Hellenic Net

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ For Dia Xristou Salotita {(The Christ-like peace(madness), Greek : Δια Χριστόν σαλότητα} refers to the way of functioning of a special order of saints in the body of the church, who, acting in a paradoxical way and far from the usual formal moral patterns, managed to achieve holiness and at the same time bring back a multitude of people within their bosoms of the church. This example has many times been scandalous for believers and non-believers in the history of the church, but the church through these saints saw the expression and manifestation of a special gift of the Holy Spirit, one of the sharpest forms of prophetic preaching. The lunatics are usually monks who leave the quiet of their monasteries and go down to the cities operating with actions that are absurd and stupid, but which have a deeper meaning and purpose to demonstrate the truth that lies behind the pretenses and formulas of world. They have no problem entering, for example, taverns, brothels, and mingling wi...

Άγιος Ιωάννης o Πρόδρομος. Εορτασμός 7 Ιανουαρίου Ἐμὴ σε γλῶσσα Κήρυξ πῶς ἂν αἰνέσῃ, Ὃν γλῶσσα Χριστοῦ γηγενῶν μείζω λέγει; Μνήμη ἐβδομάτη Προδρόμου λάχεν αἰδοίοιο. On January 7, the Greek Orthodox church celebrates the Feast Day of the Synaxis of Agios Ioannis the Baptist and Holy Forerunner of Christ, who is also the Protector Saint of God Parents, as he baptised Jesus Christ. January 7, Synaxis of Agios Ioannis the Baptist and Forerunner of Christ Τάφος του Αγίου Ιωάννη του Βαπτιστή σε ένα κοπτικό μοναστήρι στην Κάτω Αίγυπτο. Εδώ λέγεται ότι βρέθηκαν τα οστά του Αγίου Ιωάννη του Προδρόμου. In the Orthodox Church, it is customary, on the day following the Great Feasts of the Lord and the Mother of God, to remember those saints who participated directly in the sacred event. So, on the day following the Theophany of the Lord, the Church honours the one who participated directly in the Baptism of Christ, placing his own hand upon the head of the Savior. Saint John, the holy Forerunner a...

Αγία Θεοφάνεια. Εορτασμός 6 Ιανουαρίου On the sixth of January, the Christmas holidays in Greece officially come to an end with the ‘festival of light’ (‘ton foton’ in Greek), also known as Epiphany. This feast day in the Greek Orthodox Church is known as ‘Theophania’ which means ‘a vision of God’ or ‘Christ shining through’. It is considered a very important day for The Greek Orthodox Church. January 6th is also known as ‘Three Kings Day’ in the Western Church, a celebration of  the three magi visiting the Christ child. Epiphany (/əˈpɪfəni/ ə-PIF-ə-nee), also known as "Theophany" in Eastern Christian tradition, is a Christian feast day commemorating the visit of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus, and the wedding at Cana.[2] In Western Christianity, the feast commemorates principally (but not solely) the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child, and thus Jesus Christ's physical manifestation to the Gentiles. It is sometimes called Three Kings' Day, and in some traditions ce...

Οσία Μελάνη η Ρωμαία, 31 Δεκεμβρίου Saint Melania was born in Rome into a devout Christian family. Her parents, people of property and wealth, hoped that their daughter would marry and have children who would inherit their wealth. At fourteen years of age Melania was married to the illustrious youth Apinianus. From the very beginning of their married life, Saint Melania asked her husband to live with her in chastity or else release her from the marriage. Apinianus answered, “I cannot agree to this right now. When we have two children to inherit the property, then we shall both renounce the world.” Soon Melania gave birth to a daughter, whom the young parents dedicated to God. Continuing to live together in marriage, Melania secretly wore a hair shirt and spent her nights in prayer. The second child, a boy, was premature and had severe complications. They baptized him, and he departed to the Lord. Seeing the suffering of his wife, Apinianus asked the Lord to preserve Saint Melania’s lif...

Η Ιστορία της Βασιλόπιτας The custom of Vasilopita in the New Year, the cutting, the wishes for the new year, the history of Vasilopita, the roots in antiquity, the relationship of cutting with the Orthodox Religious tradition and Basil the Great. Vasilopita is the name of the pie that is prepared in some countries on the Christian New Year's Eve and is cut (shared) shortly after the time changes. In Athens, the so-called "public" Vasilopita is common, which is made mainly from flour, eggs, sugar and milk, it is made in various sizes and types, but it is usually puffy, fluffy and sweet. In other places, other methods of manufacturing with spices etc. prevail. In western Macedonia, instead of the "public" Vasilopita, the Vasilopita is often a cheese pie or onion pie. But the basic common feature is that inside all of them a coin is placed, usually common but in some cases gold (constantinatus) or silver. In the Greek countryside, depending on the custom, a small ...

  Κάλαντα σε πίνακα, 1872 Greek carol on painting board,1872 Kalanda, painting by Nikiforos Lytras (1872, private collection). Kalandas are folk congratulatory and praise songs that are customarily sung every year mainly on the eve of major religious holidays such as Christmas, New Year's (St. Vassiliou, which in some places, such as in Kavala, are called First Landa), Epiphany, and even of Vaios or Lazarus, with the exception of those of Good Friday which are consumptive. The main traditional musical instruments that accompany the carols are the triangle, the lute, the tambourine, the tsabouna, the flute, etc.

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ Τὰς ἐκ σιδηρῶν ὀξέων ἥλων ξέσεις, Ὥς τις σιδηροῦς καρτερεῖς Θεμιστόκλεις. Saint Themistocles is one of the lesser known saints of the Orthodox Church. He lived during the 3rd century AD. in the region of Myra in Lycia, in Asia Minor, which today is called Kale and is located on the southern coast of Turkey. At that time, Lycia was part of the Roman Empire. Themistocles lived at the time when Diocletian was on the imperial throne. He was in charge of the eastern part of the empire while Maximian was in charge of the western part. Diocletian during the period 284-303 AD. and after establishing the so-called Tetrarchy, he started a persecution against the Christians. Saint Themistocles was one of the many martyrs of this period. During the persecution, Saint Dioskouros was pursued by Asclepius, ruler of Lycia. But he found refuge in Saint Themistocles, a local shepherd, who hid and protected him. When the soldiers found Saint Themistocles they asked him if he knew anything about ...

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ Χάρις λέουσιν Ἰγνάτιε παμβόροις, Σοῦ σώματος λιποῦσι καὶ πιστοῖς μέρος. Τῇ ἐνάτῃ ἐπάνοδος Ἰγνατίῳ εἰκάδι τύχθη. Λέουσιν, Ἰγνάτιε, δεῖπνον προὐτέθης, Κοινωνὲ δείπνου μυστικοῦ, θάρσους λέον. Εἰκάδι Ἰγνάτιος θάνε γαμφηλῇσι λεόντων. Ignatius of Antioch (/ɪɡˈneɪʃəs/; Greek: Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας, Ignátios Antiokheías; died c. 108/140 AD), also known as Ignatius Theophorus (Ἰγνάτιος ὁ Θεοφόρος, Ignátios ho Theophóros, lit. "the God-bearing"), was an early Christian writer and Patriarch of Antioch. While en route to Rome, where he met his martyrdom, Ignatius wrote a series of letters. This correspondence forms a central part of a later collection of works by the Apostolic Fathers. He is considered one of the three most important of these, together with Clement of Rome and Polycarp. His letters also serve as an example of early Christian theology, and address important topics including ecclesiology, the sacraments, and the role of bishops. Nothing is known of Ignatius' lif...