VANCOUVER AREA CELEBRATES GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY
March 25th, 1821 marks the beginning of the Greek
Revolution against the Ottoman occupation of the Greek lands. It took over
a century before the land that now makes up modern day Greece was restored
to its people. Over the years many battles were fought and many lives were
sacrificed to achieve that. All over the globe, wherever people of Greek
ethnicity settled this has been an important day for them to celebrate as
part of their heritage. They may no longer live in Greece but Greece will
always be in their hearts. This day is commemorated
in the Greek Orthodox churches and communities. Memorial services
are held at the churches and Greek school children put on programs with
poems, songs and dances.
Here in the Vancouver area the celebrations this year were low key.
Gone now are the days of the free “open house” put on by the Greek
Consulate were the Consuls and Ambassadors of various other countries were
invited as well as
representatives of the various Greek organizations and
the general Greek
population. With the hard
economic times in Greece it could no longer continue to do so. So for the
last few years the Hellenic Community of Vancouver partnered with the
Greek Orthodox Community of East Vancouver and The Greek Orthodox
Community of Surrey and Fraser Valley to put on a dinner dance on the
Saturday night.
This year March 25th fell on a Monday so the
celebrations were held on Sunday, March 24th.
Metropolitan Sotirios has encouraged all the Greek churches and
communities across Canada to commemorate this day in their own churches
instead of just concentrating the celebrations in a few. So memorials were
also held at Ss. Nicholas & Dimitrios Church on Boundary Rd in
Vancouver and Ss. Constantine & Helen Church in Surrey as well as St.
George Cathedral in Vancouver, the site of the “official” celebration
for many years. The Greek
Consul General, The Greek Shipping Attaché, the Consul of Cyprus
and presidents of the various Greek communities and organizations were
invited to take part in the celebrations at St. George. Some Greek school
children attended, wearing
their national costumes. Many of the Greek organizations brought their
flags and banners as well as their memorial wreaths to the front of the
church during the service. After the service Fr. Demetrios read the
message, in Greek and English, from His Eminence, Metropolitan Sotirios.
The Consul-General of Greece Ilias Kremmidas also addressed the
congregation after the service and read the message from the President of
the Republic of Greece, Karolos Papoulias.
The flags and banners of the various Greek organizations were then
carried out of the church and placed around the cenotaph outside the
church and community center.
Then a memorial service was held at the cenotaph, led by Fr. Demetrios
Partsafas and by Fr. Dorotheos Tryfonopoulos.
The Consul -General of
Greece laid the first wreath
on behalf of the Republic of Greece.
He was followed by the Greek Shipping Attaché Antonios Mazis
on behalf of the Greek Ministry of Shipping
and by the Consul of Cyprus Tasoula Berggren on behalf of the
Republic of Cyprus. The Hellenic Community of Vancouver wreath was laid by
the community’s president Effi Kerasioti.
Memorial wreaths were also laid on behalf of Hellenic Canadian
Congress of BC, the AHEPA, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for
Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University, the Messinian Association,
the Alexander the Great Association, the Kefalonian Society, the
Roumeliotian Society, the Cretan society, the Arcadian society and many
others. The outdoor program concluded with the singing of both the Greek
and Canadian National anthems. Coffee and cookies were served in the hall.
The Greek Orthodox Community
of Surrey heeded the advice of Metropolitan Sotirios and held its own
celebrations for Greek Independence Day at Ss. Constantine & Helen
Church. After the church service and memorial the Greek Independence Day
message from Metropolitan
Sotirios was read. Coffee and
goodies were served in the hall. The Greek school children provided a
program of poems, song and dance.
At St. George Cathedral in Vancouver -Consul General of Greece Ilias Kremmidas reading Greek Independence Day message of the President of Greece
Vancouver March 25th memorial-Consul of Greece, Consul of Cyprus and Greek Shipping Attache waiting to lay their wreaths
March 25th Memorial in Vancouver
Consul General of Greece Ilias Kremmidas laying a
memorial wreath in Vancouver
Antonios Mazis laying a memorial wreath on behalf of the Greek Ministry of Shipping
Consul of Cyprus Tasoula Berggren representing the
Cyprus Consulate and the Cyprus Community of BC
Dino Kourtessis and others representing AHEPA
On behalf of the Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University
A moment of silence in honour of those who served their country during the War of Independence
March 25th memorial in Vancouver- ladies
of Philoptochos
March 25th memorial in Vancouver
March 25th memorial in Vancouver
On behalf of the Kephalonian Cultural Society -
Angelo Marinakis
March 25th memorial service in Vancouver
Remembering the sacrifices made during Greece’s War of Independence
March 25th celebrations in Vancouver
The Consul General of Greece and the Greek Shipping Attache in front of the cenotaph at the Hellenic Community Centre in Vancouver
Effi Kerasioti (president-Hellenic Community) Fr.
Dorotheos Tryfonopoulos, Greek Shipping Attache Antonios Mazis, Consul
General of Greece Ilias Kremmidas and Fr. Demetrios Partsafas of St.
George Cathedral in front of
the cenotaph after the conclusion of the March 25th memorial.
The cenotaph at the Hellenic Community Centre in
Vancouver with the memorial wreaths
President Effi Kerasiotis and Dino Kourtessis in the Hellenic Community Centre after the March 25th celebrations.
GREATER VANCOUVER AREA TURNS BLUE
Thousands of Greek flags were distributed free throughout
Vancouver and the
lower mainland in honour of Greek Independence Day.
Donors, including Greek
Media-Patrides sponsored the printing of ten thousand flags and a group of
volunteers, Greeks and Philhellenes helped
to assemble them. On Sunday
March 24th over two thousand flags were distributed at the
Greek Independence Day celebrations at St. George Cathedral and the
Hellenic Community of Vancouver. Thousands
more were distributed along with Patrides newspaper throughout the various
Greek communities and Greek businesses across the lower mainland.
One of the volunteers who helped prepare the Greek flags for free distribution around Vancouver- Philhellene Edward Hartley
A few of the volunteers assembling the Greek flags – Paulina Goritsas, Joana Farkas and Bill Goritsas
Μερικοί
από τους εθελοντές καθώς συναρμολογούν
τις ελληνικές σημαίες (Παυλίνα
Γκορίτσας, Ιωάννα Φάρκας, και Βασίλης
Γκορίτσας)
GREEK CELEBRATIONS –NOT A MONEY MAKER
For many years Greek communities
in Canada have looked upon the Greek national celebrations such as Greek
Independence Day and OXI Day not so much as in the spirit of commemoration
but rather as an opportunity to raise funds.
When
the Greek immigrants first came to this country the Greek national
celebrations provided a tie to their homeland and culture. They did not
have much money but the whole community got involved in the celebrations.
Sadly we have gotten away from these humble beginnings.
Over time, as the people prospered and built more churches and community centers the need for money to keep them operating also increased. Elaborate dinner dances were put on. For many years they proved profitable but then a decline set in. Over the years the cost of putting on such events has increased. Of course these costs are then passed on in the cost of the tickets. Each time ticket prices increase, fewer people attend and profits go down. Also the younger Greek-Canadians, many of them third generation or more Canadians do not depend upon the Greek Communities so much for their socialization. They have many interests outside the church and the community. Also as the grandparents or parents age an evening of loud music, dancing and drinking no longer has the same appeal to them as when they were younger. So it is not surprising that the dinner dances are not showing the profits of the past.
A
case in point is the dinner dance held on March 23rd at the
Hellenic Community Centre of Vancouver. This was a joint venture by three
communities, the Hellenic Community of Vancouver, the Greek Orthodox
Community of East Vancouver and the Greek Orthodox Community of Surrey and
Fraser Valley. The tickets
were thirty-five dollars each. Only children under twelve years old got
the discounted price of twenty dollars.
However between the
three communities less than two hundred people, including invited guests
took part in the event.
Last
year the previous Consul- General of Greece,
Mr. George Ayfantis
stated that although Greece could no longer afford to sponsor the free
events here for the Greek Independence Day it was not proper for the
communities to use the day or other national holidays for making money.
The celebration should be held at the churches and community centers on
the Sunday closest to the actual day and should be free to all, to
encourage everyone, young, old and those between to gather in celebration.
There is nothing wrong with the various Greek organizations holding their annual dances and fundraisers but to use the Greek Independence Day, OXI Day, Christmas and Easter for that purpose is inappropriate.
Perhaps it is time to take a change in direction, a return to
the past were the main purpose of these celebrations was to bring people
together. Instead of the
fancy dinners what is wrong with a good old fashioned pot-luck? The Greek Orthodox Community of Surrey and Fraser Valley is
leading the way. It is featuring a free celebration on Pascha Sunday. The
community is providing the roast lamb but parishioners will be providing
the rest of the food for the free buffet.
