Category: St. Basil

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas..

Finally, all the holidays are done. Today was clean up day around here. I need to get ready to really begin the new year in earnest. Out with the old, in with the new, right? I thought how interesting it is to clean up after Christmas with an air of “I’ve had it” over the sentimentality and anticipation there is while putting out each decoration. Where’s the lilting music to go with taking down the tree? Ho Ho Ho.

Now it’s done. Besides the new year on January 1we have the feast day of St. Basil, like a holy Santa Claus. Remember I had to bake the sweet bread with the hidden coin? That was his modis opperendi. Then later in the week, we celebrate the Epiphany on January 6, and January 7 is the day of St. John the Baptist, big holidays on the Greek Orthodox calendar. Some say that the wise men visited the newborn Christ on January 6. Others believe this is the true day of His birth. However, in the Greek Orthodox tradition it is the day Christ was baptized and…

“…according to tradition, the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by St. John the Baptist marked one of only two occasions when all three Persons of the Trinity manifested themselves simultaneously to humanity: God the Father by speaking through the clouds, God the Son being baptized in the river, and God the Holy Spirit in the shape of a dove descending from heaven (the other occasion was the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor). Thus the holy day is considered to be a Trinitarian feast.” Wikipedia 

We usually attend church services where we are blessed with holy water which we can take to bless our homes. Some communities visit local waters or boating areas where the priest throws a cross into the water for blessings. Usually a bunch of young guys are ready to jump in after the cross to retrieve it and have luck the rest of the year. Cold, wet, but lucky.

St. John the Baptist is known as the Forerunner and is celebrated the next day after the Epiphany because he was the main character at this baptism. He is celebrated other days in the year as significant periods in his life unfolded. Needless to say everyone named with any form of John is remembered and sent well wishes. Variations of the word Epiphany in names are also celebrated as in Fay, Faith, Fotini, and so on. You get the picture? Like I’ve said, we have a name and a celebration for everything and everyone.

Anyway, now it’s really over and I can clean up. Ho Hum.

Photos for Friday and the New Year

Today is New Year’s Eve. Tomorrow is the first day of a brand new year. Isn’t it amazing? How is it that time just flies by so quickly? Before we know it the summer will be here again, and gone. These holidays are so hectic I can’t really enjoy what’s going on. I’m trying to keep my eyes open rather than cloudy with thoughts and plowing through my days. It’s not easy.

And the to-do list keeps growing. I was able to cross off a couple of things I had been wanting to do, so that was a plus. Can you imagine going to IKEA during a Christmas shopping foray, to pick up some much wanted bookshelves? I can’t believe I did it either. Somehow my car just drove to that store just before Christmas. I bought what I wanted to buy, brought it home, and put it together. I even placed books and decorative items in them. That was an accomplishment! I guess you have to go with the flow when the mood strikes.

Today will be another busy day. I don’t have to worry about tonight because we’re going out with family. But later on today I have baking to do. St. Basil’s Day is January 1 and in the Greek culture we celebrate the New Year and St. Basil at midnight with a sweet bread that is baked with a coin inside called Vasilopeta. We cut the bread for the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, mother Mary and some people cut a slice for the saints. Then each family member gets a slice and we check to see who won the coin for good luck the whole year. So I am baking the breads today and also a batch of sweet, honey dipped biscuit-like cookies with walnuts on top. Another something sweet for the new year. Need those traditions.
As you can see by my photos, my cookbooks, my stand-by’s, are pretty beat up. My mother gave me one book when I was married and it’s seen better days. I don’t bother getting a new one because I figure some day my granddaughter might want to see how I handled it from my own hands, writing and splotches all. This book is kind of like me: basic and traditional, a little unorthodox, a bit thrown together, with a big rubber band for security. 
This little paper thingy? This is from the back of a Greek calendar that marks each day. They print recipes, jokes, anecdotes, songs, etc. This is a traditional Greek song we sing for St. Basil, the new year and the first day of the month. We Greeks have a saying for everything from the first day of the month, the first day of the week, before you eat your dinner, when you go on vacation, a name day, a birthday, a wedding, before you give birth, you name it- we have something to say about it. And that’s another post for another day. Now I having some baking to do.
Kali Hronia! Hronia Polla! Happy New Year!