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4 THE SHEPHERD • JANUARY 2022 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO GREEK LANGUAGE SCHOOL Καλωσορίζοντας το 2022 θέλω να ευχηθώ σ᾽ όλες τις οικογένειες χρόνια πολλά και καλή χρονιά γεμάτη υγεία, ευτυχία, οικογενειακή και κοινωνική ευημερία. I would like to wish all the families of Saint Spyridon and Greek School community a Happy New Year, full of Health, Joy and Prosperity! THE NEWYEAR’S TRADITION OF VASILOPITA Vasilopita is one of the most prominent Greek traditions on New Year’s Day. It is a sweet, bread-like cake that is only made for New Year’s and is only eaten on New Year’s Day. Recipes for this cake differ depending on the family or the region of Greece but in general, it involves flour, eggs, butter, and sugar and is usually finished with a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar. At some point during the first day of January, mostly commonly within the first minute of the year, a family will cut the vasilopita with two slices, making a cross, in order to bring luck and blessings to the home. A coin is in- serted into the dough prior to baking it. e cake is then divided up so that every family member and guest receive a slice, with the recipients lining up from oldest to youngest. No one is allowed to look at their piece until everyone is given their piece. en, once the server or the head of the household gives the okay, everyone checks to see if they found the coin. e type of coin contained within the cake varies depending on what’s avail- able. Some cakes have gold coins, others have smaller pieces of change. e type of coin doesn’t matter as much as the fact that the coin is in the cake. CELEBRATING THE NEWYEAR IN GREECE Every culture has its own unique traditions and customs. When traveling to Greece for the holiday season you will be fascinated by how Greeks celebrate the New Year. Greeks love their holidays and there is always a rea- son to celebrate. A er the Christmas Day celebrations, the next anticipated event is the New Year or Πρωτοχρονιά (Protochronia) . Fireworks light up the skies of many cit- ies all over the world once the clock strikes midnight and we welcome the New Year. In Greece, fireworks are an important part of the celebrations. In Athens, you can watch the fireworks dis- plays over the Acropolis, a truly magical experience. In every city or village, the lo- cals organize their own special celebrations where people of all ages gather to welcome the New Year. OUR SCHOOL OFFERS GREEK LAN- GUAGE CLASSES FOR ALL AGES! SPRING SEMESTER REGISTRATION FOR STUDENTS IS TAKING PLACE NOW! For more information, to register and pay tuition, please visit our school website at http://www.stspyridongreekschool.org CHILDREN CLASS SCHEDULE (2 HRS PERWEEK) SPRING SEMESTER BEGINS JAN 31, 2022 Students are required to be at least four years of age at time of registration. New students will be placed based on age and knowledge of the Greek language. Tuition per semester is $230 for the first child and $180 for each additional child. Books and materials are in- cluded. Pre-K to High School: ursdays OR Fridays 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. ADULT CLASS SCHEDULE (2 HRS PERWEEK) SPRING SEMESTER BEGINS JAN 31, 2022 Tuition is $300 per semester (18 classes). Books are not included. IN PERSON: Beginners B (2nd Semester) ursdays 6:30–8:30 PM Instructor: eocharis Papatrechas Intermediate B (2nd Semester) ursdays 6:30–8:30 PM Instructor: Nektarios Tradas Intermediate D (4th Semester) ursdays 6:30–8:30 PM Instructor: Nektarios Tradas ONLINE VIA ZOOM: Beginners B (2nd Semester) Mondays 6:30–8:30 PM Instructor: TBD Beginners C (3rd Semester) ursdays 6:30–8:30 PM Instructor: Polyxeni eologidis Intermediate B (2nd Semester) Saturdays 10AM–12PM Instructor: Vasileios Fountoulakis *All classes are tentative. e availability of each class will depend on the number of students. Each class needs to have a mini- mum of 5 students. Athena Kotinopoulos Georges Greek Language School Director Dear Seniors, Happy New Year! Please join us for a Pot- luck luncheon on Tuesday, January 11th at 11am . Bring a dish of your choice to share with friends, and we’ll provide coffee, cake, and beverages. Hope you can make it! New members are always welcome. Meet- ings typically take place in the Church Hall, on the second Tuesday of each month. De- tails are posted in the newsletter each month. If you have any questions please call me at (619) 855-2991. With love, Sophia Mellos SENIORS Χρόνια πολλά Βασίλη , να χαίρεσαι τη γιορτή σου. Οι φίλοι και συνάδελφοί σου από το Ελληνικό Σχολείο.