The Easter Egg Battle

During my childhood, Easter was never one of my favorite holidays. The competition always beat me in every Easter egg hunt, the kids table never got to eat first at brunch, and the chocolate crosses we ate for dessert were bought the year before during post-Easter sales (not to mention I can't paint an egg to save my life). And before I knew what the holiday stood for, I used to think the whole day was solely dedicated to a creepily personified rabbit that hid things from helpless children.

But now that I understand the reason Christians celebrate Easter, I can appreciate many of my family's holiday traditions. For my final blog, I thought I would explain the symbolism behind two of our seemingly weird Easter practices.

Tradition #1: The Red Eggs

In most normal households— or at least how I picture most normal households— families gather round their kitchen table laughing together and painting their cute little eggs with various pastel colors. My house, however, usually only paints our eggs one color: red.

I know, nothing says "the holidays" like blood-red eggs.

But while having dozens of these monochrome eggs may seem boring and anti-holiday-like, there is much symbolism behind red egg cracking. Greeks paint their Easter eggs red to represent the blood of Christ, and the hard exterior of the egg is supposed to symbolize the sealed tomb. When we crack the eggs, the broken shell represents Christ's apparent resurrection from the dead. 

Basically, on Easter Day, the whole family gets together to crack eggs at dinner. After each person chooses the egg he/she feels has the strongest potential to win, two people go head-to-head in a full out egg-cracking battle; one person hits his opponent's egg from above, and the other hits from below. Only one of the battling eggs will end up cracking (this is the loser egg), and the winner gets to move on to the next person to fight again. This pattern continues around the whole table until the last un-cracked egg remains standing. Whoever owns this winning egg gets good luck for the year.

red Easter eggs ready to be cracked

*photo courtesy of Jen*

my sister and cousins dying eggs at our church

Tradition #2: The Cheese Pie
Contrary to the other savory pie I've talked about, spanikopita, this treat is made mostly of cheese. My family makes close to a hundred of these little pies every Easter season using my great-grandmother's "secret" recipe. For some reason, we only get to enjoy this Greek comfort food one time a year; and though this was the first Easter I wasn't home to help bake, I'm looking forward to going home this weekend and eating all the left overs. The tradition behind these pies deals with our 40-day fast throughout lent. Cheese pies are usually made on Holy Friday so they can be thoroughly enjoyed when the fast is broken on Easter Day.

my mom & yiayia next to one of this year's batches of cheese pies 

(photo quality is bad, but the pies are very good)

So, while Greeks celebrate Easter in a slightly peculiar way, the traditions we share every year are worth the annual wait. I guess the overall message from all of my posts is that yes, Greeks do life a little differently than most, but that's what makes the culture interesting. Each country's different customs make it unique, and though it pains me to say this, I admit that I, like all of my Greek relatives, am proud of my Greek heritage.

Why Not Celebrate Your Name?

All of us have that one special day each year when we get to pick our favorite restaurant for dinner, our family and friends shower us with presents/wishes for a good day, and our grandmothers bake us special treats. Though its just once a year, the excitement of having a whole day solely dedicated to our happiness is enough to pull us through the rest of the year. For most people, the day I just described resembles their birthday. But for Greeks, the most important day of the year is your name day. In fact, birthdays are hardly celebrated at all in Greece.

I know what you must be thinking, and to be quite honest I thought it was weird at first, too. How could some day dedicated to a name be half as fun as the anniversary of your birth? Well, to answer that question I should first explain what exactly a name day is.

Similarly to how Catholics receive a confirmation name, Greeks are given a name when they are baptized as an infant. The baby is named after a saint, and each saint has a specific day of the year dedicated to his memory. This day, as the name would suggest, is the person's name day.

For example, my Greek name is Eftihia (meaning "joy"), after the saint Eftihios. Because my patron saint's day of remembrance is April 6th, my name day is this Thursday. My grandmother's Greek name is also Eftihia- its customary in Greek culture to name your first daughter after her maternal grandmother- so we get to share the same name day. 

My family enjoys name days so much that we have even given non-Greek people a Greek name just so we have the opportunity to celebrate another name day. My boyfriend as well as my sister's and my friends have all been given Greek names of their own, based on their American names. (But don't worry, all of them were pretty excited to have this new name, seeing as they were practically given a second birthday.)

There are many traditions associated with these name days that bare much resemblance to American birthdays. Special treats, parties, and- perhaps most importantly- gifts accompany every celebration. Fellow Greeks will wish the celebrants a good day much like you'd send a happy birthday text; swap the word "birthday" with "name day" and you're good to go. One of the only differences between a regular birthday and a name day is the substitution of cake for the Greek pastry, halva.

My grandmother, who loves name days so much that she never forgets any of my family members', always makes this dessert on our shared day. Halva is made up of pretty much just semolina and corn oil, but the simple flavor is so addictive that you'll never want to stop eating the stuff. Every year, my family looks forward to this exclusive indulgence; its one of those foods you only really get to eat once a year. And though I won't be home to gorge myself with halva this Thursday, I'm hoping to get some leftover scraps at Easter. 

a picture of some nice-looking halva (the Greek dessert pastry)

*photo courtesy of Kayla Clements*

So if you're ever curious as to what your Greek name and saint might be (or you just want an excuse to celebrate your life twice a year), give it a quick Google search. If the partying and presents aren't worth it, the halva definitely is.

Greek Bucket List

Have you ever felt the sudden urge to just drop everything and explore the world? In these last few stressful weeks of class, I can't help but imagine what my life would be like if I could hop on an airplane and see all the countries that have been on my bucket list since elementary school (and let me tell you, there are a lot of countries on this list). While I wish I could call myself a seasoned traveler, my bank account, fear of flying, and desired college degree are enough to chain me to Pennsylvania for now. So far, I've been all around the United States, but my international traveling experience is limited to a measly 4 places: Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and (of course) Greece.

After visiting Greece two times already- or three if you count the time my mom was pregnant with me- I'm pretty much an expert on all the cool places to see in the country. For today's blog, I thought I'd take on the role of "tour guide" and share some of the prettiest islands and cities Greece has to offer. So if you ever decide to travel in the future, here are my top suggestions.

The Best Places to See While Touring Greece
#1: Santorini
If you've ever seen a typical photograph of a Greek island, chances are the photo is of Santorini. Known for its white houses and blue roofs, this Cyclades island is a common destination for tourists. What makes this place so special is its rugged landscape; Santorini was destroyed by a volcano thousands of years ago, reshaping the the rock formations that make up the land. All of its villages were built on the edges of these rocks, so many buildings hug the cliffs and overlook the deep blue water below. While I haven't been to Santorini yet, seeing the island is definitely on my to-do list for my next trip to Greece.

Santorini, Greece

*photo courtesy of Mintstime*

#2: Athens

Athens is not only the capital of Greece, but also the most exciting city to explore in the country (in my own opinion of course). Here, you can see the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the Theatre of Dionysos, and the birthplace of democracy all in one visit! I've been to Athens during both of my trips, and the Acropolis still has not lost its striking effect on me. And though the city is famous primarily for its ruins, it also has an excellent reputation for its nightlife and representation of Greek culture. One of the cool things to see uptown is the marching of the Presidential Guards (otherwise known as Evzones) in front of the famous Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The guards dress up in traditional Greek attire and march in front of the tomb to protect it. Unlike many of the remote greek islands, Athens is a bustling city and prominent center for business and culture. 

Athens, Greece at night

*photo courtesy of g4g Day*

the Evzones performing their march

#3: Kos

My final suggestion is the island where my family lives. Kos is a tiny island shaped like a lamb and is a great place to either relax on a private beach or shop at a family-run market. Boating, snorkeling, tanning, and eating are just a few of the popular pastimes here. During my first visit, I even got to bathe in a natural hot spring! Kos is home to the first hospital ever built, and monuments of Hippocrates (known as the father of medicine) decorate its ruins. The oceans are beautiful and the pebble beaches are calming after a year of stress and school work. And if you need a place to stay, my cousins hotel, The Cosmopolitan, is newly renovated and ready for new travelers every day. 

ruins from Hippocrates's hospital

Kos, Greece

the Kos coastline (notice the cute little goat)

Overall, Greece is a beautiful country and has a lot of different activities to offer its visitors. If you love to travel like I do, check out one of the places on my list- you definitely won't regret it.

Independence Day (Greek-Style)

The 25th of March is one of the most dreaded days of the year by all the young kids in my family. From the endless pictures to the embarrassing costumes to the boring history lessons, our trauma from the year before doesn't seem to completely dissipate before the next round of torture begins. Much like the 4th of July, this day brings an opportunity for the whole family to get together, watch parades, eat some food, and boast about our national heritage of pride. However, March 25th also bears an excessively overpowering aura of Greek-ness. So buckle up, people: it's Greek Independence Day.

Now, I'm not saying I have no pride in my culture, nor am I saying that the whole day is a flop. In fact, Greek Independence Day is such a significant part of our culture that I decided to explain some of its history in this week's blog (and show some real- yet slightly embarrassing- photos of how we celebrate here in the states).

Greek Independence Day
To give a brief overview of the day's history, Greece revolted against the Ottoman Empire on March 25th, 1821 after 368 years of oppression. While Greece had some success in the early stages of the war, the Turks recaptured almost all of the land by 1827. Things weren't looking good for the Greeks.

But just as surrender seemed imminent, we gained some major allies. France, Great Britain, and Russia all joined forces with Greece in a last attempt to bring freedom to the country. And after the famous Battle of Navarino (well famous, at least, to most Greek people), a treaty was signed declaring Greece an independent nation. Yay!

So every year, in honor of that glorious moment, Greeks living all around the world celebrate with parades, festivals, and flag displays. Yes, everywhere around the world, including right here in Pennsylvania.

I was 4 when I first got to engage in our yearly celebration. My church, as stereotypical as they come, holds an Independence Day festival every year that allows the Greek youth to speak up about their passionate love for the home country. My job was to recite, in Greek, a poem written as a tribute to the holiday. As you can see in the picture below, not only was I thrilled to be speaking in front of my whole church, but I also thoroughly enjoyed wearing my dreaded (and quite itchy) Greek costume.

here I am in my traditional Greek attire (I'm the one standing with the microphone)

my sister and me during the Independence Day festival

my cousins, my sister, and me years later (yes, still being forced into those costumes)

In Greece, however, parades are the major events around the country. Each parade is slightly different, depending on where in Greece it takes place. But the national flag is always displayed at the very beginning, and lamb is always engorged like there's no tomorrow (big surprise, I know). Basically, Greek Independence Day is a time for big dinners, big festivals, and even bigger pride in our country.

my cousin's parade in Kos, Greece

So while I may not be forced to squeeze into my 8th grade costume for pictures this year (bless you college life), I will definitely still be celebrating the holiday this Saturday; all I'll need is some OrderUp food from The Greek and I'll be good to go. And though it may not be as good a celebration as the real deal, I've learned through the years there's no imperfect way to boast your pride on Independence Day.

The Greeks Invented Being Proud

I cannot even begin tell you how many times I have been making normal conversation with my family only to have the topic somehow switch to a Greek history lesson. Granted, I consistently tune out those monotone stories and never really learn anything, but nonetheless I am reminded of how narcissistic Greeks really can be. I mean don't even dare mention pottery, medicine, or even the Olympics; my family will show no reluctance to enlighten you on everything's Greek roots. So for this week's blog- with the help of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding- I decided to embrace that self-love by proving yet another stereotype true: Greeks truly do have immense pride in their heritage.

Stereotype # 4: The Greeks Are a Proud People
I've noticed through the years that the only greater excitement than meeting another Greek person is meeting that other Greek person's restaurant. For some reason, whenever my family finds a new Greek restaurant- or even just a diner for that matter- we immediately have to drop everything and try the place.

As if we didn't already eat enough Greek food.

For example, just 2 weeks ago, when my parents picked me up for spring break, we decided to eat dinner before the long drive home. Not one of my suggestions was even considered; it was as if my parents truly believed we were destined to eat at the The Greek near N. Atherton.

my mom proudly displaying her menu at The Greek

I would not be speaking too hyperbolically when I say I may have eaten at every diner and Greek-food serving restaurant in the north east. 

But this is just one of the many ways Greeks prove their pride. While watching both the first and second My Big Fat Greek Wedding movies, I noticed a common dialogue come up every so often. Whether this dialogue involved claiming an object as a Greek invention, explaining an English words' Greek roots, or even proclaiming that all people wished they were Greek, many of the lines in these movies show how prideful the older Greek generations can be. 

What's sad is that the movies almost underrated how often Greek people enjoy boasting about their bilingual and multicultural background.

For example, some of the common lines in both movies are Gus's often inaccuracte "the Greeks invented" claims. Throughout the movies, Gus explains that pottery, baklava, Facebook, ice hockey, and even the Italian language should all be attributed to Greek culture. Yes, yes, the latter three would seem to obviously have non-Greek origins, but the crazy doesn't stop there.

My family falsely adds more objects onto this list every day by claiming pizza, ice cream, batteries, and even cars are true Greek inventions. I promise we are educated.

Finally, there appears to be a natural desire of every Greek to explain where the English language came from. In My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Gus says, "Give me a word, any word, and I'll show you that the root of that word is Greek." My family is no different and will go to great lengths just to prove that "apple," "finale," and "cello" are all Greek words at heart.

So if you ever hear that Greeks are extremely proud of their heritage, remember that all stereotypes are based on a little bit of truth. And trust me, if a Greek person ever starts giving you a history lesson, your best bet is to run. Otherwise, you could be there all night.

Jewelry or Spit (Take Your Pick)

This past week, I seem to have violated every possible superstition known to mankind. Ok, yes that's an exaggeration, but I did spill salt all over the table during lunch, crack my make-up mirror when packing it for spring break, open my new umbrella inside, and see a black cat cross my path while I was visiting home. All I need to do is walk under a ladder on Friday the 13th and I'll be sure to condemn my future with poor fortune. Thankfully, my luck so far has been unaffected by these troubling events (knock on wood), but as a slightly superstitious person, I am currently living every second in fear of what doom lies ahead of me. 

In light of these recent unfortunate events, I decided to do this week's blog on Greek superstitions- or more specifically, the weird things we do to cope with them.

Basically, there are two different approaches to saving yourself from the horror that is bad luck after you've been exposed. Its almost as if stepping on that crack in the sidewalk is a fatal disease that can only be cured with these two things: mati eyes (aka the evil eye) and spit. Yes, you read that correctly; spit is one of the bad luck cures. If I were in Greece right now, my family would either be throwing Greek mati eyes on me or simply spitting on me three times each.

But before we dive into the meaning of these superstitions, what exactly is a mati? Otherwise known as the Greek "evil eye," the mati is a typically bulls-eye-shaped blue and white eyeball worn as jewelry to ward of evil or jealous thoughts. By wearing this Greek eye, any gazes a person receives from people with envious feelings or malicious intentions will be blocked from entering the spirit. If a jealous look were to hit an unprotected individual, Greek superstition is that this person could have bad luck ranging anywhere from health problems to financial struggles to family issues. The mati is also generalized to symbol safety from any bad luck possibly lurking in your future.

You can imagine I've acquired quite a few mati jewelry over the years.

a typical Greek mati bracelet

(courtesy of nicole)

But if jewelry isn't your thing, fear not. There's another less sanitary way to rid yourself of impending bad fortune: spitting. Fortunately, my family has yet to carry this tradition over seas, but don't be surprised if you ever see a Greek person spit on his baby after you compliment how cute it is. 

Spitting is believed to deflect the devil and any misfortune he may bring. This assumption goes hand-in-hand with the evil eye; if you receive the evil eye and have no mati to protect you, spitting will rid the evil intentions from your body. I've never tried this (nor do I intend to), but if desperate times ever call for desperate measures, at least this method can be used as a final resort.

Greeks believe good fortune comes to those who do things in groups of three. Whether that means doing your cross three times at church, knocking on your neighbors door three times, or adding three squeezes of lemon juice to your steak, acting in groups of three symbolizes the worship of the Holy Trinity. So naturally, when a superstitious event causes the need to ward off the devil by spitting, the Greeks do it three times. 

The next time you spill the salt shaker or forget your rabbit's foot, consider these two strange approaches to unsealing your doom. You never know, they might just work.

Ouzo: It's Not For the Weak

I'd like to start out this week's blog by proclaiming my love for Pull-and-Peel Twizzlers. Seriously, if you've never tried them you have go buy some, pronto. Either there's something really fun about pulling the licorice apart like string cheese, or the Pull-and-Peel kind just lacks the god-awful taste I usually associate with licorice. Nevertheless, those Pull-and-Peel Twizzlers are the only thing I'll consume that even remotely tastes of the root. That's right, I won't even drink Ouzo.

I know what you must be thinking: "What kind of Greek doesn't like Ouzo?" Well, you're right. I am quite possibly a disgrace to my family. In fact, just writing the word "Ouzo" makes me think of some big-nosed old Greek guy with a mustache holding up his drink and yelling "Yamas!" (otherwise known as cheers). But I've never liked the drink; aside from the fact that the stuff is about as potent as drinks come, I can never seem to shake the disgusting licorice taste from my mouth after even the tiniest of sips. 

Of course, my distaste for Ouzo would never dissuade the rest of my family. 

Stereotype #3: Drinking Ouzo Like Its Water

Ouzo. Its at weddings; its at dinners; its at my cousins' 5 year-old birthday parties. The drink appears to circulate nearly every family function (as well as many of my uncles' bloodstreams). I'll never understand what makes the beverage so appealing, but I can say with confidence that its the drink of choice when you're looking to have a night you can't remember. 

Ouzo from my basement; made in my family's island, Kos

the Ouzo my grandfather and uncle make (notice its empty)

In talking about Ouzo, I think it'd be beneficial to bring back the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The same scene that depicts the roasting of the lamb also shows the Millers being bombarded with a variety of Greek foods and drink, one of those drinks being Ouzo. Out of politeness, the Millers take a shot of the strong-smelling drink. After just a few more sips of the stuff, the Millers become extremely dizzy and nauseous. The whole room starts to spin, and the thought of eating makes them sick to their stomachs. This scene does an excellent job of describing what the aftermath of your first Ouzo shot feels like. (I had mine in Greece, don't worry it was legal.)

A similar experience happened to my mom's non-Greek friends when they were in college. During her study abroad trip to Greece, my mom bought little mini-bottles of Ouzo for her friends to try back home. The bottles were only about the size of a portable hand sanitizer tube, but their size was quite deceiving. During a get together, all her friends eagerly chugged their respective Ouzo's. Though the party was fun while it lasted, I think it goes without saying they did not have a fun morning the next day. 

But the bottom line is, all Greeks (with the exception of myself) love nothing more than a good party with Ouzo; the stereotype is extremely true. So if your parents ever want to amp up a family get-together, have them buy some quality Greek Ouzo- just make sure they grab some aspirin on the way home.