The two-day Halloumi Festival, organised by the Cypriot Community of Melbourne and Victoria (CCMV), was a remarkable success.
The large turnout on Saturday was entertained with an impressive program of traditional songs, dances, cooking exhibition and incredible food – all activities celebrating Halloumi, the unique Cypriot cheese adoring all our restaurant and cafe tables.
Around 6 pm, an array of VIPs, including politicians, senior clerics of the Greek Archdiocese, and consulate representatives, were provided a historic cook. Eleni Tziortzi elucidated how Halloumi was prepared in households.
President of CCMV, Theo Theophanous, welcomed dignitaries and community members and said: “Halloumi has received international recognition as a protected country of origin product of Cyprus. It applies equally to Greek and Turkish Cypriots.”
“It is just one of the many cultural, historical, and intercommunal elements that bind Greek and Turkish Cypriots and forms a cultural basis for a unified homeland.”
Theophanous, (a former Victorian government minister), pointed to how this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of the Island.
He said it was essential to fulfil the “historical mission to bring about a free, democratic, and united Cyprus”.
“This year marks 50 years. We need the help of the Australian government. Our wish is for a free Cyprus. Cypriot Greeks and Turks need to live peacefully.”
He also talked about progress on a new multi-story building complex, supported by the Victorian government, on the same site where the CCMV have their centre, including a cultural centre and a cafe.
He welcomed the Cypriot High Commission in Canberra, the Greek Consulate in Melbourne, the Greek Community of Melbourne, Cypriot communities, and the Coordinating Committee of the Cypriot Struggle.
The Victorian Member for Northcote, Kat Theophanous, who spoke, said Halloumi is a “significant symbol of our heritage.”
“Women in our villages would come together to make this valuable source of protein, chatting and connecting all parts of the community, building knowledge-sharing experiences.”
“As a young Cypriot girl growing up in Melbourne, I’ll always associated with both Cyprus that my mum and Yia Yia would make with those delicious chewy bits of warm salty Halloumi melt in soup.”
Theophanous MP (the daughter of Theo Theophanous) emphasised how this “simple product” made by women’s hands has been embraced worldwide.
“There’s scarcely a cafe in Melbourne that doesn’t have halloumi on the menu somewhere, and that is incredible, a testament to the success of this product and the beautiful intertwining of our cultural heritage with modern Victoria.”
The member for Northcote said that the Cypriot diaspora has made “an enormous contribution” to Victoria’s “cultural, economic, and social fabric.”
She too emphasised the need for a “peaceful and just resolution in line with what the United Nations has continuously called for alongside the international community.”
“Greek and Turkish Cypriots deserve peace, stability, and a united homeland,” Theophanous concluded.
High Commissioner for Cyprus, Antonis Sammoutis, recalled how Halloumi made by his grandmother in the village was “the most delicious”.
He thanked the Cypriot community and said, “You preserve our traditions; you never forget Cyprus dances, language, music, and kitchen. Promote our exports; this is the product leading in our exports. He also referred to the 50th Anniversary of the Invasion of Cyprus by Turkish forces.
“This year, we commemorate 50 years of the Turkish invasion, but there’s some new hope as we celebrate the 50 years.
“I hope this new round of negotiations will start after seven years of a long post and be different.
The Consul General of Greece, Emmanuel Kakavelakis, emphasised that the festival’s events deeply connect us to Cypriot culture. “Being able to be together is sacred. Speaking Greek is a blessing. And such events offer us these blessings,” he said.
Other speakers included Peter Khalil, the Federal Member for Wills, representing the Prime Minister; Evan Mulholland, Member for Northern Metropolitan Region, Lampros Tavros, Councillor of Merri-Bek Council; and Father Nikolaos Georgiou, representing Archbishop of Australia Makarios.
Lambrini Lambrou Christopher and Claire Gazi then invited the audience on a journey to the village of Agia Varvara in the Nicosia province, where they were hosted in the courtyard of Mastro Hatziantoni’s mansion.
There, the dancers from the Pegasus Dance Academy, directed by Sotiris Sotiriou, lit the “Tunisia – the fire,” put the “chars – the cauldron” on top, and baked the milk. After it thickened, they saw the Halloumi emerging slowly like the white pearl of Cyprus.
The performance included traditional dances and songs by Dimitris Ioannou.
