Orthodox Christians in Ghana are singing “Christ is Risen” in their own, special way! You see, one undivided Orthodox Church yet so many different and amazing traditions and ways of worship <3
This makes me so proud of being an Orthodox Christian :) Χριστός Ανέστη!
I can’t stop singing it (in all the languages, even though I don’t understand the majority of them!)
Christ is Risen!
Holy Monday
The first three days of Holy Week remind us of Christ’s last instructions with his disciples. These teachings are remembered in the celebration of the Great Compline, Matins, Hours, and Liturgy during these days. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts celebrated these days includes readings from Exodus, Job, and Matthew.
The Matins services of the evenings of Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, and Holy Tuesday, anticipating the events of the next day, share a common theme. These Bridegroom Services are derived from the Parable of the Ten Virgins, which calls for preparedness at the Second Coming, for the “thief comes in the middle of the night.” (Matt. 26:1-13)
Hello my dear Elleni,
I will keep you, and your family in my prayers. I’ll pray that God will make you healthy again and He’ll help your family. Thanks in advance for your prayers for me.
God bless you, blessed Holy Week!
Today, us Greeks have a double feast: an Orthodox and a historical one.
1) As far as the Orthodox one, today Orthodox Christians worldwide are commemorating The Annunciation by Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she should become the mother of Jesus Christ the Son of God. 25th March is exactly nine months before Christmas!
2) Greek Orthodox specificaly today are also celebrating the War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. The “Greek Revolution” was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between 1821 and 1830. For another time, the Greek people with the help of God and the support of Virgin Mary managed to achieve great things, to earn their freedom.
So, to all the Orthodox Christians of the world, blessed Feast of the Annunciation, and to all the Greek Orthodox specifically, happy Annunciation and happy Greek Independence Day!
Hello dear friend,
From my experience, despite the fact the vast majority of us are baptized Orthodox, not all of us are participating in Church services. While a big percentage of people are attending Christmas, Paschal and Theotokos’ services, a smaller amount is participating weekly in Divine Liturgy. And those that are attending daily the Orthros and the Vespers are even fewer. Many Greeks today say that are not believing in God.
The percentage of those that are active members of the Church is about 40% of the baptized - if I am not mistaken. But, while the previous years people had abandoned the Church, now with the crisis that people have lost hope on money, on politicians, on everything are staring to return to the Church once again. I have seen this with my own eyes.
Greece without the Orthodox Church is something meaningless, pointless. Only when we return back to God we will be as happy and complete as before!
God bless you!
These are the traditional New Year’s Eve carols that children sing! I’ll post more versions of different parts of Greece soon! :)
Καλημέρα dear Elleni!
I will certainly keep your family in your prayers! I hope you don’t mind that I post your message in my blog (if you want me to delete it just tell it to me), I post it because more people may want to pray for your dearest family. I love that you included all the members of the family, it’s so sweet! (and so Greek as well :D) I hope that things for your uncle Lee will be better as soon as possible, with God’s help!
Many greetings from the motherland!
While Most of the Orthodox Christian world celebrates the Holy Protection, or Agia Skepi, of the Theotokos on October 1st according to ancient custom, Greeks celebrate the Holy Protection on October 28th as a special holiday in order to invite the secular government of Greece to honor the Theotokos for her special protection over the Greek people during World War 2.
The celebration of Holy Protection dates back to 626 A.D., when the miraculous intervention of the Theotokos saved Constantinople from the Avars (Turkish-Mongolian Nomads), and it was officially established that October 1st be the date to honor this miracle. All Orthodox Christians celebrated this feast on October 1st until 21 October 1952 when the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece decreed (Συνοδικές Εγκύκλιοι, Τόμος Β’, Αθήνα 1956, σελ. 649) that from henceforth there was to be celebrated in Greece a dual feast of the Holy Protection and the national holiday of “OXI”, which commemorates Greek freedom from Italian occupation, on October 28th. A Service was specially written by Elder Gerasimos Mikragiannanites for this feast on October 28th.
I wish to every single Orthodox Christian to have a Blessed Feast, no matter if you commemorate it today or on October 1! God bless you brothers and sisters in Christ!
October 28 - Ochi day
“Until now, we knew that Greeks were fighting like heroes; from now on we shall say that heroes fight like Greeks.”
- Winston Churchill, 1940
“Ochi Day” is the day that Italy sent an ultimatum to Ionannis Metaxas, Greece’s PM to surrender to Italian forces and surrender control of Greece. The two countries hadn’t even officially fired a shot at each other. Greece was not involved in the Second World War yet. The Prime Minister sent only a one word statement to Mussolini OXI! (NO!)
The entire nation then mobilized, they were outnumbered with out dated equipment but managed to route the Italian troops in Albania. The Greek victory became the first victory for the allies in the war.
The Germans, who had been planning an invasion of the Soviet Union, turned their attention to Greece and launched a massive invasion. The well trained and equipped German troops routed the Greek regular army and seized control of the country but not of the people. The Greek resistance didn’t just rely on the armed fighting men and women but the resilience of the civilian population, who were the subject of retribution by the German’s, such as the murder of entire villages.
Greece’s resistance movement that started on October 28th OXI! Day, became an important part of the war, forcing Germany and Italy to spend valuable time and resources in an attempt to control the uncontrollable, the Spirit of Greece.
Today, in Greece we also commemorate the Holy Protection of the Theotokos. After the decision of the Holy Synod of Greece at 1950, instead of October 1 we commemorate this Great Feast in conjuction with our national day, because during the war Theotokos protected and gave strength to all the Greeks that fight in order to defend this beautiful country.
Οctober 28 is a really important day for Greece. It’s both our national day and the day that we commemorate the Holy Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, who helped so much the faithful Greek Orthodox during the difficult days for Greece. She appeared many times in front of the exhausted soldiers to strengthen their faith and to give them courage. She protected Greece both invisibly and visibly and she interceded to our Lord Jesus Christ in order to help us.
So, I wish to all the Greeks to have a happy “Ochi Day” and to all the Orthodox Christians of the world, a blessed Feast of the Holy Protection of Virgin Mary!
I have to say that I always used to have a special devotion to these to Saints, as well as all the Orthodox Christians, but especially I love Saint Paul because he’s the founder of the Church in Greece.
All the Churches here in Greece are getting ready for the great feast! The bells are ringing all day long..! Every Orthodox Church in every corner of the world has many special services to honour the two beloved Apostles, like Supplicatory Cannons and All-night vigils.
And of course on Saturday is the Feast of the Holy twelve Apostles. We really own them so much!
19 May Pontian-Greek Genocide
Greek genocide also known as the Pontic genocide, was the systematic killing of the Greek population of the Ottoman Empire during World War I and its aftermath (1914–1923). It was instigated by the government of the Ottoman Empire against the Greek population of the Empire and it included massacres, forced deportations involving death marches, summary expulsions, arbitrary executions, and destruction of Christian Orthodox cultural, historical and religious monuments.
Other ethnic groups were similarly attacked by the Ottoman Empire during this period, including Assyrians and Armenians.
May God rest in peace the victims…
Greece is a blessed country. Millions of Saints, Martyrs and heros have given their life for our Orthodoxy and our country. Keep their example close to your heart, stay close to Jesus and the Church and don’t worry about anything!
God’s protection and Mary’s prayers are covering our sweet motherland Greece!
Christ is Risen! Indeed, He is Risen!
A message from Hellenes (Greeks)… Please watch this!
