I remember the day before the second quarantine started. It was Sunday and my 8-year-old daughter kept on repeating "#nightmare, #nightmare" – apparently she had heard it in a girl series on TV. She had no clue what “#” meant but she knew pretty well the word “nightmare.” That’s how she felt when we told her she would have to attend online classes again as schools were closed.

A week later she commented: "Anyway mom online schooling has its good part too." "What do you mean?" I asked full of surprise. "At school, we have to show hands when the teacher asks a question and this can be tiring at times. Now if I want to show my hand I just need to press a button.” Great progress, I thought to myself. "I'm so happy you can see there are positives as well," I told her. It was not long before her second positive comment: "You know something, mom? Now you do not need to apply lice spray to my hair before I go to school. I was freezing when you’d spray me in the morning." Then another day she added: "Dad works from home now so we see more of him. Of course, I'm not saying that I like being in this quarantine, not at all, but at least there are some positives."

When you hear your daughter talk like this you realize how much we have that we do not actually see or do not give them the attention they deserve. But also how much more there is to discover. An otherwise "ordinary" walk in the neighborhood park that brings unexpected meetings with friends that you haven’t seen for a long time. An impromptu last-minute picnic just because the day was sunny. One more hug because you took a quick break from online. Ten more valuable minutes to sleep in the morning as you don’t have to drive to work. Less traffic, less honking, less "come on, get ready, let’s go…".

In this second quarantine, both my family and I are all consciously much more flexible. This doesn’t mean we are not worried about COVID-19 and our safety. We are very cautious and take all necessary measures. But what I notice is that we’re calmer and it is easier for us to take things as they come. I admit I took my lesson but I also admit I do not forget to repeat it every day!

If there’s a topic you’re interested in and would like to learn more about you may contact me via email. For more information about me and my work check the XpatAthens Directory or visit my website. Because this is your life!

“Light to those who truly bring light into our lives” is the motto of this year’s Athenian Christmas tree lighting ceremony which took place amidst the lockdown and without the usual crowds due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The Municipality of Athens choose a different way to share the lighting of the tree in Syntagma Square with everyone this year. A short film tells an Athenian Christmas story about the real heroes of the municipality, coming to light what most of us haven’t had the opportunity to see this year - Syntagma Square all bright and beautiful!

 

The protagonist is Dionysis Nikolaou, an electrician engineer and the oldest employee of the municipality. A born and bred Athenian, just like his grandfather was, he lives in the neighborhood of Sepolia with his wife and son. After he completed his education, he began working in the electricity department of the municipality and learned the secrets of every corner of the city. Over the years he’s learned not to throw away anything that is made; he’s worked in just about all positions - on the road for repairs, in the warehouse for recording and receiving orders, making sure that nothing is missing when needed. Today he chooses to work mainly at night, so that his younger colleagues can have the ease of working the morning shift.

 

The one thing that he hasn’t ever changed is the lighting of the city at Christmas time, which culminates with the lighting of the tree in Syntagma. This little film captures the route of bringing this light so that we can all share in the special moment of lighting up the streets of Athens!

 

The Mayor of Athens, Costas Bakogiannis, emphasized this message on the occasion of the lighting of the Christmas tree by saying, "This year, the Municipality of Athens addresses the great thanks it owes to its people…The invisible heroes, who tirelessly remain on the front line, not only at Christmas but every day, in order to break the darkness of this unprecedented time for the inhabitants of this city. This year the lights are on those who really give light to our lives. Merry Christmas!”

The Hellenic American Union and the Museum of Greek Children’s Art have joined forces to hold two online creative workshops for primary school children this weekend. During the workshops, young children are invited to make their own Christmas tree decorations and cards for friends and family.

 

The first workshop is called "I’m home, but here’s my ornament...” and will take place on Saturday, December 19, at noon, and the second one is called "I’m home, but here’s my card..." and will be held on Sunday, December 20, also at noon.

The workshops will be led by Athanasia Sklirou, artist and curator at the Museum of Greek Children's Art.
To read this article in full, please visit: amna.gr

Wine writers abhor doing lists of “best” wines because this goes against the mystique we have so patiently built around the “nectar of the gods”. And because lists are so reductive. Exploring wine is the essence of enjoying wine, say hard-core wine lovers. Nevertheless, this wine writer, who belongs to the “drink first, discuss later” school of wine thought has no objection to proposing a list of six wines that are exciting, quaffable and perfect examples of Greece’s wine renaissance. 

 

These suggestions are based on native Greek grape varietals. They are relatively easy to find and fairly representative of different wine styles and colours. If unavailable, a good sommelier in a restaurant or wine shop should be able to suggest close alternatives.

 

Santorini wines have attained the industry’s holy grail: establishing a taste that is not only unique but ascribable to the wine’s provenance―in this case, the volcanic soils of this strange Cycladic island. Thanks to their pronounced mineral taste, Santorini wines are the darlings of sommeliers and wine buffs the world over and have become the de facto wine ambassadors of Greece. Winemaker Paris Sigalas is an expert at making the Assyrtiko grape shine (and sing). Sigalas wines are always well-made, dependable and gracious. His textbook Santorini Assyrtiko is steely-dry yet fruity, mouth-filling and racy, a display of power without aggression. A white wine that generates awe. 

 

Price: €23

Pairings: Pair an Assyrtko wine from Santorini with fish and seafood and you cannot go wrong.

 

Retsina is a delicate subject in the world of Greek wine because so many people outside Greece identify local wines with pine-flavoured plonk, to the detriment of all the other good wines now being made. There aren’t that many retsinas around and certainly not many exciting ones. Stelios Kechris is the retsina specialist and his Tear of the Pine, made from the Assyrtiko grape in northern Greece, is an astonishing example of a modern retsina that will blow you away. The Assyrtiko comes through nicely, blending in a weird way with the pine resin to create something very original. This dry white wine ages exceptionally well.

 

Pairings: Traditional Greek meze such as fried courgettes, grilled octopus and taramosalata will thank you for pairing them with such a great comrade in arms. Enjoy—and let the wine snobs turn blue.  

Gris de Nuit, Ktima Tselepos
This outstanding rosé wine is the new creation of Yiannis Tselepos, owner of a 12-acre estate in Arcadia, in the heart of the Peloponnese. This is where the indigenous Moschofilero grape flourishes, in the cold valley of Mantinia, which produces lively white wines. However, Moschofilero is a red grape variety whose slightly tainted rosé wines can also be called “gray”, following a night’s maceration of skins with juice. Intensely aromatic, bone-dry yet supple and creamy, this is an exemplary dry rosé in an Alsace-styled bottle for extra character. 

 

Pairings: This wine is fantastic with food, especially fish and seafood, Asian cuisine, and fine hors d’oeuvres. Also great as an aperitif with no food at all.    

For more great wines, and tips on what to look for when buying Greek wine, visit: thisisathens.org
Photo by: Amalia Kovaiou

The year 2020 will be remembered as the year that has altered everybody’s lifestyle.

Staying at home to keep our families and ourselves safe, is a perfect opportunity to engage with our loved ones and create memories and new traditions.

This year let's appreciate more than just the warmth of our homes - let Cocooning's Christmas Experience Delivery Menu enchant you by making your holiday table a unique gastronomic experience!

Getting the cameras rolling in the Greek capital, however, has not always been easy. Red tape and a shortage of competitive incentives have often driven filmmakers elsewhere. But now the stage has been set to transform Athens into a “Film Friendly City” with the launch of an Athens Film Office and boosted cash rebates from the Greek Government. In the best practice of major European cities, the new Athens Film Office will be a one-stop-shop for receiving and managing film and television requests, facilitating filming requirements, and acting as a go-between to clear bureaucratic obstacles for overseas productions.

According to the Athens Film Office website, makers of films, television episodes, or advertisements will soon have over 70+ Athenian locations to choose from. Current options span from landmark squares like Syntagma and Omonia and Athens’ emblematic National Garden, to the Maria Callas Municipal Theatre with its magisterial lobby, and contemporary urban hub, Technopolis, in Gazi.

The new approach is already paying off. More than 10 international audiovisual works (movies, TV series, and advertising) will take place this year despite the pandemic and two-month lockdown; with work already underway on several. 

Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis Says: "The Municipality of Athens, through the Athens Film Office, aspires to play a leading role in the effort to better utilize the development potential of the city, so that in the near future, Athens becomes a key pole of attraction for new investments - and hosts more and more international film productions.”

 

In the city’s bid to lure more big movie makers to the city, the Athens Film Office - which comes under the "umbrella" of the Athens Development & Destination Management Agency (EATA) - will also work closely with the This is Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau to ensure that international film executives have access to premium facilities and services throughout their stay.

Celebrating Christmas and New Year in Greece goes together with many traditions, such as sweets, and carols.  During December, you can listen to Greek carols all over the country: in Greek, they are called “kalanta”.

Greece is rich in music and depending on the geographical regions, there are also different Christmas and New Year songs, using different instruments and rhythms.

Because this year it is doubtful Greek children will be able to sing from door to door, due to the coronavirus, we selected some examples of Greek “kalanta“ for you to listen to online. At the same time, we took the opportunity to introduce you to some Greek geography! Enjoy!

Christmas Carol from Crete 

Crete is the largest island in Greece and the fifth-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is also the most populous island in Greece with a population of more than 600,000 people.

 

LISTEN TO THE CAROL HERE

Christmas Carol from Trace

Western Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia, Epirus, and sometimes Thessaly, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece. It is also called Greek Thrace to distinguish it from Eastern Thrace, which lies east of the river Evros and forms the European part of Turkey. In Thrace live about 400.000 people. More than two-thirds of the population are Orthodox Christian Greeks, while the other third are Muslims, who are an officially recognized minority of Greece. Of these, about half are of Turkish origin, while another third are Pomaks who mainly inhabit the mountainous parts of the region.

LISTEN TO THE CAROL HERE  

New Year Carol from Ikaria

Ikaria belongs to the Aegean islands – separate islands in the North Aegean Sea, but are often grouped under the general term for tourist or administrative purposes. The largest among them are Lesbos (the third largest island in Greece), Thassos, Samos, Chios, Ikaria, Lemnos and Samothraki.

LISTEN TO THE CAROL HERE  

New Year Carol from the Dodecanese Islands 

The Dodecanese are a group of 12 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, of which 26 are inhabited. The most historically important and well-known is Rhodes (Rodos), which, for millennia, has been the island from which the region is controlled. Also, Kos and Patmos are historically very important; the remaining nine of the 12 are Astipalea, Kalimnos, Karpathos, Kasos, Leros, Nisyros, Symi, Tilos, and Kastellorizo.

LISTEN TO THE CAROL HERE

Visit OMILO to read and listen to the entire Greek New Year song in Greek and learn more about Christmas and New Year traditions!

Omilo Greek Language and Culture inspires people from all over the world to learn Greek, while exploring Greece. They offer 1- and 2-week courses for adults that combine beautiful course locations, experienced teachers, and a balanced combination of Greek classes with cultural activities. All these make Omilo a place where people enjoy learning modern Greek and have fun.

Besides the courses, Omilo also creates online publications to help adults expand their language skills through Language Books and eBooks for different language levels.

 

When living in Greece, it feels nice if you can communicate in Greek, even to a minimum level. For example, you could say a nice “Greek wish” to a Greek-speaking friend or acquaintance.  Being able to say a Greek everyday wish, makes you feel part of Greek society.

 

In Greece, every circumstance seems to be an occasion for a wish, a good word. It is a way to express love, joy, sympathy, and much more. In this article, you find a small selection of popular wishes. If you want more, you are welcome to download the free eBook with the link at the end of this article. So let's start!

Καλό μήνα! [Kalo mina] – (Have a) Good month! = 1st of every month.

Καλή εβδομάδα! [Kali evdomada] – (Have a) Good Week! = Every Monday

Καλό σαββατοκύριακο! [Kalo savatokirako] - Enjoy your weekend

Καλή χρονιά! [Kali chronia] – Happy New Year! = 1st of January and for several days before and after …

When Eating Or Drinking

Καλή όρεξη! [kali orexi] - Enjoy your meal!

Γεια μας! [yia mas] - Cheers! (literally: to our health)

Γεια στα χέρια σου! [gia sta xeria sou] - "Bless your hands" (a wish to the person who cooked the nice meal)

New Acquisitions

Even if someone is buying something, people in Greece also use wishes:

 

Με γεια! [Me gia] – With health! = enjoy your new acquisition …. Usually for clothes and shoes. (Also used when you had a haircut!)

Καλορίζικο! [Kaloriziko] – Good luck! = Used when people buy bigger property (houses, shops), or move to another house. From the words ‘good’ and ‘root’ = have good roots!

Sickness

When somebody is not well or sick, it is nice to wish them:

Περαστικά! [Perastika] – Get Well! = May your illness pass quickly!

Σιδερένιος! [Siderenios] – “Iron!” = May you be strong as iron again!

Traveling

For someone traveling or ready to leave, you can wish him the following:

Καλό δρόμο!/ Στο καλό! [Kalo dromo!/Sto kalo!] – Drive (home) safely!

Καλό ταξίδι! [Kalo taksidi] – “Have a nice trip!” = Travel by any means of transport.

Καλή αντάμωση! [Kali antamosi] – “Until we meet again!” = may we meet again.

Καλές διακοπές! [Kales diakopes] – Enjoy your holidays!

Congratulating

A very pleasant and positive wish, you can use many times!

Συγχαρητήρια! [sicharitiria] - Congratulations

Μπράβο![bravo] - Bravo!

Και σε ανώτερα! [ke se anotera] - "To an even more successful/better future"

Interested in more? Then download our free eBook and audio pronounciation guide, by clicking on this link.

XpatAthens works with writers, bloggers, cultural platforms, and local media houses in order to give our readers unique, useful, and up-to-date content.

We are always looking to meet and connect with new content contributors. If you believe that your content would be a positive addition to XpatAthens, click here to learn more about working with us!

Omilo Greek Language and Culture inspires people from all over the world to learn Greek, while exploring Greece. They offer 1- and 2-week courses for adults that combine beautiful course locations, experienced teachers, and a balanced combination of Greek classes with cultural activities. All these make Omilo a place where people enjoy learning modern Greek and have fun.

Besides the courses, Omilo also creates online publications to help adults expand their language skills through Language Books and eBooks for different language levels.

 

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Read OMILO'S first article, here
Visit OMILO.com, here

 

 

 

The Messinian land constitutes a special and historic place for the Greek Revolution of 1821. It is a region where some of the most important battles were given, such as the battle of Sphacteria, in Niokastro, the battle of Maniaki, which cost the life of the Greek hero Papaflessas, but also the naval battle of Navarino which essentially sealed the end of the Revolution and marked the liberation of Greece, resulting in the establishment of the modern Greek state.

Run Messinia is an ultramarathon race of a total distance of approximately 421 kilometers, a tribute to the important events and unforgettable battles of the heroes of 1821. At the beginning of March 2021, during the “Run for Freedom” edition, 10 runners will attempt to run 10 long distances, in 10 days, crossing historical places and monuments of Messinia, which are related to the Greek revolution.

10 runners - 10 marathons in total - 10 days!
Every day, a total of 10 runners will participate in each race. The ambassador of the Run Messinia - Run for Freedom will be the remarkable Greek-American ultramarathon runner Dean Karnazes, one of the 100 most influential people in the world, according to TIME magazine. Karnazes will run all 10 races, in 10 consecutive days. At this point, we should note that a lot of American volunteers fought heroically alongside Greeks during the Greek Revolution.
In the context of his participation in this historic ultra marathon, Karnazes stated: “As a proud Greek-American, it is a great honor to be part of this historic undertaking which recognizes and celebrates Greek independence on this momentous 200-year anniversary. The run will not be easy, though neither was the Greek fight for freedom”.

Maria Polyzou, the Greek running champion, born in Patras, who won the First Gold Medal in the Balkan Marathon race, the first Greek woman to compete in a marathon at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, the woman who holds the Greek record in the Marathon (2:33:40) and completed the Pheidippides Feat Athens-Sparta-Athens 524km run and eventually an endurance running coach, said about this project: “This is an event that honors the great war of 1821. It is very important that the Greek revolution will be recognized by a race like an ultramarathon and that we will honor the cities from which the revolution began in our own way. I wish you good luck in the event. I am by your side”.

We honor history by running!
The region of Messinia led the Greek War of Independence, with chiefs and politicians originating from the specific area, while their descendants still play a leading role in the political and social life of Greece. On the eve of the 1821 Revolution, where revolutionary upheaval prevailed throughout Greece and mainly in the Peloponnese, with the start of the Revolution already being decided, Messinia contributed with a number of warlords and 2 fighters who had been initiated for the purposes of the Philiki Eteria “Friendly Society”, such as Theodoros Kolokotronis, Grigorios Dikaios or Papaflessas, Nikitaras, Anagnostaras, Papatsonis and many more.

The event honors these great heroes of 1821 who led the War battles to the liberation of Greece. The greatest moment in the history of Messinia and especially of Kalamata was the liberation of the city on March 23, 1821, when the Greek chiefs, with the assistance of the fighters from Mani under the leader Petrobey Mavromichalis, entered the city and liberated it.

In collaboration with the world-famous Peloponnesian ultramarathon runner, Karnazes, the event highlights the values ​​of the heroes who covered long distances on foot with great vigor and self-denial in order to fight and move from city to city, comparing these values with the ones that we find today in the long distance running. After all, running is a sport that was born in Greece. A long-distance race demands much more from the athlete than the shorter distance races, not only physically but mainly psychologically and mentally. This race, taking place in the mountains offers the athlete the opportunity to experience situations that no other road race can offer. The challenge is great, as so is the reward. In Run Messinia, each athlete competes not only with other runners but also with the mountain and nature itself, as well as his own personal boundaries. The event came to highlight the importance of overcoming adversities and never quitting, values synonymous with those of the 1821 Revolution and Greek History in general. As the athletes consider it impossible to achieve the 10 long distances within 10 days, similarly, people considered the result of the Revolution historically impossible.

421km run in Messinian land!
The event aims to highlight the history and feature both culturally and touristically all the areas associated with the Greek Revolution in Messinia. The starting point of “Run for Freedom” will be Areopoli. Runners will have the opportunity to pass through historical places of Messinia such as Kardamyli, Verga, Kalamata, Nedousa, Poliani, Skala, Neochori, Katsarou, Solaki, Meropi, Loutro, Diavolitsi, Kallirroi, Ramovouni, Maniaki, Kato Minagia, Koroni, Methoni, Neokastro, the village of Kremmidia, Schinolakka, Paleokastro and of course to finish at the historic Pylos.

Messinian ultramarathon runner Vassilis Koumanakos, who has completed the “Marathon de Sables” 260km race in the Sahara desert, said about his participation in Run Messinia: “It is a special honor to run in the footsteps of great warriors and visit their dens, which were the strongholds of the Greek national liberation war of ‘21. What we will remember is that FREEDOM is not just a word in our national anthem, but it is a situation for which we must fight every day. And this struggle determines our Fate”.

Participations in the race will be by invitation only, while very few spots will open to the public. The event will be held in accordance with the strict health protocol and the approval of the Health Scientific Committee of the General Secretariat of Sports, with respect to the Covid-19 pandemic conditions. Active Media Group has undertaken the event’s Sports Production. More information on the dates, schedule, routes and details of Run Messinia will be announced in the upcoming weeks.