Ιδού, ο Νυμφίος 'Ερχεται - Behold the Bridegroom Cometh - Megali Deftera- Holy Monday

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, Κυριακή των Βαΐων, and the church celebrated the glorious and brilliant feast of the Entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem (John 12:1-18). Zechariah had prophesied the entrance of the Messiah into Jerusalem, saying:  



“Rejoice greatly ... O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, the King comes unto Thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass”, Zech. 9:9. 



The contemporary Jews associated this prophecy with the expected Messiah. This action of Christ testifies to His nature as Messiah, but with the definite declaration that His Kingdom was not of this world. The main road leading to Jerusalem was covered with palm trees.



The multitudes, with palm branches in their hands, spread their cloaks on the road as a show of respect, crying out 



“Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.”  



A custom of distributing branches of palms to the people in the Church prevails to this day.



During the remainder of Holy Week, the Church advances its liturgical life by about twelve hours, celebrating morning services the night before, and evening services in the morning.

On Palm Sunday evening, the Church celebrates the Orthros (Matins) of Holy Monday, in the first of four “Bridegroom Services.” Christ is called the “Bridegroom” because in His Passion, He gives His life for His Bride, the people of God, the Church, just as a husband will sacrifice everything for his wife and family. From Holy Monday to Holy Wednesday, some parishes celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the morning.  

This very ancient Divine Liturgy is a Vespers Service, with the Holy Communion given from the sanctified gifts from the Liturgy on the previous Sunday. This Liturgy is very solemn, and spiritual, reflecting the grandeur and simplicity of the early Church. 

In the Orthros of Holy Monday, the Church remembers the blessed and noble Joseph and the fig tree which was cursed and withered by the Lord. 

 In the Orthros of Holy Tuesday, celebrated this Holy Monday evening, the Church remembers the parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), who were waiting for the arrival of the Bridegroom at a wedding feast.

Ιδού, ο νυμφίος έρχεται
εν τω μέσω της νυκτός
και  μακάριος ο δούλος
ο ευρήσει γρηγορούνται,
ανάξιος δε πάλιν,
ον  ευρήσει ραθυμούντα
βλέπε ούν, ψυχή μου,
μη τω ύπνω κατενεχθής
ίνα  μη τω θανάτω παραδοθής,
και της βασιλείας έξω κλεισθής
αλλά  ανάνηψον κράζουσα
άγιος, άγιος, άγιος ει ο θεός ημών,
διά της  θεοτόκου ελέησον ημάς.

Happy Tsiknopempti - Καλή Τσικνοπέμπτη - 2011!!!

Doing Tsiknopempti justice... 

Souvlakia, loukanika, pita bread, paidakia and some salad - straight from the grill!

Today is Tsiknopempti - literally, smokey Thursday - and as this week is traditionally the last meat-eating week before Lent, it has been named as the Thursday when everybody goes out on the town to eat traditionally grilled meat ...tsikna is the smell associated with meat being grilled!

Tavernas around Greece are generally jam packed on this day as most people go out and celebrate the carnival in style, whether they are in masquerade or not! Be sure to book wherever you may be going or you may be disappointed! 

Tsiknopempti, February 24, 2011

In Athens

We haven't been able to locate an official proramme for Tsiknopempti  for the City of Athens this year, probably because of the economic cutbacks, but there are plenty of tavernas you can go to to enjoy the day!

In London

A celebration of Greek Carnival with food, music and Greek dancing organised by Lykion ton Hellinidon - 7.30pm

Great Hall, Hellenic Centre, 

16-18 Paddington Street,

London W1U 5AS.

Further information and bookings on 020 8441 6332 or 020 820183332

To read more about Carnival Events in London, Click Here 

In Los Angeles

For a Tsiknopempti with a difference, join the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival (LAGFF) team in welcoming visiting cast and crew members of the DOGTOOTH who will be in Los Angeles in support of Greece's Oscar® nomination for Best Foreign Language Film 



9pm at the 

MIRABELLE RESTAURANT

8768 West Sunset Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90069

(310) 659-6022  

For those who aren't going out, and this year there will be a few and not just for economic reasons! In Athens it's one of those stay-home-and-get-cosy nights. It's been raining since noon, the roads are wet and you can easily fall into a man-sized puddle, so get together with family and friends, throw some souvlakia, steaks, chops and sausages on the grill-psistaria - Bar BQ, pour everyone a glass of wine or tsipouro, and enjoy the night!!!

Kai tou hronou! :) 

CELEBRATING EASTER IN THE GLOBAL GREEK WORLD

Today is Holy Wednesday (Megali Tetarti) and Greek people all over the world are preparing for the Orthodox Easter and all it entails! (Most of us had a break for the Western Easter holiday and we are now getting ready for our second Easter in a week. This was always, and still is, a bonus for those of us who live(d) outside Greece)Greek Holy Week effectively started last Saturday with the Resurrection of Lazarus, followed by the Palm Sunday services. For a very good description of the Holy Week Services click hereThe celebration of Easter in Greece is the most significant and symbolic of all the religious feasts and because it is springtime in Greece, the whole country is ablaze with the beautiful colours of the season. Easter is traditionally a time when most people go to their villages or islands, to take part in these very traditional celebrations with their extended families and enjoy the peace and serenity of the countryside, dressed for the occasion in it's magnificent spring clothes!For those who remain in Athens or the big cities, the sights and sounds of Holy Week are pretty unique. As you walk down the streets and go past the many churches, you can hear the bells toll mournfully or the melodious chanting of the hauntingly beautiful Holy Week hymns; you can see people going in to light a candle, to pray or just to sit and listen. If you are lucky and happen to be in Syntagma Square on Good Friday, you can watch the Epitaphio procession of all the churches in the near vicinity come together in the Square. A truly unique and magnificent sight!For those of us who aren't fortunate enough to celebrate Easter in Greece, Easter wherever in the world we are is steeped in ritual and tradition and is very much part of our Greek heritage. Each Community's Church becomes the focal point and the Holy Week services attract even those people who are not regular church-goers. Our homes are spruced up and readied for the family celebrations and the big feast after a period of fasting for Lent.On Holy Wednesday we would put on our best and go to Church to be anointed with Holy Myrrh. This was always interesting as children as we weren't quite sure what to do with the oil on our hands as we knew we shouldn't just wipe it off! On Holy Thursday, we used to go for Communion in the morning and in the evening for the Dodeka Evangelia service, waiting for the moment when the lights were dimmed and the Priest would come out bearing the cross of the Crucifixion and chanting the hymn of the Crucifixion.On Good Friday it was time to take flowers to church and help decorate the Epitaphio before going back home to get ready for the Apokathilosi Service and then the Egkomia, some of us taking our places next to the Epitaphio as Myroforoi holding baskets filled with sweet-smelling rose petals to be scattered over 'the Body of Christ' lying at rest. As we grew older we could join the church choir and take part in the service, singing the beautifully worded verses of the Egkomia or the Lamentations. The young men of the Community were the altar boys and carried the crosses and banners (Ksapteryga) for the procession.

Almost everyone attends the Good Friday (Epitaphio) Service, holding a candle and solemnly following the Epitaphio Procession as it is carried around the Church grounds or around the neighbourhood.

The Midnight Resurrection (Anastasi) Service is also a must and everyone clambers to be the first to light his or her candle from the Fos, or the light from the Holy Sepulchre, at the stroke of Midnight as the Priest chants Defte Lavete Fos, enjoying the fireworks as we gather outside the Church for the Xristos Anesti!On Easter Sunday (Kyriaki tou Pascha) we roast our lamb either in the oven or on the traditional spit and spend much of the day eating and drinking trying to see who will win in the traditional Tsougrisma of the Eggs! ( we have yet to find a good translation for this one...so we have left it in Grenglish).Apart from the spiritual fulfillment and sense of renewal, once the services are over it is a wonderful opportunity to catch up with friends and be with family, to exchange kisses (always a good excuse if we rather liked someone but were too shy to tell them straight out) and wish each other 'Xristos Anesti' (Christ is Risen) and 'Alithos Anesti'! (Truly, He is Risen). Listen to celebrated Global Greek Irene Papas sing her own unique version of Xristos Anesti (from the magnificent album 'ODES' in collaboration with Vangelis Papathanasiou )

It is interesting to note that many Greek communities around the world make the Anastasi and Easter Day celebrations a Community event so that all members can come, bringing their family and friends, both Greek and non-Greek, to join in the festivities.These are special memories to hold on to and cherish - the traditional bonds of Church and Family which are timeless and hold strong in the Greek Orthodox Church.To all our Greek-Something friends around the world who are in the process of dying Eggs, baking Koulourakia and Tsourekia, planning for the Mageiritsa and generally making preparations for this year's Megali Evdomada, we would like to congratulate you for keeping these wonderful traditions going and wish each and everyone of youKali Anastasi & Kalo Pascha !! Have a Truly Blessed Easter!