Dear HCCY members, HAY parents, and friends, please take note of the following:
Kαλή Πρωτομαγιά!
The May Flower Wreath – The Greek custom of Protomagia (Πρωτομαγιά)
The custom on May 1st is to decorate the doors of houses with flower wreaths. On May 1st traditionally Greeks go to the countryside for a picnic, to fly kites and gather wildflowers for the flower wreath, called ‘Magiatiko Stefani’, that people hang on the front doors of their houses to welcome nature. The wreath is made from various wildflowers, handpicked and knitted together. Daises are the typical flowers used for making the hand-weaved wreath as well as poppies, lilacs, and any wildflowers that are in abundance. The wreath signifies the power of nature and its blessing inside the home.
The wreaths adorn the doors of houses until the day of St. John the Harvester (June 24). On that day, neighbors are gathered and build a big fire burning the wreaths, the fire of the Saint.
Today we are celebrating flowers and nature’s beauty! During these continued trying times of COVID-19, we continue to stay strong and support each other to overcome all the challenges. We promise to continue to keep our communication lines open as it relates to refunds. Please continue to connect with our teachers and our online learning if you choose!
As the summer is near and the sun begins to shine down on us, I am sure we find ourselves dreaming of Greece. It’s nothing like the real thing but if you need a break from Netflix or scrolling through your social feed, check this out!
www.greecefromhome.com
I am confident we will be back to ‘normal’ whatever, that may look like soon, and when that happens, I look forward to going back to our ‘standard Kalo Mina, filled with events and news’ from our community. Please continue to take good care of yourselves, be kind to others, and live our Greek culture values that help keep us united as a community. If you need anything at all, support in any way please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are in this together!
Best Regards,
Helen A. Barbalias, MA
President, HCCY & HAY
president@hccy.ca