Yesterday was the first day of my 7 day vacation.
I spent the week looking into things I could do for free and found a number of things, but decided to spend $5 attending day 3 of the 50th anniversary of Houston's Original Greek Festival, held on the grounds of historic Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral and school.
In 1917, a bunch of Greek immigrants formed what is today one of the largest Greek Orthodox communities in America on the grounds of what is now Tranquility Park in downtown Houston.
The current Cathedral was built in 1952 and is beautiful, inside and out.
So, I, the Mad Macedonian, took 2 buses to reach the location, just off Montrose Blvd., between Westheimer & Alabama, arriving about 1pm.
Looking around I decided it was too depressing to begin by looking at all the Greek food I couldn't afford to sample and went inside the Cathedral instead.
Nothing like a good, old-fashioned Byzantine Chant, or 4, to take one's mind off such matters, hee, hee!
Just inside the entrance I decided to do something to honor the memory of my father; I lit a candle, said a brief prayer of hope for a better personal and creative future.
This room is "The Narthex"; where the faithful light a candle to the Lord.
My father was a native Macedonian, born in Gevgelija, in what used to be part of the country of Yugoslavia, now the Republic of Macedonia, bordering Greece.
I then went into "The Nave"; The main chamber, where the laity sit or stand and take part in the Worship services.
Orthodox Christianity is the oldest church in Christendom...What became Roman Catholicism broke off from them, in the 11th century, to form the Western Church of the Christian Faith and the rest is history as Western Civilization evolved from this split.
The Orthodox Church has it's own divisions, as evidenced Greek and Eastern Orthodoxy, among others, but according to the literature passed out at Annunciation...
The Orthodox Christian Church "maintains the Apostolic Faith of Ancient Christianity" and "does not change dogmas and teachings" as the evolution of Western Christianity has done.
I settled down in a pew and listened to a priest talk about the church and then lead a small group in an short "concert" of a collection of Byzantine Chants, one of which you can listen to, on my Facebook.
Looking around the inside of the Cathedral one feels like being in a museum...
Beautiful architecture and art and furniture surround you.
The imagery bring home to the faithful scenes of important events in the birth of the faith.
As Annunciation's literature explains...
"Sacred Iconography and Architecture are a mark of the Church. These teaching icons are helpful in proclaiming the Scriptures and the life of the Church through the ages."
This photo shows me standing in front of part of the area called "The Sanctuary"; where the Holy Altar Table and prepearation tables and podiums are located and from which the clergy offer the Holy Eucharist.
Fully refreshed and strengthened to deal with the fact I could not even say that I resisted temptation through my own will and not a lack of funds, I went back outside and wandered around the extensive food court, taking in the various sights and smells.
There were Pastries of various sorts:
Baklava, Finikia, Kourambiedes, Koulourakia, Rizogalo, Tsoureki.
There were Dinner Plates of various sorts:
Pastitsio - Pasta, meat, cheese, & Bechamel Sauce
Tiropita - Feta cheese filled Filo
Spanakopita - Spinach & feta cheese filled Filo
Keftedes - Greek meatballs
Greek Salad - With feta cheese, olives, & Greek dressing
There were also all sorts of Gyros as well as numerous Greek beers and wines.
But, enough of that, there was Greek dancing to behold and a gift shop to explore!
Those activities took up most of my afternoon, hee, hee!
The Annunciation Dance Ministry is a powerful influence on the younger members of the Church, from elementary school through high school and even beyond, to the age of 35, teaching those involved about Greek culture and dance.
The various troupes perform at venues, including the Greek Festival at the Cathedral, at Orthodox churches around the Houston area, and at various civic events and folk festivals.
I took a number of short videos, using my cell phone, 4 of which came out well enough for me to share on my Facebook...
The gift shop was overwhelming.
Clothing, jewelry, dishes, small furniture, perfumes and soaps, iconic imagery, lamps, dolls, photos, artwork, stickers, books on Greek History and the Orthodox Faith and more were everywhere you looked
You could even buy small Olive Trees to plant in your yard so they can grow.
My cell phone battery was running low so I decided not to stay for the evening musical entertainment by “The Golden Greek,” Alex Kalos, in the Food Court area.
I love taking photos on my excursions and not having a quality point and shoot camera means I am stuck with my cell phone and its limited quality and options...and power limit.
Despite that I had a great time and was reminded that I really need to make a couple of visits each to the Roadster Greek Diner and Niko Niko's Restaurant, the 2 most well-known of the many affordable Greek food options in Houston.
Next up: Vacation Day 2: Willow Waterhole Park, A Dog and Her Musician Companions
That sounds like a fun and delicious day.
Posted by: Ellen Pilch | October 11, 2016 at 10:38 PM