Dear Greek and Philhellenic friends
The Greek Community of the Alpes Maritimes sends you its best wishes for the New Year 2025: a year full of challenges, adventures, happiness and moments of sharing.
2025…………………….. WE’LL TRAVEL TOGETHER………….
Our classes start again on Monday 13 January….. so get out your dictionaries verbs stories music….
SCREENING AND DISCUSSION OF THE DOCUMENTARY
Déracinements
by Eleni Alexandakis
Friday 10 January 2024 at 8pm
at Cinéma MERCURY-JEAN-PAUL BELMONDO,
16 pl Garibaldi, 06300 Nice
A journey through the space and time of ruthless politics…
From the Greek civil war to the war in Afghanistan, from the Franco years to the Covid years, from Reunion Island to Siberia, many children have been violently torn from their natural environment for political reasons.
Through their testimonies, terrible and often little-known aspects of history emerge. Seven stories of uprooting. Seven confessions. This documentary is made up of testimonies from people who, as children, were uprooted from their natural environment, in different countries and at different times, from 1940 to 2021. Men and women from Spain, Greece, the former Soviet Union, Reunion Island and Afghanistan confess how they found themselves, against their will, uprooted from their homes, their families and their countries, ostensibly for their protection but in fact to be exploited. They tell how they were displaced and confined, and the political interests behind these violations of their lives. They share the pain of their lost childhoods and identities…
CGDAM – VASSILOPITA SATURDAY 8 FEBRUARY AT 2.30PM
The Greek community of the Alpes Maritimes is pleased to invite you to the VASSILOPITA, which will take place at the Maison des associations.
The event will showcase the work of the association’s workshops, with plays, traditional dances, costumes and songs.
Vasilopita is the traditional Greek New Year’s cake. It comes from the name of Basil, which in Greek is pronounced Vassilios + pita = cake.
The name of Saint Basil is celebrated on 1 January. The story goes that in Saint Basil’s time, the governor of Cappadocia decided to travel himself to collect unpaid taxes.
Frightened, the population sought the protection of their bishop. The bishop advised the inhabitants to give something of value as a gift to the governor to appease his anger. This gesture effectively appeased the governor’s wrath, who, moved by Saint Basil’s eloquence in defending the cause of his flock, refused the gifts offered.
Everyone was relieved to be able to keep their possessions, but no one could return each item to its owner. Once again, Saint Basil found a solution. He asked each family to make a large wafer and hide a precious object inside.
Saint Basil distributed the cakes and, miraculously, everyone was able to find their property. Since then, the Greeks have celebrated Saint Basil by baking a sweet cake bearing his name, and on 1 January everyone enjoys this dessert.
Vasilopita Greek New Year cake
In Greece, a coin, well rinsed and wrapped in tin foil, is used instead of a bean. The person who finds it in their slice keeps it preciously in their wallet to guarantee good luck all year round!
The first portion is reserved for Christ, the second for the house, the third for the poor and the following portions are divided among the people present in order of age.
THE RECIPE IS FOR A VASILOPITA OF 4 – 6 PEOPLE
The ingredients are measured out using a yoghurt pot (a yoghurt pot corresponds to 170 g of yoghurt, 180 g of sugar and 120 g of flour).
Preparation time 20 mins
Cooking time 1h00
Ingredients:
✔ 1 1/2 pots sugar
✔ 200 g butter + a little butter for the dish
✔ 4 eggs
✔ 1 pot yoghurt
✔ 3 pots of flour
✔ 1 baking powder
✔ Zest of an orange or bergamot
✔ Icing sugar and items for decoration
✔ 1 coin wrapped in foil
Preparation:
✔ Preheat your oven to 170 C°.
✔ Beat the butter with the sugar until white.
✔ Add the eggs, flour, yoghurt, baking powder and orange or bergamot zest one by one.
✔ Butter the ‘20/26 diameter’ dish well, don’t hesitate to surround it with greaseproof paper: unmoulding should be perfect.
✔ Pour the mixture into the mould and remember to hide your piece well.
✔ Bake for approximately 1 hour.
✔ Dust with icing sugar and place the small decorations.