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Post by daveh on Nov 20, 2017 8:58:18 GMT 2
Tomorrow is the feast of The Presentation of the Virgin Mary to the Temple. There will be a service in the Church in Sfakera at 10.30am. At the end the congregation are given some food (details of this special bread/cake tomorrow ) and later families have a feast, a day you can eat during the pre Christmas fast.
This is one of 4 feast days in celebration of Virgin Mary. When God selected her to be Mother of Christ he selected not from nobility but the humble. Mary was daughter of Joachim and Anna, childless for many years, short of despair Anna prayed that God grant her a child with promise that she would pledge child to Holy Temple if it was granted. She had a child, Mary, and presented her to the Temple on 21st November shortly after her 3rd birthday. She remained 12 years emerging with purity and wholesomeness found in no other creature of God. Virgin Mary is looked upon in Orthodoxy as "Panagia" - translates as all encompassing saint.
The other 3 feast days are, 8th September being her birthday, the Annunciation of Virgin Mary on 25th March and Dormition of Virgin Mary on 15th August.
Tomorrow is also Name Day for Mary, Maria.
Today i have been asked to go to the village to help prepare for the celebration. I will report back later.
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Post by daveh on Nov 20, 2017 14:15:14 GMT 2
So this morning i arrive at 9.30am to help. Apparently this ancient Greek tradition was to thank for crops this year and pray for good crops next year. So we put hard shelled wheat into tubs, soak in water to soften. Meantime get drums on gas burner, 2/3rds fill with water and bring to boil. Drain wheat add to drums and continuously stir with large wooden paddles for about 90 minutes. Good physical workout with steam into face as well. The occasional glass tsipouro helped! Meantime women were taking seeds from pomegranates.
Salt was added to water half way through. Once soft enough the wheat was drained in muslin cloth, washed with cold water and put aside. We had a drink of the liquid. Job done. Retreat to taverna for a beer
Later once cold the wheat, pomegranate seds will be made into a bread/cake to be given to all after Church tomorrow. I'm told service starts about 8.30 and ends about midday. I will go sometime and report back on the final bread.
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Post by daveh on Nov 21, 2017 13:39:00 GMT 2
This morning the church service start at 8am and last 3 hours, i arive just after 9am and it got busier as time passed. Nice atmosphere and about 100 in church by end of service. Outside there were sweat buns, the boiled wheat in tubs with pomegranate seeds, raisins, sugar coated almonds, plus an array of small cakes. More than enough for all. People then departed for family feasts or to the Taverna for coffee, oyzo or a beer.
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