Apokries-Carnival at All Saints
Our school has celebrated its first annual “Apokries-Carnival at All Saints” this week. Such an event aims to promote the diverse and rich Greek culture and traditions, and to educate our staff and students by participating in this event. It is also an excellent opportunity to bring us all together and to have some fun!
Apokries or Triodion is one of our most significant religious and cultural celebrations. It lasts for three weeks and precedes the period of the Great Lent (Sarakosti). The Triodion has taken its name from the ecclesiastical book of the same name, which includes the hymns sung at church during this period. These hymns have three odes in contrast to the other church hymns, which have nine.
Through our Apokries event, both our students and staff got the chance to appreciate the value of the Orthodox Faith and the richness of the Hellenic heritage. There are so many beautiful customs and traditions associated with Apokries. Many of them stem back to Antiquity and some to the Byzantine Era. These customs are not only followed in Greece, but by Greek-speaking communities worldwide. Some are unique and can be found only in specific areas, like the custom of Genitsaroi & Boules, which takes place in Naousa. Or the Koudounoforoi of Sohos in Thessaloniki, where participants wear impressive colourful head-pieces, masks covering the whole face, and carry huge bells around their waist. The local custom of flour smudging (Alevromoutzouromata) attracts international attention to the picturesque town of Galaxidi. The most significant event in Greece is the Carnival of Patras, which is considered one of the biggest carnivals in Europe. Other carnivals worth mentioning are the ones in Xanthi, Moschato-Tavros in Athens and Rethymno in Crete.
During the last days of Apokries, celebrations and events are organised everywhere in Greece. Adults and children wear funny costumes, dance, sing and watch carnival parades and other activities organised by local councils. The climax of the festivities takes place on the Sunday of the third week of the Apokries, called Tyrini. During the first weeks of Term 1, our students learned about the Triodion and the Apokries in their Modern Greek and Orthodoxy lessons.
This Friday, as part of the celebration, students engaged in craft activities that extended their grade’s costume theme. They were also offered lagana, a special bread consumed on Clean Monday. Our Year 5 students prepared and delivered a special presentation about the meaning of the Triodion and the customs of the Apokries period. We were also privileged to watch a reenactment of the Maypole dance known in Greek as Gaitanaki, by a group of Year 6 girls.
Finally, the day concluded with a grand parade of students, showcasing their themed outfits. It was a cheerful and colourful parade comprised of fairies, superheroes, occupations, bees, rainbow colours, Eurocup 2004 participants, pappoudes and yiayiades, Mr Men and Little Misses and decks of cards. Special mention to our teachers who dressed up in costumes celebrating Ancient Greece. It was a fantastic sight to see our students enjoying themselves so much!
We hope that this event will become another successful ASG institution, and we look forward to inviting our wider community next year.
Kali Sarakosti to everyone!
Theo Panagiotou
Academic Leader Mission, Faith and Culture
