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Greek Christmas: Melomakárona, a sweet tradition

August 14, 2011 in Recipes

Christmas is a capital celebration among Greek Orthodox people. Many traditions were associated with the birth of Christ and, while some of them have faded, others are still very alive and characteristic of this very special period of the year. Greeks take pride in being hospitable – having a little something to offer as a treat to friends who wish “Chrónia Pollà” (this literally means ‘May you live many years’ and it is used in numerous occasions, like birthdays, name [...]

Tags: greek, greek christmas food, greek orthodox, greek orthodox recepies, greek recipes, Melomakárona
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Our Lady of Hundred Gates, Ancient Greek Orthodox Temple

July 18, 2011 in Travel

One of the most renowned Greek Orthodox temples, dedicated to the Holy Mother of Christ, is the Ekatontapyliani at the Greek island of Paros, central Aegean Sea. Ekatontapyliani is actually a complex of temples built around a central yard, similar to a monastery’s. The most ancient of those temples is the one dedicated to St Nicholas, patron of mariners, constructed in the 3rd or 4th century. According to legend, the mother of Greco-Roman Emperor Constantine (early 4th century) sailed from [...]

Tags: ekatontapyliani, greco roman church, greek, greek holy cross, greek orthodox, holy cross, mother of god, templesdedicated
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Patmos, The Holy Greek Island

July 15, 2011 in Travel

Patmosis barren, wind-swept and sun-baked. It lies in the Eastern Mediterranean, near the coasts of Asia Minor, and belongs to a Greek islands complex named the Dodecanese, the Twelve Islands. Patmos is a sacred island and it’s sometimes referred to as the “Sinai of the Aegean” – a Greek Orthodox pilgrimage destination and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is where St John, the beloved disciple, had the vision of the Revelation and transcribed it to form the last book [...]

Tags: greek island, greek orthodox, greek orthodoxy, greek travel, john theologian, monastery st, monastery st john, patmos, st john, st john theologian, travel to greece
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Greek Orthodoxy on Earthly Governments: Romans 13

July 11, 2011 in News

Christians, whether of Greek Orthodox or of some other Christian denomination, always find themselves feeling uncomfortable when faced with Paul’s epistle to Romans. Enemies of Christianity try to use the Apostle’s words to “frame” him and to prove that Christian religion is nothing but a scheme put up by worldly authorities in order to commit Christians to blind obedience, like “sheep” (in the word’s derogatory sense) being milked and sheared and slaughtered without uttering a single word of protest. Well [...]

Tags: god, god resists, greek news, greek orthodox, greek orthodoxy, king james, king james bible, romans 13
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Kostas Varnalis: Yesterday Still Alive Today

July 4, 2011 in Music

The Greek poet Kostas Varnalis was born in the last quarter of the 19th century and lived through all the adventures and mishaps of Modern Greek history up to the fall of the military junta in 1974. Varnalis’ poems are written in the simple language of the people and, in contrast to the idyllic, romantic and, most often than not, manneristic works of the epoch, his word (and concepts) are robust, frequently satirical, never conciliatory, but rather sharp and scorching, [...]

Tags: greek, greek music, greek orthodox, greek orthodox music, military junta, mister mentios, nikos xylouris
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Circumstances that led to the Greek Debt Crisis

June 22, 2011 in News

Citizens of Greece giving the open palm to the Greek Parliament building, June 2011

To begin understanding the causes of the Greek debt crisis, a brief flashback to some elements of European history of the last 50-60 years would be highly appropriate. The countries of the European South (Portugal, Greece, Spain, three of the so-called P.I.G.S. of the European Union) can display particular common courses, that differentiate them from the EU “hardcore” countries. All three of them underwent a period of political abnormalities (military juntas, civil wars for Greece and Spain, dominion of right-wing parties [...]

Tags: greek debt crisis, greek orthodox, greek riots
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Exciting Greek Recipe: Plastos

February 6, 2011 in Books, Recipes

Our friends, Tony & Maria, at Authentic Greek Recipes bring us one of the most overlooked dishes of Greek cuisines. Spanakopita is traditionally cooked with a pastry, this recipe uses a cornmeal-type ingredient to create a clever variation of the popular dish. The recipe below – called Plastos – is popular in Greece and is normally made with a variety of aromatic herbs. We have made it here with spinach, but it includes aromatic herbs. The main difference between this and other [...]

Tags: greek, greek cookbook, greek cuisine, greek orthodox, greek plastos, greek recipes, plastos, spanakopita
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Greek Cooking for Vegetarians Made Easy

January 3, 2011 in Books, Shopping

Don’t let the vegetarian in the family hold you back! Cooking for a crowd can be hectic, especially when guests have different tastes. While the Greek Orthodox religion does not oppose eating meat; during Lent, many Greeks do not eat meat on Wednesdays and Fridays. Because of this, having some vegetarian recipes on-hand is a great idea. “Greek Vegetarian Recipes” and “The Greek Vegetarian” are two Greek cookbooks that will help keep dining during lent exciting and delicious. “Greek [...]

Tags: greek, greek cookbook, greek cookbooks, greek foods, greek heritage, greek orthodox, greek orthodox books, greek vegetarian, vegetarian cookbook
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