Last week saw several Greek Community organisations and clubs get together to celebrate milestones, acknowledge the contribution of long-standing members, but also welcome new faces to carry the legacy on in 2022. Most events had one common denominator, the delicious vasilopita.
The Greek Orthodox Community of Whittlesea opened its doors for the first time in 2022, with wishes for a happy new year during its annual pie cutting ceremony.
The event was attended by leading members of the Community, including Thomastown seat MP, Bronwyn Halfpenny; Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio; and Director of PRONIA, Kris Pavlidis.
Father George Frangos from the Parish of The Transfiguration of Our Lord in Thomastown, blessed the waters and wished everyone to have a good and creative year.
The Women’s Group of the Greek Orthodox Community Whittlesea also celebrated with its own vasilopita cutting in a cosy and warm gathering organised by President Katina Georgoudakis.
Members of the Central Pontian Association of Melbourne & Victoria ‘Pontiaki Estia’ also gathered to cut the annual vasilopita, at the association’s headquarters on Sunday 6 February. The hall was filled with new faces, bringing joy to older members who get to see their legacy carry on. The 2022 pie cutting was attended by the Consul General of Greece in Victoria Mr Emmanuel Kakavelakis; President of the Australian Federation of Pontian Associations, Simela Eleftheriadis-Stamatopoulos; and President of the Coordinating Committee of Pontian Genocide, Roma Siachou.
The cake was blessed by Rev. Jordan Krikelis of Axion Esti in Northcote who has a strong relationship with Pontiaki Estia. The President, Mr Kostas Tsaprailidis, welcomed everyone to set higher goals for the new year, expressing his desire to help foot as many initiatives in order to support the preservation of the Pontian legacy in Victoria. The blessing was followed by a traditional Pontian glendi and a buffet of traditional delicacies.
Another vasilopita event, this time at the Cretan House (Kritiko Spiti) in Melbourne’s Brunswick East, united several members of the Greek Community in Melbourne that share Cretan heritage. Aside from the traditional pie cutting, the members of the Cretan Brotherhood celebrated a milestone; 65 years from the founding of the club, held by newly elected president, Miltiadis Stamatakos.
The event was a great success, with 160 attendees, including the Consul General of Greece in Victoria Mr Kakavelakis; President of The World Council of Cretans John Nikolakakis; President of the Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand, Mr Tony Tsourdalakis, and the President of the Pancretan Association, Mr Manolis Starakis.
Later on the same evening, Sifis Tsourdalakis and his band played classic and folk Cretan and Greek songs while the guests were also invited to browse through a mini exhibition featuring rare images from the Brotherhood’s past events throughout the years.
Four long-standing members of the Brotherhood were awarded for their 20 plus years of service on the Board of Directors. Miltiadis Mylonakis, Georgios Sinas, Christos Polentas and Iosif Manatakis all received an honorary plaque.
The Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand, welcomed the enthronement of the new Archbishop of Crete, Eugenios who was solemnly enthroned in the metropolitan church of Saint Minas. The enthronement ceremony was made in the presence of the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who extended his wishes to the new Archbishop.
The President of the Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand, Mr Tony Tsourdalakis – who met the new Archbishop during a previous visit to Australia including many times in Crete – extended his wishes and said that he has no doubt Evgenios will be a worthy successor of the long history of Crete and that he will carry the spirit of renewal that the Church always needs, in order to meet the challenges of the changing times.
Expressing his joy and excitement but also voicing the wishes of the Greek Orthodox Cretans members in Australia and New Zealand, Mr Tsourdalakis publicly vouched for Archbishop Evgenios’ ethos, inviting him to the Antipodes.
Among the things the new Archbishop mentioned, was his desire to serve with love, unity and brotherhood, the Church of Crete in Greece and in the Diaspora.
The Pankoaki Brotherhood, did not celebrate with a vasilopita, but making the most out of the lovely summer weather, set off for a members picnic in Mornington. A perfect day, spent under the trees with good friends and a friendly game of cards, helped the Pankoaki Brotherhood’s members to forget the Covid lockdowns for a while. The picnic involved plenty of music and dancing, followed by delicious food and a glorious sunset.
On a similar note, the Greek Siatista Club of Melbourne true to its core values of bringing people together to celebrate both the Siatistean and the wider Greek community’s culture and traditions, was joined by the Benevolent Brotherhood of Evia ‘Evripos’ for a day trip at Rye Beach Park. The members of the two clubs had fun together and shared -what else? – their vasilopites.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Greek Elderly Citizen Clubs of Melbourne and Victoria also celebrated the coming of 2022. President John Kostoulias, cut the New Year’s cake in the presence of PRONOIA director Kris Pavlidis and Consul General of Victoria Mr Kakavelakis.
Members of the Australian Greek Ex Servicemen Association gathered to set goals for 2022, honouring the Greek tradition in a close circle event. President Panagiotis Douros cut the pie surrounded by his colleagues.
Last but not least, the Anemones Women’s Network celebrated their 20 year anniversary and also brought in the new year with their special vasilopita.
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