With more than 35 dancing groups participating, and a program of more than eight hours, the annual Greek-Serbian Orthodox and Cultural Friendship Day was celebrated last Sunday in Rooty Hill, Sydney.
Serbian and Greek dancing schools were joined by other Orthodox communities to give unique colour and a wide array of traditional sounds in what was the biggest and most visited friendship day in its 20 year long history.
The day started with the Holy Liturgy in the packed St Stefan Serbian Orthodox Church which was concelebrated by the Metropolitan Theodosios of Sebaste, of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, alongside the Bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church of Australia, His Grace Irinej.
Present at the Holy Liturgy were the newly arrived Consul General of Greece in Sydney Dr Stavros Kirimis, the Consul General of Serbia Mr Branko Radosevic, the Consul of Romania Ms Roxanna Mocanu, alongside dignitaries from both the Greek and Serbian communities of Sydney.
On the initiative of the Serbian Orthodox Church of St Stefan, the event has been taking place every September since 1994, in order for the local Serbian community to express its appreciation towards the invaluable assistance of the Greek people during the war and the American-NATO led bombings of the country.
The next rendezvous for the 21st anniversary was booked for mid to late September 2014 in the same hall.