NEW YORK – The Apokries/Carnival celebrations in Patras are legendary, so it should come as no surprise that the Patrinon Society of New York “Kostis Palamas” hosted a fun-filled Tsiknopempti event on February 28 for all ages at Arcadia Bar & Kitchen in Astoria. With music selections connected to the Patras Carnival, fanciful carnival costumes and all the requisite decorations, the atmosphere was festive, while in the restaurant’s backyard souvlaki, sausages, and other meats were grilled as the day required. Patrinon Society President Gina Georgiou told The National Herald that she welcomed reenergized society and noted that “Kostis Palamas” will have an even more significant presence in the events of the Omogeneia. As pointed out during the event, due to lack of time, this year’s Carnival Dinner Dance will not be held, but everyone should be prepared for next year for a similar or even larger event than the ones of the past. Saint Demetrios in Jamaica is one of the churches that celebrated Apokries for the first time after many years, reviving this beautiful feast that brings joy and laughter to the members of the community. On March 2, the community enjoyed a night full of joy, good food, music and dancing, costumes and games for children, in the church hall before the beginning of Great Lent. In the space filled with balloons, lights, streamers, hats and masks, TNH spoke with the presiding priest of St. Demetrios in Jamaica, Fr. Konstantinos Kalogridis, who has served the church since 2001. When asked about the meaning of Carnival, he said, “People now want to go out in the winter, not to be home alone. They want to meet friends and acquaintances, to spend a beautiful evening all together, in a Greek-Christian environment. The idea of Carnival is to be together as a family and to prepare for Great Lent, which is a period of fasting, meditation and prayer, and before this time comes, to do something as a community and as Christians.” The St. Demetrios community in Jamaica today has 350 families, a center for the elderly, and a dynamic Philoptochos and Youth. In addition, a chapel has been built and hopefully will be inaugurated in the autumn dedicated to the modern Saint Porphyrios, who became a saint officially in 2013 by the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Synod. Church and sports programs are attended by about 100 children. Around 60 children attend Sunday School and 70 the Greek afternoon school, which operates free of charge so that children learn Christian tradition and the Greek language. In addition, a very valuable effort is being made to bring more young people to the church so they can continue the Greek tradition and keep the religion alive through the efforts of the cultural committee of the church of St. Demetrius of Jamie. Read more at thenationalherald.com RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Gontzi Let's block ads! (Why?)