are in abundance and will serve as great accompaniments for Orthodox Easter feasts – look out for Brussels sprouts, carrots, potatoes, pumpkins, parsnips, rhubarb and beetroot.
Former Texas A&M Aggies football punter, Nik Constantinou has signed on to play as an Undrafted Free Agent (UDFA) with NFL’s Denver Broncos.
According to Gigem Gazette, native of Melbourne, Constantinou has become the second Australian that the Broncos have agreed to sign as a UDFA, the first, Utah Tight end (TE), Thomas Yassmin.
Texas A&M’s Nik Constantinou (left) was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week back in 2022. Photo: Goodbullhunting.com.
The signing news comes after a rough 2023 for Constantinou, who is now hoping to shake off any issues he had from last year and succeed with the Broncos.
South Melbourne Powerchair FC won the Victorian Premier League Championships on Sunday, defeating Westvale Olympic FC 3-2 after penalties.
Powerchair Sports Victoria (PSV) shared the news via Facebook, noting that both teams showcased a “fantastic representation of the level of excellence the league is made of”.
In addition, PSV expressed their gratitude to Pride Mobility for sponsoring the 2023/24 season and thanked Support Your Way and SpendAble who acted as sponsors for the half time skills competition.
South Melbourne FC also shared some photos after the victory of the players with their trophies via Facebook.
South Sydney halfback, Lachlan Ilias has been granted permission to explore his options at rival NRL clubs as he prepares to leave the Rabbitohs.
According to The Australian, Ilias’ manager, Braith Anasta formally applied for permission to negotiate with rival clubs on Monday morning in the wake of revelations that St Helens playmaker, Lewis Dodd would join the Rabbitohs next year.
Lachlan Ilias has been given permission to talk to rival clubs. Photo: NRL Imagery/ The Australian.
Reluctant to leave the Rabbitohs, but knowing it might be best for his future, Ilias is officially on the open market for NRL signings with 12 months left on his contract with Souths.
Ilias will now appear on the Sydney Roosters’ radar as he recovers from a broken leg, looking to secure a new home in the NRL for next season.
An Athens court has convicted six people and cleared 15 others over wildfires which killed more than 100 people at a Greek resort almost six years ago.
Wildfires uncontrollably spread around Mati, resulting in the deaths of multiple people in their cars due of traffic preventing them from escaping the danger; others drowned attempting to flee into the sea to protect themselves from the flames.
Five officials, including the fire chief acting at the time, received suspended sentences ranging from 15 to 111 years for several charges of criminal negligence resulting in harm or death as a result of their participation in the fire response.
According toABC News, none of the politicians among the 21 people prosecuted were convicted, enraging the relatives of the victims present in court.
The fires will leave an invisible scar on Mati for generations to come. Photo: AP/Thanassis Stavrakis.
In total, 104 people died and dozens were injured from the flames, while an estimated 1,260 hectares were also destroyed.
Witnesses said at the time that residents had not been warned of the imminent danger.
Relatives of the dead shouted in court on Monday: “Your court is an insult to the dead, the living and the truth”, “There is no justice” and “You have no shame.”
Greek Minister of state, Makis Voridis said the reaction was reasonable in relation to the sentences given.
“This kind of a sentence is not commensurate with this kind of tragedy,” Voridis said.
Experts believe that poor urban planning, such as a lack of suitable access roads and the development of too many structures near flammable forest areas, led to the tragedy.
The ceremony, which was held at the University of Sydney’s Chau Chak Wing Museum from 2pm, saw a large number of Greek youth and their families attend to see who would be crowned winner in their respective categories and age groups.
All photos copyright The Greek Herald.
A number of official guests were also in attendance on Sunday, including the President of the Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales (GOCNSW), Harry Danalis, the First Secretary for Public Diplomacy of Greece in Australia at the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney, Anastasia Christofilopoulou, the Chair of the Greek Festival of Sydney, Nia Karteris, and distinguished Australian Orchestra Conductor and Composer, George Ellis.
On the day, Mr Danalis and Ms Christofilopoulou gave speeches and congratulated the students on taking part in the competition. Basilia Dionysia Giannarakis, a competition participant in the Arts category (age group 19 – 24), also spoke about how it felt to participate and encouraged more youth to take part next year.
President of the GOCNSW, Harry Danalis.
First Secretary for Public Diplomacy of Greece in Australia at the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney, Anastasia Christofilopoulou.
Basilia Dionysia Giannarakis.
Emcee Dimitris Kallos.
The winners are runners up for each category and age group were:
Arts Category, Age group 12-15
Winner: Krystal Preketes
2nd place (runner up): Eva Tsonis
Arts Category, Age group 16-18
Winner: Kosta Giitsidis
2nd place (runner up): Jacinda Papadopoulos
Arts Category, Age group 19-24
Winner: Basilia Giannarakis
2nd place (runner up): Alessandro Yannis Balaguer
Basilia Giannarakis.
Damascin Georges Cosgrove.
George Athanasiou’s creative work.
Kosta Giitsidis.
Alessandro Yannis Balaguer.
Writing Category, Age group 12-15
Winner: Zaharenya Filactos
No runner up.
Writing Category, Age group 16-18
Winner: Damascin George Cosgrove
2nd place (runner up): Andrew Caramanis
Writing Category, Age group 19-24
Winner: Emily Papagianopoulos
2nd place (runner up): Jessica Wiseman-Best
Emily Papagianopoulos accepting her award
Music Category, Age group 16-18
Winner: Savvas Sousamidis
Music Category, Age group 19-24
Christopher Lampropoulos & Kosta Papoulidis
George Ellis presented the music awards.Kostas Papoulidis and Christopher Lambropoulos
Each winner from their respective categories received a monetary award of $1,000, while the runner up received $500.
It was also announced at the award ceremony that judges could not select a winner and runner-up for the Music Category (12-15 age group) as all entries defaulted under ‘performances’ and not under ‘original music works (compositions)’ as per the competition’s rules. In spite of this, a $100 voucher was presented to all participants in the 12-15 age group. This included George Athanasiou, Eleftherios Giannas, Krystal Rose Dawson, Sienna Swan Dawson and Nikolaos Vasilas.
At the conclusion of the award ceremony, all winners were interviewed regarding their experience. Each winner expressed a shared sentiment, encouraging greater youth participation in the following year. They unanimously believed that the competition served as a platform to exhibit their talents and works to a wider audience encompassing both Greek and Australian communities.
They articulated that the competition facilitated a voice and connection among young artists, providing an opportunity to deepen their understanding of and reflection on their Greek heritage. Moreover, they emphasised the chance to highlight their distinctive Greek experiences.
Looking ahead, the creative arts competition is slated to evolve into a creative and performing arts competition by 2025.
Located at Eaton Mall in the heart of Oakleigh, Melbourne, Vanilla Lounge is where you will find some of your Greek favourites including traditional Greek coffee, frappe, freddo espresso and cappuccino, and not to mention the best Greek sweets.
Coming up to Orthodox Easter, The Greek Herald spoke with the team at Vanilla Lounge to ask them about their tsourekia (a traditional Greek sweet bread made for Easter), and just how popular they are.
One of the owners of Vanilla Lounge, Tia Spanos said the family business has been around since 2008 and is known for selling a variety of different tsourekia.
Tia revealed their tsourekia are made two weeks prior to Easter “because our recipe doesn’t involve any preservatives or artificial flavours or colours or anything.”
“We’re very mindful of the fact that some people will purchase them and put them in the freezer a couple of weeks before Easter, or they will eat them before Easter, but that week leading up to Easter is the biggest week for us,” Tia said.
“This year however, we had people coming in for Catholic Easter asking us to make batches of tsourekia earlier, and I think that’s just representative of the fact that there are so many mixed marriages and people celebrate the Australian Easter as well.
“Even if they are Greek, they’ll go visit someone, and they’ll take something from our culture to offer as a gift and to celebrate that multiculturalism, so it’s really lovely to see.”
The tsourekia. Photo supplied.
Tia added that the tsoureki recipe they use has passed down from nearly 50 years ago.
“The recipe came about during the mid 70s, when my late father, Thanasis Spanos, and my mother, Helen Spanos started Medallion Cakes and Coffee Lounge on Lonsdale Street, in the city of Melbourne,” Tia said.
“Now obviously, the recipe has changed slightly. We’ve sort of adapted it, and even the quality of ingredients has changed over the years, but we’ve modified it to keep up and suit the current palette and tastes and quality of ingredients.”
George Giannou, co-owner at Vanilla Lounge and head pastry chef, said they offer six different flavours of tsourekia.
“We do a lot of different versions,” George said.
“We have the classic tsoureki which is the most popular one, then we have a chocolate dipped one that’s filled one with the Nutella, we also have a classic tsoureki that’s chocolate-dipped, then we have the white chocolate-dipped and filled one, and we also have a Biscoff-flavoured one.
“This year, we are thinking of adding a pistachio flavoured one as well.”
George decorating the tsourekia. Photo supplied.
George explained that by making tsourekia by hand in the bakehouse with top-quality ingredients, it allows them to make the Greek sweet to the highest quality.
Each year, more than one tonne of tsourekia are made in the 10 days leading up to Easter at Vanilla Lounge.
“The tsourekia don’t have much shelf life as they don’t have extra preservatives, and as you can imagine, as we get closer to Greek Orthodox Easter, it is very busy,” George said.
“The last few years have been hard, but it’s good because Easter is our busiest time of the year, and we always look forward to a lot of people coming into the shop and buying tsourekia. Even the reviews and feedback we get from the customers are really good and positive, and better than last year too.”
Tia said she loved working during Easter time.
“It’s just beautiful, especially in terms of the people and the hospitality part of Easter,” she said.
“At Easter, it’s a really vibrant and special time for the community here in Oakleigh and that’s what I love about it.
“The people are just amazing and they’re the reason we’ve been in the industry for almost 50 years now, as we have four generations of hospitality in the family, so that’s really special.”
To find out more about their tsourekia, visit Vanilla Lounge at Oakleigh.
