What Were the Pink and Blue Tables for in Front of a Greek Church in Greece?

After breakfast at our hotel near the ancient site of Philippe, we went to explore the church and the area close by.

After visiting the souvenir shop at the entrance, we walked through a park like setting green space where we met a lady busy setting up a booth filled with display items and gifts in pink colour.

Not far from this pink table, I noticed there was another table decorated entirely in blue.

  Curious, I stopped, took a look and started chatting with this lady busy working on her tasks but was kind enough to stop and talk with me.

I asked her what these tables were for and learned that in Greece, a baby’s baptism (Vaptisi) is one of the most significant, deeply rooted cultural and religious milestones in a person's life.

It is simultaneously a sacred Orthodox sacrament and a massive social celebration.

 

That day there were two baptisms happening at the church. One for a baby boy and another one for a baby girl. Hence there were two different tables. The pink one for the girl and the blue one set up for the baby boy.

  I had a good lenthy conversation with this lady, the owner of the business. Being kind and patient, this lady owner answered and explained to me many of the questions I asked her.

 

  The pink and blue tables I saw at the church courtyard - a vibrant part of this tradition! In Greece, the reception begins right at the entrance or courtyard of the church. These tables decorated intensely one in pink and the other one in blue are the Welcome Table / Candy Bar and The Favor Stations.

 

These tables serve a few highly specific purposes:

  The Candy Bar & Refreshments (Glyka): Guests are treated to custom cookies and traditional sweets right after the ceremony. Because a traditional Greek baptism takes place entirely in Greek, it is also common to find refreshing tables featuring lemonade, water, or cocktails to reward guests for standing through the long service.  

 

The Martyrika (Witness Pins): There may also be small trays of tiny lapel pins with a small ribbon in pink on the pink table and blue on the blue table with a protective "evil eye" (mati), sometimes with a metal cross, attached. Before entering the church, guests pick one up and pin it to their clothes. This signifies that they are a "witness" to the child entering the Christian faith.  

 

The Bonbonieres (Baptism Favors): This is an absolute must at any Greek baptism. Guests receive a beautifully wrapped favor, traditionally made of tulle, lace, or custom boxes matching the pink/blue theme.

Inside are always an odd number of koufeta (white candy-coated Jordan almonds).

  The bitterness of the almond combined with the sweetness of the sugar coating symbolizes the highs and lows of life, while the odd number represents that the new union between the child and the church cannot be divided.

 

 

  I found this Greek traditions and customs fascinating! Thanks to this lovely Greek business lady who taught me a lot about these customs right here at the Lydia Batistery where many of the baptisms have happened!

  RT, the Lydia Batistery, Krinides, Greece, 042026

The Most Memorable Moment of Our Trip in Greece!

Desiring to visit the sites of Saint Paul's second missionary journey, we took the bus from Thessaloniki to Kavala. From Kavala, we took a taxi to our hotel located in the area of the archaeological site of Philippi. We arrived in the evening; with not much to do in the area, we went to bed early and had a good night rest.

The next morning, I pushed the balcony door open from our bedroom, stepped outside and saw a good size church not too far from our hotel. The air was fresh; the birds were chirping. It was a tranquil setting with spring foliage, wild grass and trees budding with green leaves. There was a small table with a couple of patio chairs inviting us to sit and enjoy this quiet and relaxing scenery.

  I lingered on the balcony for a while taking in the relaxed and slow pace of a Greek rural village. This was why we were here! Quiet and unhurried living!

  We headed down for breakfast which was served in the hotel’s dining room. This village hotel looked rustic. It was early spring, not the busy tourist season yet. There was no big crowds, no bus loads of curious tourists.

It was quiet with us being the only guests in the dining room. We enjoyed a simple breakfast prepared and served by an elderly lady, a member of the small business family.

  After breakfast, I opened the bible to the book of Philippians, my husband and I took turn reading the scriptures together trying to understand what messages Paul was conveying to the congregation in Philippi.

  Again, as last time when we read the book of Thessalonian in Thessaloniki and we gained a better and deeper insight into Paul’s messages, the same amazing experience happened to me again this time!

  As my husband was reading the text, we had a good discussion about what we had read delving into the real meaning of the bible texts. I had a good time and enjoyed studying and sharing the bible words with my hubby.

This was one of the most memorable moments of our trip in Greece!

  One of St. Paul’s messages to the church of Philippi was be joyful in all circumstances even though he was writing this letter in a prison cell. I was deeply touched and moved by his words and had an excellent sharing with S.

  As a Christian couple, this is something I have always wanted in our married life - studying and sharing God's words regularly and making it a part of life. Life has its many challenges, but with God's word and His presence in our life, we will be able to cope with and rise above the challenges and become victorious in the end!

  I will strive to make this bible reading and sharing happening more often in our everyday life!

  RT, Near the Archaeological site of Philippi, Greece 042026

A Hotel Review for Downtown Suite, Thessaloniki, Greece

We stayed at the Downtown Suite Hotel for two nights while we visited Thessaloniki recently. The hotel's location was excellent for us as it was not too far from the places where we wanted to visit. It was only about a ten minutes' walk from the Metro subway station, very convenient indeed!

  Our room was modern and clean, but not very big.

Breakfast was served buffet style in the hotel’s lobby. It was a good spread with a few choices of breakfast sandwiches such as ham and cheese crescent sandwich, egg salad sandwiches plus hot food items including omellets and sausages and an assortment of pastries and fruits. By the way, the varieties and choices of pastries being sold in the bakeries everywhere in Greece were amazing!

There was a front desk staff member looking after hotel guests. However, after 11 p.m. there was no front desk service and guests must enter from the side door and use their own hotel room card to gain entry into the hotel. I believed there was a guest who forgot his/ her card and couldn't get into the hotel. So be aware of this and don't forget your card if you are booking at this hotel.

  I would give it a score of 8 / 10

  RT, Thessaloniki, Greece

A Bus Ride from Thessaloniki to Kavala, Greece - An Enjoyable Trip Indeed!

After visiting Thessaloniki, our next destination was Kavala. This was our first time travelling in Greece and we found that travelling by public bus was convenient and affordable.

We used to travel to small towns in Canada by bus if we didn't feel like driving. Unfortunately, Grey Hound, Canada's major long distance public bus company went out of business during COVID. With the loss of the long distance buses, the bus terminals started to be demolished as well.

  In contrast, Greece's public bus system seemed to be doing well. The bus terminals were filled with passengers going to places.

 

 

 

  Every bus trip we took in Greece was on time; the bus companies appeared to offer many routes to their passengers taking them to various locations in different cities and villages.

 

 

 

  We were impressed when we saw how big and well equipped the public bus terminals were in different Greek cities, big and small, during our travel there.

 

 

  We liked the bus terminals in Greece as they offered much convenience to passengers.

For example, we could always buy food and beverages in the terminals' shops and restaurants. And the food offered in the terminal restaurants were not junk food or only cold sandwiches but delicious hot local dishes. We loved eating at these terminal restaurants.!

The seating in the Thessaloniki bus terminal restaurant was spacious and comfortable too, making dining on the go so much more enjoyable than in North American bus terminals! Inside the restaurant, there were ample seating as well as work stations where passengers could charge up their cell phones or work on their computers while waitig for their buses.

  The cost of a one way bus ticket from Thessaloniki to Kavala was 25 Euros and it took about two and half hours on the bus. We enjoyed the bus ride as it was comfortable and every passenger onboard was very quiet. There was no loud music playing nor was there anyone talking loudly on the phone.

The scenery on the way was spectacular! We learned that the official count by the Greek National Tourism organization gave a a figure of 6000 islands and islets in Greece with 227 of them inhabited. But we didn't realize Greece is a country with many majestic mountains as well.

After a little more than two hours, we arrived to Kavala. We found that many shops and restaurants were closed for the Orthodox Easter holiday. Noramally there would be a bus going to the village every hour, but not on Easter Sunday. ( We must make a note that buses reduce their hours during holidays next time when we travel in Greece and other parts of Europe.)

After a quick sharama sandwich at one of the few opened restaurants, we called a taxi taking us to our hotel which cost 25 Euro. But at least we could sleep in our booked hotel room instead of trying to find another hotel.

  It was well after 8pm by the time we arrived to the hotel and the front desk was closed. Only a lady in her late 60’s – 70 was there. She gave us our key plus the information on the wifi, off we went into our room.

  After getting some help with the TV, we finally got to watch the English news so we thought. However, we couldn't find any English channel. Without much English TV to watch, we went to bed early and looked forward to exploring Kavala the next day!. RT, Kavala, Greece, 042026

Disappointed at Not Able to Attend an English Speaking Sunday Service in Thessaloniki, Greece

After taking a bus from Athens to Thessaloniki, we stayed in that city for two nights in order to experience the Greek Orthodox Easter. It was a deeply religious and fantstic expereince for us.

We were glad that we were able to experience it first hand in Greece!

  We checked out of our hotel on the morning of the Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday in Thessaloniki with the intention of attending an English Sunday Service during this important time in the church calendar. After googling the information and finding the address of an English service, we called a taxi taking us there.

The address was a downtown location but when we arrived there, we saw an office building instead of a church. Without the exact unit number and no information on the directory where the Egnlish congregation was, we tried but failed to find the location of where the English service would be held. We were disappointed that we were unable to attend a Sunday Service in Thessaloniki during the Greek Easter.

 

However, this gave us some extra time to wander around in the city`s waterfront and downtown area. Thessaloniki is indeed a beautiful city with a population of about 816,000 in its metropolitian area ( 2026); it is Greece`s second most important economic and commercial centre, and has the largest port in northern Greece.

  Thessaloniki is a key Southeastern European hub for trade, energy and tourism. The port serves as a strategic gateway to the Balkans, the Black Sea and Central Europe.

  We have learned Some interesting facts about Thessaloniki:

  1. It is considered Greece`s cultural capital, famous for the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and the International Trade Fair.

 

2. It is often referred to as Greece`s co-capital, reflecting its historical status alongisde Constantinople.

  3. It is a city of students. Thessaloniki hosts two major universitites, including the renowned Aristotle University, making it one of the largest student populations in Greece.

 

4. It was the first Greek city to be named a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.

  5. The Apostle Paul visited this city and later wrote two of his epistles to the early Christian community there in the 1st century AD.

 

  We had a blast at this great city and would love to come back and visit again!

 

 

 

 

 

  RT, Thessaloniki, Greece

  042026

Attending Our Very First 11 p.m Orthodox Easter Service , Thessaloniki, Greece

After visiting the famous castle in Thessaloniki, we went back to our hotel and rested a little to get ready for the big Orthodox Easter service this evening at 11 p.m.( Saturday evening) Knowing that there would be a huge crowd at the church tonite at 11p.m., we called a taxi and arrived at the St. Dimetrious Church about 10:30p.m. People were arriving and we were able to get seats as we were a bit early. I noticed that upon arrival at the church, many congregants each carrying with them a candle in their hands.

  They approached the altar, bowed, or prayed in front of the picture of Jesus and then kissed the picture. I thought once when the service started, people would stop going up to the front of the church to pay tribute to the icon. The service started on time right at 11 p.m. with the priests dressed in their priestly robes, standing up at the front of the church and started chanting. There might be an opening prayer, but we didn’t understand what they were saying, therefore not sure what they said.

People were still going up to the front , paused in front of the picture and prayed briefly. In fact the line of people waiting for their turn to do it grew longer as there were more people entering the church since the service started at 11p.m. There were no seat in the house and many more people had to stand and large number of people were standing outside. While the priests were chanting, we mediated, prayed and thank God for Jesus , grateful for his suffering, death and resurrection so that we could have an eternal life. I didn’t find it boring at all though I didn’t understand a word as we were doing our own worship.

The chanting went on for sometime. There was no singing of hymns by the congregation or any sermon delivered by one of the priests. I closed my eyes and kept praying. Then all of a sudden, I felt darkness descended upon us. I opened my eyes and found that the lights were started to be turned off. The church was dark but people were orderly and quiet.

This went on for about 10 minutes, then more chanting. At about a few minutes to 12a.m. the priests started walking towards the exit of the church and people started lighting their candle and followed suit.

  At 12a.m. we heard firework being set off outside. I really wanted to go outside of the church to see what was happening. But, there were so many people outside as well as inside that there was traffic congestion and difficult for people to move. We waited patiently lining up to go outside and it took about 10 minutes for us to get out.

Lots of people were standing outside the church holding candles while the priests continued their service outside. I couldn’t see what they were doing but they did perform some kind of rituals under Jesus’ picture. Fireworks were set off by neighbors and residents in the surrounding area. People were happy, hugging and taking pictures with each other.

 

  It was a joyful atmosphere, a family affair celebrating Jesus’ resurrection, a great news to mankind!

 

  We were happy that we got to experience an Orthodox Easter in an Orthodox church in Greece, of all the places, in Thessaloniki! Allelujah!

 

  RT, Thessaloniki, Greece p.s. no problem getting a taxi back to our hotel after 12:30a.m.

Exploring a Famous Monastery on a Greek Cultural Route - The Vlatadon Monastery, Thessaloniki, Greece

For days, we were on a very strict budget as all our cash, credit cards and passports were stolen shortly after our arrival to Athens. After making some arrangement and going through a lot of red tapes, more emergency cash and my replacement credit card finally arrived to Greece.

After breakfast, we went to the closest Western Union and was happy to receive the money sent from Canada! With some cash and a replaced credit card, we were much more relaxed and could spend on the things we desired.

  We went to visit a famous monastery, the Vlatadon Monastery, on a Greek Cultural route in Thessaoniki today. We called a taxi which dropped us off at the front entrance of the monastery. The Vlatadon Monastery, situated behind a stunning city wall, seemed to have been protected from attacks in the olden days. It is a functioning monastery with a quiet, tranquil setting and a few buildings.

Vlatadon Monastery is the only active Byzantine monastery in Thessaloniki and the only site in the city with a continuous, multi‑century tradition linking it directly to St Paul. According to tradition and strongly attested - St. Paul preached on this hill, and the monastery was built to preserve that memory.

The view at the top was picturesque and commanded a good view of the city below!

  There seemed to be a small scale of chicken farm and there was an enclosed area where a few peacocks were kept. Seeing a few people were around to admire its beauty, one of the peacocks was proud to open his plume and strutted around for more than 10 minutes for all to see.

There was no tour, no worship service going on and we didn’t see anyone there except for the staff member manning the book and souvenir store. After visiting the monastery, we went around to explore the area and admire the colorful houses and the scenery.

We stopped for a rest, ordered a local snack and relaxed in the roof top garden restaurant overlooking the water. We could see the body of water right from where we were sitting. It was marvelous! It was time like this that I wish my best friend D., could still be around to share these wonderful moments with me!

Having gained a few pounds on this trip due to the delicious pies and pastries I have been comsuming for the past few days, I tried to order soemthing less fattening. I ordered a Greek yoyourt dessert which was served in a pretty bowl topped with generous servings of fruits and crushed walnuts drizzled with honey. It was delicious!!!!

I never knew how to serve Greek yoyourt at home. Now, I have found the perfect recipe combining it with fresh fruits and nuts in Greece! This is something I have learned on this trip and will take back with us to Canada! After this rich serving of sweet dessert, we were re energized and continued our visit in this area. style="clear: both;">