Photo: Germanos blessing the flag at Agia Lavra; oil painting by Theodoros Vryzakis, 1865

Greek Independence Day celebrated each year on 25th March alongside the Greek Orthodox Church’s Feast of the Annunciation to the Theotokos, commemorates the beginning of the Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution – Ελληνική Επανάσταση.

In late March 1821, after almost 400 years of occupation following the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453, Bishop Germanos of Patras raised the then Greek flag at the monastery of Agia Lavra inciting the Peloponnese with the war cry «Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος» (either freedom or death) to rise against the Οttoman rule.

The war was a successful war of independence that took place between 1821 and 1832 when Greece was finally recognised as an independent nation in the Treaty of Constantinople. Other parts of Greece  - other than the Peloponnese - were liberated in later years with the aid of several European powers.

The courage of the Greek revolutionaries and certainly the strong European sympathy for the Greek cause aroused by such Philhellenes as the renowned poet Lord Byron and the French Romantic artist Eugène Delacroix, have made the Greek Revolution gain, for many, a more symbolic dimension as a people’s right to fight for the powerful ideal of freedom.

Greece’s National Day was celebrated on 21st March, with a reception by the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney, diffused with history, poetry, music and powerful speeches, and will be celebrated in Sydney this coming Sunday with flag raising ceremonies, the laying of wreaths and school parades.

Educational resources: here

NSW School of Languages is a distance education high school specialising in teaching foreign languages, including Modern Greek. Teaching is supported through a diverse program of written materials, telephone lessons, video conferencing, interactive online activities and forums, and email. The courses also usually include one study day per term at the premises of NSW School of Languages where students are given the opportunity to attend a face-to-face lesson with their teachers and meet with fellow students.

On 6th of  March, Tuesday, the Term 1 Year 11 and 12 Modern Greek Beginners lesson day took place at NSL. 120 out of 130 enrolled Year 11 and 12 students of the Modern Greek Beginners course visited NSL to attend their face-to-face classes. Using a variety of engaging activities (i.e. games, quizes, written and other oral activities) as well as additional online resources, the highly experienced Greek teachers of NSL delivered state-of-the art teaching of Greek grammar, study techniques and exam management tips.

To further develop their students' cultural awareness in Greek, the teachers organised a filming and musical event on the day through involving their students in producing a short film in Greek, in dressing in traditional Greek costumes and participating in Greek dancing under the tunes of the talented live Greek music band of Panagiotis Karamanos and James Walder.

Photos, provided by NSW School of Languages, follow below, with teacher Mrs Papanikolaou dressed in a traditional Greek costume for the morning welcoming as a highlight!

Photo: Μάρτης. Photo source: greece.greekreporter.com

Greece has welcomed springtime with the month of March last week! Although April has been celebrated in modern Greek poetry to a larger extent, March has also had its place. Below are two poems dedicated to the month of March: the first by Rita Mpoumi-Papa talks about March as always changing its mind bringing clear sunny weather, clouds, rain and hail in one day; the second, by Odysseas Elytis, connects the month of March with the blue and white colours of Greek nature and the Greek flag.
 
ΡΙΤΑ ΜΠΟΥΜΗ-ΠΑΠΑ, «Ο ΜΑΡΤΗΣ ΚΑΙ Η ΜΑΝΑ ΤΟΥ»
Τον γνωρίζετε το Μάρτη,
τον τρελό και τον αντάρτη;
Ξημερώνει και βραδιάζει
κι εκατό γνώμες αλλάζει.
 
Βάζει η μάνα του μπουγάδα,
σχοινί δένει στη λιακάδα,
τα σεντόνια της ν’ απλώσει,
μια χαρά να τα στεγνώσει.
 
Νά που ο Μάρτης μετανιώνει
και τα σύννεφα μαζώνει
και να μάσει η μάνα τρέχει
τα σεντόνια, γιατί βρέχει!
 
Νά ο ήλιος σε λιγάκι,
φύσηξε το βοριαδάκι,
κι η φτωχή γυναίκα μόνη
τα σεντόνια ξαναπλώνει.
 
Μια βροντή κι ο ήλιος χάθη
μες στης συννεφιάς τα βάθη,
ρίχνει και χαλάζι τώρα,
ποποπό, τι άγρια μπόρα!
 
Ώς το βράδυ φορές δέκα
άπλωσε η φτωχή γυναίκα
την μπουγάδα, κι όρκο δίνει
Μάρτη να μην ξαναπλύνει.
 
 
ΟΔΥΣΣΕΑΣ ΕΛΥΤΗΣ, «ΤΑ ΕΛΛΗΝΑΚΙΑ»
Τον Μάρτη περικάλεσα
και τον μικρό Νοέμβρη
Τον Αύγουστο τον φεγγερό
κακό να μη μας έβρει
 
Γιατ’ είμαστε μικρά παιδιά
είμαστε δυο Ελληνάκια
Μες στα γαλάζια πέλαγα
και στ’ άσπρα συννεφάκια
 
Γιατ’ είμαστε μικρά παιδιά
κι η αγάπη μας μεγάλη
Που αν τη χωρέσουμε απ’ τη μια
περσεύει από την άλλη
 
Κύματα σύρετε ζερβά
κι εσείς τα σύννεφα δεξιά
Φάληρο με Περαία
μια γαλανή σημαία.