Apokories - it's all good clean fun!

APOKORIES  is three weeks before Lent, and on the first day of Lent there is Clean Monday (Kathari Deftera)- putting it simply another reason to have food and celebrate. The three organisations who have arranged this here in the village in the past had not enough money and had not raised money for this event, which is a great shame, so it was not held.

   For us the answer was simple - a short ride to the seaside village of Sissi, which was the first area that we came to on holiday many years ago.

  Here the tradition is alive and very well, it matters not who or where you are from you can enjoy the hospitality of the village and of the region - completely free. There is music down by the harbour front as well, so this year we went with some English friends, and settled by the waters edge. The event is very well organised and you go to the food area, grab a tray and your plates are filled. There is Fassouladia, a hot bean soup served with traditional flatbread. The plates were then filled with Fava (mashed split beans) Taramosalata (Fish roes), olives, traditional vegtables and then halva (sweet sesame) further down the line you take wine, beers, softdrinks and water and everything was free.

  Music, BBQ foods and then Loukomades (sweet dough) deep fried and served with honey were placed on every table, even if the people there were up dancing to the excellent music.

  

A new beginning

NEIGHBOURS Dimitri and Monica kindly invited us to the baptism of their son, also called Dimitri, another great experience. First to our local church for the official ceremony. Here the Godmother takes on special meanings and plays a great part of the ceremony. The child is bathed in the font into which is placed water and blessed olive oil. 

  Only when this is done is he dressed in special clothes for the day. It was all going well until the water part, and the youngster made sure that everybody when he was not too happy!! After all this tradition it was off to a local taverna, where guests were well fed and watered as they say. Most of the group invited were Romanians, so the music and dancing were different. Every guest at the church were handed little mementos, the family choosing a naval theme for the whole event. At the reception were specially made table decorations in the form of boats and there were special pins for everybody to wear.

  We thought as we left late that was the end of the events, but the next day the family called us when  it is traditional for the child to be bathed by the Godmother. Further food came out for all there, and even a BBQ later in the afternoon, as further friends called to add their best wishes,