Over 500 servings of fasolada (baked bean soup) were dished out by the volunteers of ‘Aristotelis’, Florina’s Cultural Centre in Melbourne. Once again, the Celebration of the Fasolada festival that has taken place at Whittlesea since 1992 drew crowds to the area to enjoy a Greek dish that has always had a place in people’s hearts.
The celebration of the fasolada is a tradition of the community of Florina, a town in the northwest Macedonia. Taking the podium, Mr Michael Velianis, President of the cultural centre, said that the custom dates back to the liberation of Florina in 1912, and he expressed the hope that the tradition would continue for many more years to come.
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On his part, Panagiotis Tsalakopoulos noted that there were few young people present at the event. “We want young people to participate. Youth must return to the (Greek Australian) associations,” he said.
