Summer Fiestas - My Way

The summer months are full of Saints days, fiestas major and minor. Gatherings of friends and family to feast and rejoice with  those named after the particular saint.

25th July 

 One of the days the Greek Orthodox church observes Saint Anne.  The other observance being on 9th December.

There is a little church across the waters dedicated to Saint Anne and our daughter's inlaws look after the church.  It's usually a service in the morning followed by coffee and cakes at the house of the maiden Aunts.  The Aunts are getting on, into their 90's, and care of the church and preparation for the Saint's day has been taken over by others.  This year it wasn't just coffee and cakes at the family home. 

 This year there was an evening service, followed by feasting and dancing on the waterfront to a band playing traditional Greek island music.   Now there is talk of making it an annual summer event as it attracted hundreds of people who danced and revelled till the wee hours.

The church of Saint Anne

Agia Anna, Galatas

With 3 cypress trees growing behind it

26th July

Meanwhile across on Poros, up in the hills, we were getting ready for the annual celebration of Saint Paraskevi  (female saint), protector of the eyes. 

It's a subdued observance.  Especially when you have a sermon from the monk at the Poros monastery telling women they should wear long skirts, have their eyes cast down, and obey their men.  Make-up, short skirts and jeans are devices of the devil.  And more, much more.

Barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen in other words. 

We've heard it all before.

  He's turning many away.  Women wear trousers (men's clothing)  anyway, like me.  I light my candle in remembrance of those who have passed and find a place outside to sit and wait for the sweet bread and cakes at the end.

My three girls.  In skirts.  One borrowed, one blue and one brand new.  

K likes to keep up traditions so he organised a sleep-over for 2 granddaughters and their friend who is named after this Saint.   Paraskevi, but she's known as Evita. A modern version of the name. 

It's no longer mattresses on the floor and pillow fights. I arranged so that they had their own 'suite' and could do their 'own thing' till dawn if they wanted to. 

  

Once upon a time I made the offering of 5 sweet loaves (as in the tale of Jesus turning 5 loaves and fishes into enough to feed the thousands) and a special bread called Prosfora with a Holy stamp on it which is handed out after communion.

It's hot and I've 'been there, done that'.  But the girls decided they would make the Prosfora bread.

 

Bread making.  2 of those girls are rowers.  Boy, did they knead that bread well.  It rose to twice it's usual size.

The finished product.  Not quite right though.  We have a seal which has to be pressed into the middle and it has a whole lot of religious symbols which have to be clear so they know where to place the candles that go into it......or something like that.

I think it's upside down. Hard to tell. 

That darn seal just would not do what it was supposed to do.  First it stuck, then the symbols weren't clear.  Everyone had a go at pushing it down onto the loaf.  We wet the surface, put oil on it, flour.  And at every attempt the dough had to be smoothed out kneaded again.  

We had 2 seals, one of them a very old one from the other grandmother Eleni.  But it was 

 'not any way, José' .

We did our best and took it to church anyway covered in a clean white cloth.  

Along with the bread the girls printed out 2 lists of names, one list to remember our dear departed and the other to ask for good health for  family and friends.  These are read out by the priest, monk, at the end of the service.

 When the service is over the sweet bread brought by the faithful, soft, fragrant and squishy along with sticky cakes are offered around by those celebrating their name day.  And of course there's lots of gossip to be learnt and outfits to be eyed up and down.

An essential is a big bag to carry away lots of sweet bread to have with coffee later at home.  I got plenty.

The church is small so everyone stands, sits or wanders around outside