Did you happen to be rolling down Friendly Avenue stuffing your face with phyllo dough or cheering “Opa!” last weekend?
If so, it can only mean one thing: you must have been among the many individuals attending the Greek Festival at Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church on September 19, 20 or 21. The organizers and priests at Dormition of the Theotokos throw this festival every year towards the end of September, and knowing how much I, as well as others, have enjoyed this event in the past, I jumped at the chance to cover it this year.
The church was surrounded by blue and white flags, with ample signs to guide patrons wherever their place of interest may have been. Outside there were tents offering Greek coffee, beer, sandwiches, traditional Greek music and dancing, as well as typical festive customs like face painting, cotton candy, hot dogs and balloons.
While people had the option of outside dining, there were also full-plate meals of spanakopita (spinach pie), Athenian (herb-roasted) chicken, and souvlakia (marinated pork) offered inside. There was also a room full of Greek pastries such as baklava (a honey-drizzled phyllo dessert), kourabiedes (Greek-style shortbread covered in powdered sugar) and many others, all of which were prepared locally by the Ladies Philoptochos Society. In addition to food, many imports were also available in a gift shop of sorts, carrying items that included embroidered ladies’ apparel, jewelry, religious keepsakes, and hard-to-find Greek spices.
Last but not least, there was a tour of the church along with a history lesson on the Greek Orthodox faith. This gave the people of Greensboro a chance to understand the culture that they were engulfed in for the afternoon. Head parish, Father Vasile Mihai, stood at the alter and explained the Greek faith and its traditions in laymen’s terms, often equating them to those of more common religions such as Catholicism and Baptism.
When asked the purpose behind these festivals, Father Mihai explained that Greeks came to this country under very rough circumstances, and the city of Greensboro was very accepting and nurturing to the Eastern immigrants and their beliefs, which helped them settle here successfully. So, as Father Mihai described, “in one way it is our way to thank the people for their kindness and also to make ourselves known.” Like many Greek-Americans, Father Mihai says that people often times “look to us as kind of a strange church because we are keeping the older traditions alive. They may say that we are ‘different’ or ‘mystic,’ and we would like to tell the people that we are no different; we are just more conservative than others and we keep the faith.”
So far the church’s idea to thank the community by allowing them to experience a taste of Greek life has appeared to be a favorable plan. Sophomore Alice Simpkins, who has traveled to Greece on three separate occasions, was delighted with the experience. “It really took me back to my time in Greece.”
According to Father Mihai, the average attendance of the annual festivities is around ten thousand people over the entire weekend; a large percent of Guilford students contribute to this turnout.
“The food was great, the dancing was awesome; it was fun,” said sophomore Jesse Bryan. Bryan echoes the response of many Greensboro residents to Dormition of the Theotokos’ display of gratitude, which gives the community the opportunity to be Greek for a day.