the tradition of VASILOPITA

Today we are going to tell you about the Greek tradition of VASILOPITA, the cake we cut and share on New Year’s Eve or Day. The vasilopita is usually a cake with a coin inside it. As we cut and share it, we cut the first pieces for Jesus, Saint Basil, the poor, the house, and then the members of the family and the friends. The “head” of the family — grand father or father — does the cutting and sharing, the rest of us search to find the coin, as whoever gets it will be the luckiest one throughout the year.
Now the history behind this tradition is:
In the 14th century Cappadokia, a Byzantine province in Asia Minor, suffered from famine but this fact did not stop the heartless eparch of the town from demanding to get the taxes, threatening the town with destruction. St.Vasilios, the Bishop in Caesareia, urged the people to offer their valuables in order to rescue their town. The people obeyed and Saint Vasilios collected a pile of offerings to give the eparch, but the last minute he managed to smooth his heart and change his mind. Now Saint Vasilios had a problem: he was left with a pile of valuables to give back to the people, without knowing who they belonged to! So,he got a brilliant idea: he asked the baker to bake one small cake for each family and he put one piece of jewellery inside. And the miracle happened: each family got what they had given!!!
Ever since that time we celebrate this event by sharing the cake with the coin – only one coin, no more…

It’s been a great year !

 

It’s been a great year !

We enjoyed meeting new people, being together with old friends, feeling your love and appreciation, THINGS THAT ARE PRECIOUS TO US AND KEEP US GOING.

Here’s an overview of some of our events in 2014. We would appreciate it a lot if you gave us your views and opinions, such as what you liked or did not like, what you would want more of or less, etc.

Give us a piece of your mind just under the post on “leave a reply” section or by sending us an e-mail at info@livinlovin.gr.

This will help us get better. And remember: WE ARE ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU ALL !

Stay tuned !!! Great things are coming up !

A walk in Christmas Athens 

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Complimentary “Sharing the Athens we Love” Tour

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Acropolis Museum Tour for families

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Archaeological Museum & Mechanism of Antikithira

exhibition for families

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A night out at Diogenis Palace

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Greek Cooking Class

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A visit at Dora Stratou Dance School in Plaka

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“Sharing the Athens we Love” Tour

(shared with: Embassies, Companies, groups,foreign communities College students, private groups)

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Petralona Tour

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“Traces of the Jewish Passage in Athens” Tour

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A visit at Natalia Mela’s workshop

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Greek Beer Tasting

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Open air cinema night at one of the most beautiful cinemas in the world

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ANDROS – “MIKRA AGGLIA”event

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4 Days with an amazing German Group

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Walking Tour of Athens

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Elefsina Guided Tour

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Greek Cheese Tasting

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Dora Stratou Dance Theatre

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Fishing Day trip on a Kaiki

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Athinorama Gastronomy Festival – “Giorti Gefseis”

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Stay tuned !!!

Great things are coming up

in 2 0 1 5 !

You can also follow our activities, info, news and see more photos on our official Page on Facebook

Our next event: GREEK BEER TASTING !

Some days ago, we asked you what we were up to:

Well, is a BEER TASTING (now, that’s a first !)
And not JUST a beer tasting, we are talking about ALL the small breweries from all over Greece, Greek chutneys, Greek sausages, Greek cheese, etc. all from Greek start-ups !. All this cornucopia of flavors, will be in Nikaia on Friday the 18th of July, from 19:30 until …

 

 

 

 

The cost will be very low. Since the venue is also a retailers spot, you will be able to buy anything you like.
Please apply at info@livinlovin.gr
or land line: 2108077073, or cell: 6937073699
PS: the venue can only take up to 20 – 25 people. So hurry !!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

join us on this weekend of magic !


Dearest friends, WE ARE SO HAPPY !!!

Remember when I told you about a surprise we were preparing for you ?

Well, it looks like we can make it AT LAST!

You will all-and we mean AAAAAALL- have the chance to watch “MIKRA ANGLIA”, a multi award-winning film by Pandelis Voulgaris based on the book Mikra Anglia by Ioanna Karystiani. with English subtitles!

You will be the only ones to see the film with English subtitles at a cinema, as we have managed to get the rights from the company !
On top of that, you will see it at an open-air cinema in the Chora of Andros that will open exclusively for us.

Why we want you to see this film? Because when we saw it,we thought that it’s a must-see,we absolutely adored it !


Imagine seeing this film where it was made and being in the atmosphere !

There will also be a tour in Chora guided by a local very knowledgeable guide, and of course plenty of time afterwards to stroll the streets and lanes of a unique island town, try the local cuisine and take photographs.

Mark the dates: Saturday 31/05 & Sunday 01/06, and details will come very soon !

We are so HAPPY that our “little”dream is coming true !!!

MIKRA ANGLIA & ANDROS EVENT (Itinerary, details and prices)

Can you think of anything more attractive than spending
two days in Andros island living in the atmosphere of
an multi award-winning film, strolling the streets and lanes
of a unique island town, trying the local cuisine and taking photographs ?
We can’t !

Saturday 31/05 & Sunday 01/06


A) ITINERARY

On Saturday 31/05, departure from RAFINA PORT at 7:50 with the SUPERFERRY 2 of Golden Star Ferries (our tickets will be waiting for us on the boat)
Arrival in Andros after approx. 2 hours.

Upon our arrival we will take our bus from the port to Chora of Andros (approx 1 hour’s ride) and check-in at the hotels (we have booked two hotels as they are small), and rest for a little bit.

Then we’ll have a welcome raki/tsipouro/ouzo drink with a traditional local meze of course, under the big plane trees of the main square of Chora.
After that, we believe we would need a rest, as of the very early wakening.

In the afternoon, we will take a tour in Chora, guided by a local, very knowledgeable guide, who, among others, will show us the locations where the film was made. We will leave plenty of time afterwards to stroll round the streets and lanes of this unique island town.
After that, we will have our dinner at a local restaurant, and then go to the open air cinema which will open only for this occasion.
The film will start at about 9:15pm. (remember it is an open air cinema)

After such a long day, we will surely need a good night sleep.

On Sunday 01/06, the program will be flexible and relaxed

After a big breakfast we will sail !
If the weather allows, we will go round the most beautiful spots near Chora with a big kaiki. Swimming is a possibility.
As a plan B, if it’s windy, we’ll go walking in the orchards and the fields around Chora.
We can have lunch at a taverna by the seaside that we like (but this is optional) and then we will be spend the rest of the day in the Chora in any way you like.

For our return to Rafina, in order to get a group ticket, we all have to travel with the same company, any time you prefer. On that day, the departure times are:

at 14:45,
at 19:00,
at 20:00

NOTE THAT: the bus which will take you from Chora to the port, departs approx 1, 5 hours before the departure of the ship.

B) PRICES

140 euros/person for a single room
125 euros/person for a double room and
120 euros/person for a tripple room

These prices include:
Ferry boat tickets to Andros and back, a special bus for us from port to Chora of Andros and back**, the welcome ouzo with meze, the guided tour, the cinema entrance fee, dinner at the local restaurant, accommondation with breakfast, taxes and VAT
**We are still negotiating the price of the bus, as it is a monopoly. If we manage to get lower prices, the price per person will be lower.

The prices given above do not include:
The kaiki trip which is optional. The price is 12 euros/person
Lunch on Sunday.

Please apply as soon as possible, and until 23/5, as we need to book tickets and hotels
info@livinlovin.gr
land line: 210-8077073
cell: 6937073699

On your application please let us know:
a) No of people
b) No of children and their ages, as prices vary.
We need to know beforehand for the ferry tickets and the hotel (mark if you need a cot)
Ferry: children up to 5 years old, pay no ferry ticket, children aged 6 to 10 pay half ticket.
c) when you want to leave Andros, see options above

Hope to see you all there !

Flour WAR!!!

Today we are going to send you on a strange, but very entertaining and…dirty trip outside Athens to celebrate Clean Monday.We are sending you to Galaxidi, a usually peaceful seaside town, which brings in the first day of Orthodox Lent with a massive flour war! Visitors and residents (only if they want to) put on goggles, masks, and their oldest clothes and scramble to chuck flour dyed in bright colours at everybody. After all the flour has been thrown, the powdery people gather into the centre of their colourful town and the party starts with eating, drinking, and dancing. We have been there, as you can see in the photos, and we can tell you that we had the time of our lives. The only problem we had was driving back to Athens with all that flour in our ears and noses, so if you can spend that night there and get cleaned up it’s better.

Have a nice Kathari Deftera (Clean Monday)!

‘New to Greece’ and now what to do?

By Katerina Tsitsipi

At last, you have unpacked, put the furniture into place, the kids started school, and….”WHAT AM I
DOING HERE?”, you probably think.

Well, you can do EVERYTHING here, provided that you ask the right people, meet people from your country and others, and set your mind into the task of making it and settling down, while trying to adapt in the new country.
After many years of working with expats, we have gathered some advice and experience from the side of the newcomer and the local people. 

First of all, join Newcomers! For obvious reasons! 

Don’t hesitate to ask anyone in the street for help, info, or advice. Greeks are generally quite friendly and helpful towards foreigners. If you are beginning to learn Greek, even if you know only 3 words, don’t be shy, USE THEM! Nobody will make fun of you or laugh at you. One thing I tell my students is that learning Greek opens a window in your life! Hard to believe? You think it’s an IMPOSSIBLE language to learn? 

That’s what we think, too. It’s hard. That’s why whenever we see a foreigner trying to learn it, we respect him/her, no matter what. 

About shopping: one of the best things we have in Athens, in my opinion, is the “laiki” (pronounced lie-ee-kee), the street market. If you consider that we eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables every day (frozen meals are not popular at all), you can understand why the laikis are always so crowded. The salesman will give you a bag to pick your own produce so that you can choose by yourself the quantity you like. They will let you taste their produce, and they might even offer you some as a present.

Tip: if you get to know the people there, you will be able to do your shopping very fast since they will choose for you. I always “threaten” jokingly that if they don’t give me super good quality, I’ll shout next time I come!

Greece is the ideal country for socializing.

Both yours and your children’s social life will be extremely rich – your diary will be full! There are zillions of things to do in Athens for adults, children, families etc. provided that you are open to all that. Don’t be afraid of staying out till late. A very popular Saturday evening activity is cinema first, eating out afterwards (you might have noticed by now that everything here is followed by food). Don’t stay within the limits of your area, go to the centre of town, venture south, go everywhere! Try to adapt your schedule to ours occasionally – within limits, sometimes we are TOO MUCH! 

On the weekends, discover our parks, playgrounds, mountains, museums, concert halls and the weekly events. Sygrou Park in Marousi, Parnitha Mountain, Poulaki Park in Filothei, are just a few places you can visit for a nice walk.

If you allow it to be, Greece can be a dream country, There are negative aspects to living here, but if you get to know the culture, the people and the language, you just may fall in love with Greece… many people do!

via: Newcomers Newsletter October 2013

you can visit: http://www.newcomersinathens.com/

and http://newcomersinathens.blogspot.gr/

 

Πόσα χρόνια έχετε να πάτε στο Αρχαιολογικό μουσείο ;

Εμείς είχαμε να πάμε από το σχολείο.

Πήγαμε με ένα γρουπ Αγγλόφωνο, με μία από τις ξεναγούς μας και το είδαμε ξανά
αλλά ….ήταν σαν να το βλέπαμε για πρώτη φορά!

Ελάτε να δείτε κι εσείς ένα καινούργιο μουσείο, καθώς και την πτέρυγα με την περιοδική έκθεση με το ναυάγιο και τον μηχανισμό των Αντικυθήρων.

Η ξενάγηση θα είναι στα Ελληκά, θα διαρκέσει 3,5 με 4 ώρες – με ενδιάμεσο διάλειμμα για καφέ – και θα γίνει το Σάββατο 29/6 στις 10.30.

Η είσοδος και για τις δύο εκθέσεις είναι 7 ευρώ, (μειωμένο 3 ευρώ για επισκέπτες άνω των 65 ετών και για φοιτητές) και το κόστος της ξενάγησης θα εξαρτηθεί από τον αριθμό των συμμετοχών. (όσο πιο πολλοί είμαστε, τόσο πιο χαμηλό το κόστος).
Χρειαζόμαστε δε τουλάχιστον 10 άτομα για να πραγματοποιηθεί το τουρ.

Σας περιμένουμε όλους !

συμμετοχές στο tsitsipi@gmail.gr
φωτογραφίες από το Αγγλόφωνο τουρ μας μπορείτε να δείτε εδώ