Tradition!
With the ladies who do the baking for the annual Greek Festival getting older, the 30th at McCoy Pavilion Aug. 28-29 could be the last
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get arrested.
According to Urban Dictionary, “opa” is a word that Greek people use for no apparent reason. They tend to blurt it out when they are jubilant or in a celebratory mood. So, say it, even if no one knows what the heck it means or why you’re saying it. You’ll hear it a lot at the Greek Festival.
9) You can dance when you’re sad. Greeks have a wonderful way of dealing with stress. (Are you listening, Mel Gibson?) They simply get up and dance it off. There are as many variations as there are Greek islands, ranging from dance styles that are skippy and light, fast and agile to some that begin slowly and increase in speed. The shoulder-hold hasaposerviko that Dianna Graves’ Nisiotes Dance Group will demonstrate at the Greek Festival is a simple, six-step routine that anyone can learn. If you can do the Electric Slide, you can master the hasaposerviko and even the 12-step syrto. Dance lessons at the Greek Festival are free.
8) You work to live and not live to work. Greeks have a hang-loose attitude toward life, just like the Islanders. Church and family are core units from which all relationships radiate. When it comes to a massive undertaking like the Greek Festival, the 65 close-knit families of the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral contribute many hours of planning and preparation to stage the church’s primary fundraising event. Come talk story with them at the Greek Festival.
7) You speak loudly and laugh even louder. See No. 8.
6) Forty percent of what you say is Greek. Supposedly 40 percent of the Oxford English Dictionary are words with Greek roots. For instance, abacus comes from the Greek word abax meaning sand tray. The word “utopia” is Greek for nowhere. Don’t know what one has to do with the other, but it will get much clearer with a shot of ouzo.
5) Moussaka, Souvlaki, Gyro and Loukoumades. No, these are not Greek baby names for the next baptism. These are Greek delicacies to savor at the many Greek Festival food booths. Moussaka is layered eggplant casserole made by the ladies of the church. Souvlaki is skewered marinated beef or pork. Gyro is the quintessential Greek pita sandwich made with spiced beef and lamb. Loukoumades are Greek doughnuts, like malasadas, drizzled with aromatic honey syrup. Then, there’s dolmathes, spanakopita and lukaniko. Just eat and enjoy them; don’t try to pronounce them or name your kid after them.
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4) Look for Made in Greece labels. Want to find authentic Greek clothing, pottery, fisherman hats, chocolates and cookbooks? The Greek Festival is an opportunity to shop in a Mediterranean marketplace of bargains. For instance, there are colorful komboloi, or Greek worry beads that look like prayer beads but have no religious significance. They’re merely a form of relaxation and stress relief that pent-up Greeks wiggle with their hands when they’re not dancing or throwing plates on the floor. Another rare find are T-shirts that commemorate this year’s 2,500th anniversary of the ancient Greek marathon. That should get you running.
3) Baklava has nothing to do with volcanoes. Greeks are geniuses with filo dough. No one makes pastries and desserts like our friends from the Hellenic Republic. Taste baklava, layers of filo with butter, walnuts, cinnamon and lemon spiced syrup; kourambiedes, Greek wedding cookies; galatobouriko, custard dessert of farina, butter, eggs and milk baked between layers of filo, topped with honey syrup; and melomakarona, honey-dipped, walnut-studded spice cookies.
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2) Celebrate Hawaii’s diversity. We’re the rainbow nation, and the Greek Festival is right up there with Aloha Festivals, Narcissus pageantry, Cherry Blossom time and St. Patrick’s Day. No matter what your ethnic background, you are Greek for the day at the Greek Festival. Musicians like Fotia, Sotos Kappas and Partners in Time get you in the mood. Presentations on Orthodoxy 101 by Father John Kuehnle and a travelogue through the Holy Land by Dr. Carlos Moreno will enlighten you. Thus, you will be magically transported to ancient and modern Greece.
1) Ouzo. Now we come to the national drink of Greece, 80 to 90 proof anise-flavored liquor called ouzo (oo-zoh) that is served at the Greek Festival Taverna. The sexy-sounding drink is clear liquid that turns milky white when ice cubes or water are added. Ouzu drinking is said to be an art.
Or maybe it’s a way of life.
But more than anything else, ouzo symbolizes the Greeks’ eternal optimism and joy of life. To which we say, you can’t have too much of a good thing.
Yiassou! (Cheers!) And opa!
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