The Skopelos Scramblers will do a walk to the monastery of Agios Efstathios in Pirgos on Sunday morning. The meeting point will be, as usual, the Sklavenitis Supermarket at 10.30 hours. The supermarket is on the road to Stafylos. There, transport will be sorted out and the Scramblers will drive to a certain point and walk from there to the monastery where Muriel will place her chequered blue tablecloth for the picnic. Bring something to eat or drink if you can. For questions ask Muriel on 6983010118.
In the fall when people are not so busy on the island they tend to organize most weddings and baptisms of the year. It is a treat to be part of them and you have time to catch up with family and friends. You can also show off clothes, new hairdo’s etc.
On Friday we attended a small church service. Relatives that live in the country side of Skopelos have bought (ordered from the mainland and difficult to get up a hill) a small stone church and it has been placed on their land. Today it is going to be “baptized”, it will be given its official name and from here on, on that saints name, there will be a celebration. This gathering was nice, we sat in the sun together, with a cup of coffee and we ate a lot of sweets, some homemade!
On Sunday we remembered that about one year ago Jannis Sklavos suddenly died. The pain is unbearable for his wife, parents, brother and other close family members. Many people came to the church again to honour Jannis. It is good that in the Greek orthodox church this ritual still remains
The photograph is of koliva, given to those that attend a remembrance. Koliva, a mix of wheat, fruit and nuts served on a silver platter that is made in Greece in memory of someone who has departed. It is meant to ensure a smooth, sweet passing of the soul. This in Greek is known as the liberation of the soul/Η σωτηρία της ψυχής. Source: https://www.thegreekvibe.com/koliva-the-symbolism-of-a-greek-delicacy-made-for-the-dead/
On Sunday we were also present at a baptism of a girl. Children that are baptized in the Greek Orthodox church don’t have a name until they are baptized. Only when they are baptized the name of the child is heard for the first time. It has a lot of weight for the child, the parents, the grand parents and the persons that baptize the child. The ceremony is long and full of tradition. The child is baptized in a font and covered with water, it is anointed with oil and a lock of hair is cut of the head of the child. Before the baptism the hair of the baby is not cut. The baptism is not simple for the child and for the godparents but in the end the name was given, the child was dressed in a beautiful garment and everybody was happy. Beautifully decorated, great cakes and sweets and thoughtful gifts!
Work is progressing on the road to Glyfoneri beach. Several walls have been built and the road is wider in some places.
and the beach and the view are a beautiful as always.
Tomorrow it is Theophania/Epiphany or Ta Fota.
The Holy Theophany, also known as the Epiphany, the Celebration of the Lights, or ta Fota (the Lights) is held on January 6 and is one of the most sacred and holiest Feast Days on the Greek Orthodox Calendar.
The most important tradition, which takes place amongst Greek Orthodox Churches worldwide is the blessing of the waters with the Holy Cross by a local priest. Priests will throw a Holy Cross into the sea or lake(usually with attached to a long ribbon) then the faithful jump into the water to try to find the Holy Cross. The person who retrieves the Holy Cross and returns it to the priest is said to be blessed for the year ahead.
The ceremony on Skopelos will take place in the harbors on the island after the church ceremony so at least after 10.30 hours. Usually people are dressed up for the occasion and afterward, in Skopelos town the New Years cake will be cut. Many cuttings of New Years cakes will follow, well into January. Χρόνια πολλά !!
Many shops and services will be closed tomorrow.
On Saturday it is the nameday of everybody that is called Jannis, Ioanna, Janna, Jannoula. It is good to have a Jannis in your home because a Greek saying goes, a household without a Jannis is no household!
Today we remembered Apostolis Kosifis with a 40 days memorial. Family and friends were around. It was good to see.
For me the words of Téa Obreht in the book “The tiger’s wife” give me comfort.
“The forty days of the soul begin on the morning after death. That first night, before its forty days begin, the soul lies still against sweated-on pillows and watches the living fold the hands and close the eyes, choke the room with smoke and silence to keep the new soul from the doors and the windows and the cracks in the floor so that it does not run out of the house like a river. The living know that, at daybreak, the soul will leave them and make its way to the places of its past — the schools and dormitories of its youth, army barracks and tenements, houses razed to the ground and rebuilt, places that recall love and guilt, difficulties and unbridled happiness, optimism and ecstasy, memories of grace meaningless to anyone else — and sometimes this journey will carry it so far for so long that it will forget to come back. For this reason, the living bring their own rituals to a standstill: to welcome the newly loosed spirit, the living will not clean, will not wash or tidy, will not remove the soul’s belongings for forty days, hoping that sentiment and longing will bring it home again, encourage it to return with a message, with a sign, or with forgiveness.
If it is properly enticed, the soul will return as the days go by, to rummage through drawers, peer inside cupboards, seek the tactile comfort of its living identity by reassessing the dish rack and the doorbell and the telephone, reminding itself of functionality, all the time touching things that produce sound and make its presence known to the inhabitants of the house”
After the last post this post might bore people but that’s life. It is skopelosnews…
(wonderful day today and the narcissuses are in full bloom!)
The last couple of days the weather has been wonderful and the work in the harbor of Skopelos continued with great speed. Next week an update with photos.
Yesterday was Saint Reginos his nameday. A big celebration like every year could not be held but it was possible to visit the Agios Reginos monastery (on the road to Agnonas/Limnonari-Panormos etc.) The church has been renovated. Many murals have been refreshed and new ones added.
On Sunday there will be a power cut on all the Sporades islands from 08.00 until 09.00 hours in the morning. Volos and Pelion are also affected. For the article look here: power cut
Greece will welcome all UK travelers with or without vaccine certificate. For the whole article look here:GTP travel news
And if you are able to come there might be flight companies that can bring you to Skiathos. Condor has announced their first flights. Hopefully they will not be canceled like so many others last year.
Have a nice weekend. And remember: “There is more that unites us than divides us. So make it a point to talk with someone who is different from you. You may find that you have more in common than you think” (Johnny Corn)
On the 8th of November the Agios Michael church will have a big celebration and the preparations have been going on for weeks. The carpets need to be cleaned, the candle holders need to be polished, all the embroidered pieces need to be washed and ironed and placed under or near icons. Miss Maria is one of the persons who has devoted her life (more than 40 years) to this church. She protects it and treasures it. She cannot imagine her life without it. She knows everything that happens in there and together with the priest who will perform the ceremony she organizes every major event. There are a lot of women like miss Maria on Skopelos. They usually live near a church and are keyholders and “general managers” It gives their life extra meaning performing this task and their time is usefull spend they say,
I had to go for an errand and passed by the Saintukeri shop. The lovely smell that came out of the shop was incense that was lighted (μοσχοθυμίαμα, λιβάνι in Greek) It felt so good, it made my day.
In the Greek orthodox church and probably in other religions too incense is used to honor God, bless the believers, sanctify what ever is being incensed and to keep demons away. It is burnt during most church services. I know many people also burn it at home to bless their home, start the day well etc. My day started well anyway.
Saintukeri is a cooperative shop that sells many things that have to do with the church like icons, candles etc. but they also sell handmade soaps, oils and other biological products.
This small church lies on the crossroad between Anania and Karya and the road that leads down to Elios. It is a quick way to get to the other side of the island if you want/need to go to Elios, Klima, Glossa or Loutraki etc. They say that in this area the patron saint of Skopelos Riginos sat down on a stone and that the little church was built around it. Most churches are not open all the time so only goats use the land around the church to rest in the shade. The church is surrounded by big trees.
This goat herd might be part of the big herd that belonged to Pandelis Karvelis. It’s station is close to this church. I once ate traganas with him with fresh milk from his goats. The weather was really bad. It was raining and we saw lightning. We took shelter under a makeshift roof and were surrounded by goats. I will never forget it. The milk and oats were put in a big pan that was standing on a wood fire. A couple of people around the fire and waiting for the milk and oats to cook.
We were a little bit impatient but also glad to relax and see the milk slowly get to a boil, the oats cooked and asking ourselves; will this taste good? It was gorgeous! Pandelis unfortunately is no longer with us but for many he lives on.
On Monday it is Pentacost. Offices and banks will be closed. It might be busier in restaurants and bars because it is a three-day holiday for Greeks. have a nice weekend and don’t forget about the dance festival organized by the cultural association. It is worth a visit and bring a cushion for your…..
Quite a few weddings are being held on Skopelos the last few years and Greece in general seems to be a hotspot for organizing weddings. Civil weddings can be organized almost everywhere on the island and if you have a spot like Amarandos near Agnondas or a beach like Stafylos, Limnonari or Kastani, what else do you want? A church wedding is common for Greek orthodox couples but nowadays many foreign couples take the big step on Skopelos and choose their own venue. Usually the vice mayor will marry them. Below is an example of a couple who married in a church.
The movie was made by Dimitris Pavlidis and the couple that got married are Alexandros and Elisavet. The film was uploaded with Vimeo.
Skopelosnews is a village square where we can discuss anything of interest to the readers.
If you disagree with someone, please, disagree cordially.
Photos
If you want to send us photos, information see : Information at the top of the blog for the email address. Always mention that the photograph is from Skopelosnews if you use one.
skopelosnews 