GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION- THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE IN VANCOUVER
This year marked the 190th anniversary of the Greek Independence Day. It was on March 25, 1821 that the Greek people began the struggle for freedom from the oppressive rule of the Ottomans who had controlled Greece for over four hundred years. That struggle lasted for over a hundred years as Greece won its independence bit by bit. It was not until after WW2 that the present boundaries were established.
On the evening of March 25th the Hellenic Community of Vancouver and the Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC presented a special theatrical presentation by Yiannis Simonides at the main hall of the Hellenic Community Centre. Simonides presented, in Greek and English, excerpts from the memoirs of General Ioannis Makriyannis. The performance was accompanied by recorded kleftika tragoudia and a power-point presentation of images of the revolution.
Ioannis Makriyannis (1797 – 1864) who was one of the key generals of the Greek Revolutionary army and one of the founders of the Modern Greek State. He learned to read and write late in life just so he could record a true account of the people’s fight for liberty. His memoirs were not published until 40 years after his death. It is only in recent years that his memoirs have been more widely read and studied.
Yannis Simonides was born in Constantinople and raised in Athens. He graduated with honours from Athens College and then went on to further studies at Yale University in the US. There he earned a BA in Drama and Literature. He also earned a MFA in Acting from the Yale School of Drama. He has served as professor and chair of the New York University Tisch School of the Arts Drama Department. He also served as executive producer of Greek Orthodox Telecommunications (GOTelecom) and as executive director of Hellenic Public Radio, COSMOS FM, in New York. He is the founder and director of the Greek Theater of New York, which has been in operation for 32 years. He has performed at theatres, festivals, schools and universities in Greece, Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Russia, Africa and New Zealand. In 2009 the city of Athens honoured him for his lifelong service to Greek arts and letters worldwide by naming him as Ambassador of Hellenism. In 2010 Simonides, along with a team of young visionaries founded Greek Theatre International, to expand the boundaries of Hellenic theatre.
March 25th also celebrates the Annunciation of the Theotokos so of course a church service was also in progress that evening at St. George Cathedral, next door to the Hellenic Community Center hall. So it was decided to postpone the scheduled 7 pm start of Simonides performance until the completion of the service so those attending church would not miss out. As a result the hall was packed. Simonides put on a very emotional performance and the audience was very moved by his presentation. After the performance the Consul of Greece, George Ayfantis thanked Mr. Simonides on his wonderful presentation. Everyone was treated to free appetizers and drinks courtesy of the Hellenic Community of Vancouver and the Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC.
AUSTERITY MEASURES HIT GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS
Greece’s current economic problems and the resulting austerity measures have affected not only that country but its outposts as well. The Consulate of Greece in Vancouver has had to trim its budget drastically. Staff has been reduced and special event funding has been cut. The Greek Shipping department has closed its downtown office and now operates out of the home of the Maritime Attache.
The annual Open House for March 25th, Greek Independence Day hosted by the Consulate, where representatives of city, provincial and federal governments, other Consulates and Embassies, leaders of the various Greek communities, Greek associations and organizations and local Greek Canadians met, greeted and mingled while enjoying the lavish appetizers and wines is no more. The annual Independence Day dinner dance at the Hellenic Community of Vancouver also is no more. There the Consul, the Maritime Attache and other dignateries were invited guests.
For many years the Independence Day celebrations, as well as OXI Day celebrations and others were used as community fundraisers. Ticket sales to the general Greek population helped to defer the cost of the invited guests. The dinner dances no longer draw the crowds they did years ago. The Greek population that attended such events is aging. Many people have health problems that prevent them from enjoying lavish dinners. In the past alcohol sales contributed to a large share of the profit margin of such events but alcohol consumption has been drastically reduced not only due to health reasons but also as a result of the strict drinking/driving laws imposed the last few years. Raising the ticket prices to offset this however is also not the answer as the high ticket prices are a deterrent for the younger generation with families. So most of the Greek organizations can no longer count on these events as fundraisers.
The communities should not let these special events go by the wayside. These national celebrations should not be used as fund raisers but instead be used to bring everyone together. Ways will have to be found to celebrate these special occasions in a more family friendly manner and in a less costly way.
HELLENIC COMMUNITY OF VANCOUVER CELEBRATES GREEK INDEPENDENCE
The Hellenic Community of Vancouver celebrated the Greek Independence Day in several ways. On the evening of March 25th it co-hosted, along with the Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC, the theatrical performance by Yiannis Simonides. On the following Sunday the memorial church service was held at St. George Cathedral.
The church service commemorates the double events, the Annunciation of the Theotokos as well as the fight for liberty for Greece which began on that feast day in 1821.
As in the past the various Greek organizations and schools were invited to take part in this special memorial service. They brought their flags, banners and memorial wreaths which were placed inside, at the front of the church during the service. The representatives of these groups were seated in the front rows of the church. The Consul of Greece George Ayfantis, the Maritime Attache Apostolos Liourdis and the Consul of Cyprus Tassoula Berggren as usual were given places of honour in the front row. Father Demetrios read the message from his Eminence Metropolitan Sotirios and then invited the Consul of Greece to address the people. Usually in the past the Consul as part of his presentation has read a message from the Greek State but this year no message from Greece was included in the Consul’s address to the people.
After the church services were completed the memorial service continued outdoors. The various flags and banners were placed by the cenotaph. Father Demetrios led a short memorial service and then the laying of the memorial wreaths began .The first wreath laid was by the Consul of Greece and the Maritime Attache on behalf of the Greek State, then the Consul of Cyprus laid the wreath on behalf of Cyprus. The Hellenic Community of Vancouver wreath was laid by its president, Peter P. Kletas. Wreaths were laid by the Hellenic Canadian Congress, AHEPA, Hellenic Studies at SFU and the various other Greek organizations of the greater Vancouver area in attendance.
After the completion of the wreath laying ceremony the participants went for refreshments in the community hall. There only coffee was provided free but those who wished could purchase loukemathes which were being sold by the Philoptochos Society to raise funds for the Hellenic Community of Vancover..
