Greekshops.com : Your Shopping Connection to Greece
June Newsletter
This Month 
Baptism and Chrismation
Athens 2004 Official Coins
What's New!!!!
Featured Destination: Limnos
Saint Namedays in June.
June Recipe.
Suggestions & Comments.
Subscription Information.
Clay-Baked Black-Eyed Peas with Peppers, Tomatoes, and GarlicJune Recipe:
Pan-fried Eggplant with Crumbled Feta
 Ingredients:
2 medium eggplants, washed and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups (about 6 ounces) crumbled Greek feta
-Freshly ground black pepper
  to taste
-Paprika to taste
3 to 4 tlbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley to taste
Preparation:

1. Place the eggplant slices in a colander in  layers and salt each layer. Place a plate or other weight on top and pass down. Let the eggplants drain for 1 hour. Rinse in the colander and pat dry very well.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Place the eggplant slices in the skillet. Fry until lightly golden on both sides, turning once in the process. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices and olive oil.

3. Preheat the broiler. Place the eggplant slices on an ovenproof platter, sprinkle with the crumbled feta, pepper, and paprika and place under the broiler, about 8 inches from the heat source, for a few minutes until the feta starts to melt. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.
 

Excerpts from: "Meze"

Are you missing Greek delicacies, desserts, coffee?

 
Suggestions & Comments
Dear Greekshops.com customer,

Thank you for contributing to our effort to bring unique and hard to find Greek products to your home. We value your opinion, so please let us know if you have any concerns, suggestions, comments that will improve and help us grow. Send us your feedback at: [email protected]
 
Subscription Information

To unsubscribe from this email list
click here

 

Missed an issue of our
newsletter? Now you can access past newsletters by visiting http://www.greekshops.com/
newsletters_archive/

 
 
 Baptism and Chrismation


Baptism brings great happiness to the Greek family. The special church service with the naked infant immersed in the baptismal font and anointed with holy oil is often followed by a joyful celebration of feasting and dancing. Family and friends celebrate the "rebirth" of the young child and the birth of the new relationship with the godparent.

The Sacrament of Baptism
The sacraments of baptism and chrismation were instituted by Christ himself when he commanded his apostles, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matt. 28:19) For centuries these sacraments have initiated the individual into the Greek Orthodox church. Baptism cleanses the soul of the stain of original sin transmitted to the human race by Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God. Chrismation transmits the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Through these two sacraments, the individual takes the first steps toward théosis (becoming like God). Symbolically, Christ's baptism, death, and Resurrection, plus the gift of the Holy Spirit to the apostles at Pentecost, are reenacted.

Baptism begins in the church narthex where the unbaptized originally congregated. The godparent speaks on behalf of the child and forcefully rejects Satan, including blowing three times in the air and symbolically spitting three times on the floor.

Turning toward the altar, the godparent professes a belief in Christ and recites the Nicene Creed, a summary of the basic beliefs of the Greek Orthodox Christian. Then using the child's baptismal name, the priest asks God to make the candidate worthy of baptism by taking away old ways and filling the child with the Holy Spirit.

The priest, child, and godparent proceed to the front of the church to the large baptismal font that represents the divine womb in which the child receives a second birth as a child of God. The godparent promises to raise the child as a good Christian.

The priest blesses the water in the baptismal font, adding small amount of olive oil that the godparent has brought to the church. The fruit of the olive tree has been a symbol of peace and reconciliation between God and humans since a dove brought an olive branch to Noah at the end of the great flood described in the Old Testament.

The child is undressed, symbolizing the removal of old sin. The priest makes the sign of the cross with oil on various parts of the infant, and the godparent rubs oil over the child's body. The oil serves as a silent prayer to God: "O, God, let there be peace always between this child and you." The priest immerses the child three times into the font, symbolizing the three days Christ spent in the tomb. He declares, "The servant of God [Name] is baptized Amen." This dramatic event is a reenactment of Christ's baptism, reborn. The priest places the child in the open arms of the godparent, who holds a new white sheet as a symbol of the soul's purity.

The Sacrament of Christmation
Immediately following the baptism, the priest administers a second sacrament, chrismation. Like the early apostles, the child receives the gift of the Holy Spirit during chrismation, a gift of grace from God to help the child lead a Christian life. The priest anoints the child with mίron, a special oil blessed by the Ecumenical Patriarch, and says, "The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen." Three locks are tonsured from the child's hair in the form of a cross. This gift to God shows gratitude and obedience. The priest blesses a piece of the child's new clothing, then puts it on the child with these words, "The servant of God [name] is clothed with the garment of incorruptibility." Relatives or friends then dress the child, and the priest puts a necklace with a cross on the child's neck, saying, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Mark 8:34

After lighting the decorated baptismal candle, the priest, the godparent holding the infant, and a few selected children walk around the font symbolizing a dance of joy for the new Christian who has been added to the church.

Following the dance and a reading of scriptures, the priest administers a third sacrament, communion, to the child. The child's parents approach the front of the church where the godparent hands the infant to them with these traditional words, "I present to you your son/daughter baptized and confirmed, dedicated to God." The parents kiss the hand of the godparent and receive their child.

Preparing for the ceremony
When to Baptize

Baptize your baby as soon as possible after the forty-day blessing. (See Birth of Children) Baptism is essential for entering heaven and participating in other church sacraments. Since the fate of an unbaptized individual is unknown, parents who neglect to have their child baptized bear a heavy responsibility.

Baptisms are not permitted on the following holidays:

December 25 through January 6, and Easter Holy Week (dates vary). Other dates, such as major feast days, may be inconvenient or inappropriate. Exceptions must be approved by the diocesan bishop.

Excerpt from the book Greek Traditions and Customs
 

 Athens 2004 Official Coins
Athens 2004 Official Coins

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Buy Now!  

A great numinismatic event takes place every four years, as the host country mints a set of official Olympic coins. Greece, as the organiser of the 2004 Olympic Games, also bears the legacy of the 27 centuries since the striking of the first coin, in Aegina in 687 B.C.

The famous Greek painter and engraver Panagiotis Gravvalos, who is responsible for having literally "engraved" the philatelic history of the modern Greek state by designing hundreds of stamps, also undertook, on behalf of the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games in Athens, to design the Olympic Coins. The reliefs were created with great skill by the well-known sculptor Kostas Kazakos who, having worked for five years for the Greek Mint, has put his signature on several of Greece's most beautiful coins.

The Olympic Numismatic Programme consists of six series of coins, each of which is to include one gold and two silver coins. The first of these series will be released in March 2003 and the sixth and final one in June 2004.

The coins will be a strictly limited edition issued in comparatively small numbers. There will be 28,000 gold coins and 68,000 silver coins per design, while the total number will not exceed 160,000 gold coins and 800,000 silver coins.
 

 What's New!!!
 Introducing Athens 2004 Merchandise & Commemorative Pins


Athens 2004
Olympiad Tshirt

Athens 2004 Mascots with USCC Flag Pin
Athens 2004
Mascots with
USCC Flag Pin

Athens 2004 Mascots with USA Flag Pin
Athens 2004
Mascots with
USA Flag Pin

Athens 2004 Mascots with Greek Flag Pin
Athens 2004
Mascots with
Greek Flag Pin

Buy Now

Buy Now

Buy Now

Buy Now

Athens 2004 Zues at Olympia Pin
Athens 2004
Zues at Olympia Pin

Athens 2004 3D Apollo Pin
Athens 2004
3D Apollo Pin

Athens 2004 Coca Cola Column Ruins Pin
Athens 2004
Coca Cola Column
Ruins Pin

Athens 2004 Coca Cola Discus Thrower Coin Pin
Athens 2004
Coca Cola Discus
Thrower Coin Pin

Buy Now

Buy Now

Buy Now

Buy Now

Athens 2004 Coca Cola Semi 3D Bottle Double Pin
Athens 2004
Coca Cola Semi
3D Bottle Double Pin

Athens 2004 Coca Cola Cafe Table Pin
Athens 2004
Coca Cola Cafe
Table Pin

Athens 2004 Coca Cola Spinning Bottle Pin
Athens 2004
Coca Cola Spinning
Bottle Pin

Athens 2004 Coca Cola Spinning Mascot Bottle Cap Pin
Athens 2004
Coca Cola Spinning
Mascot Bottle Cap Pin

Buy Now

Buy Now

Buy Now

Buy Now

 Cookware & Food

Greek Coffee Pot Briki Medium
Greek Coffee Pot
Briki Medium

Greek Coffee Pot Briki Small
Greek Coffee Pot
Briki Small

Greek Delights Loukoumia with Almonds Net Wt. 17.5oz
Greek Delights
Loukoumia with Almonds
Net Wt. 17.5oz

Buy Now

Buy Now

Buy Now

 Music - Top 40

Koitaxe Me Papaioannou Eleana
Koitaxe Me
Papaioannou Eleana

Kolasi 8 Paradosiaka
Kolasi 8 Paradosiaka
 

5' Pentelepta Giannias Giorgos
5' Pentelepta
Giannias Giorgos

Akatallili Skini Hatziyiannis Mihalis
Akatallili Skini
Hatziyiannis Mihalis

Buy Now

Buy Now

Buy Now

Buy Now

 Summer Children's Books & Software Recommendations

History Science in  Ancient Greece
Sing the Greek
Alphabet w/ CD companion
History Science in  Ancient Greece
Play With the Greek Alphabet Workbook
History Science in  Ancient Greece
History Science in
Ancient Greece
History Ancient Greece Daily Life
History Ancient
Greece Daily Life
Greek Mythology Gods & Goddesses In the Daily LIfe of the Ancient Greeks
Greek Mythology
Gods & Goddesses In the Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks
Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now
Greek Mythology Myths
Greek Mythology
Myths
Greek Mythology God and Goddesses
Greek Mythology God
and Goddesses
Greek Mythology Myths and Legends
Greek Mythology
Myths and Legends
Cinderella  Win-Mac Greek
Cinderella
Win/Mac Greek
Fairytale-The Emperor's  New Clothes
Fairytale -
The Emperor's
New Clothes
Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now
Greek Vocabulary Builder Children  Win/Mac
Greek Vocabulary Builder
Children Win/Mac
Happy Hours Win.
Happy Hours
Win.
The Knowledge  Maze-Win.
The Knowledge
Maze - Win.
The Laboratory of Language - Win.
The Laboratory of Language - Win.
The Pirates Language and Math - Win/Mac
The Pirates Language
& Math - Win/Mac
Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now
 Featured Destination: Limnos

LimnosIn ancient times, according to myth, Limnos, a volcanic island, was the home of the god Hephaistos and his most important place of worship. The island's history is long; two of its cities, Mirina and Hephaistia, were extremely prosperous during antiquity.

Today, the island's capital, still called Mirina, or Kastro, sits at the back of the bay in exactly the same location as its ancient namesake. A Venetian castle presides over its characteristic captains' houses adorned with wooden balconies. Mirina has an important Archaeological Museum with finds from the region as well as from Hephaistia, Cabeiria and Poliochne. Representing every period from the prehistoric to the Hellenistic, they consist primarily of relief works, idols, pottery and sculptures.


The second largest town is Moudros, 25 kilometres east of Mirina, one of the safest anchorages in the Aegean. During World War I it was used as a base of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, which launched its attack on the Dardanelles from here in 1915.

Taking Moudros as a starting point, it is possible to visit all the island's archaeological sites.

A dirt road to the northeast leads to a rocky promontory with the ruins of Hephaistia, Limnos's leading city in antiquity.

Excavations have brought to light sanctuaries of the 5th and 4th century B.C. and the necropolis with Greek, Roman and Byzantine tombs. Three kilometres further north at a place called Chloe there are the Archaic and Hellenistic remains of the Sanctuary of the Cabeirians. East of Moudros near Kaminia you will find the ruins of ancient Poliochne, where seven successive settlements have been excavated, one dating back to the Neolithic, the others to the Early Bronze Age. Finally, north of Moudros is the site of the Byzantine state of Kotsika with its fortress. This is where Maroula, the heroine of Limnos, died fighting the Turks in 1478.

On the east side of the island, at Hortorolimni, there is a large stretch of marshland, a major habitat for rare birds. The road continues on from here to the tip of Limnos and the fishing hamlet of Plaka with its monastery dedicated to Agios Haralambos.

Jumping over to the southern tip of the island and another monastery, Agios Sostis, where there is a big celebration every September 7th, one enters a desert landscape with sand dunes, so unusual for Greece that it has been dubbed "the Sahara of Limnos".

The island's inland road network, asphalted as far as Moudros, leads to picturesque seaside and mountain villages, such as Livadohori, Atsiki with its interesting view of the Gulf of Pournia and tavernas serving fresh fish, and Nea Koutali with its marvelous empty beaches, delightful tavernas and sponge-fishing caiques anchored offshore.

Those not deterred by dirt roads will want to explore still further.
 

 Travel Guides, Videos, and DVDs

Get the map of
Limnos here


Limnos
Visit more parts of Greece with the Cadogan guide

Greece
Greece On DVD
- 5 DVDs

The Beauties of
Greece on DVD

The Beauties of Greece on DVD
Buy Now  Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now
Greece Destination
Travel & Experience the World DVD

Greece Destination Travel and Experience the World DVD (NTSC)
The Pilot Guide to Greek Islands VHS (NTSC)

The Pilot Guide to Greek Islands VHS (NTSC)
Paros The Picturesque Aegean Island DVD

Paros The Picturesque Aegean Island DVD
Paros The Picturesque Aegean Island Book

Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now
 Saints' Namedays in June
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

  
1
 
2

Nikiforou
3
 
4

Marthas & Marias
5

Dorotheou
6
7

Sevastianis
8
 
Kalliopis
9 10
 
11

Vartholomaiou / Varnava
12

13
 

14
 
15

 
16 17
 
18 19 20
21 22

Zinonos
23 24 25 26 27
 
28 29

Petrou & Paulou
30

Sunaksi ton 12 Apostolon

 

 
 
 


Icons depicting the celebrated Saint, make great gifts for namedays.
Shop among our great collection of icons at our store. Also available, namedays, birthday, holiday, and special occasion greeting cards.

 Share With Others!!!!

Let your family and friends share the savings by forwarding them this email.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2004 GreekShops.com All rights reserved.