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11 THE SHEPHERD • DECEMBER 2023 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO AT THE CORONADO FERRY LANDING 619.435.1225 WWW.SPIROSCAFE.COM Best Greek food in the region Draft beer varieties Imported & domestic wine Spacious indoor/outdoor seating Panoramic views of S.D. Bay Catering Available 909 Prospect Avenue 858.352.6588 spiroscuisine.com Now open in the heart of La Jolla! Extensive Greek & mediterranean menu Delicious Greek desserts Fine wines, local & imported draft beer Patio for outdoor seating A fulfilling dining experience Open for lunch & dinner, 11AM to 9PM Catering for all events, big & small Online order & delivery available Sponsored Announcement GREEK LANGUAGE SCHOOL A learner’s understanding of the language and culture relationship is essential. Culture and language are inextricably linked. You can’t under- stand a culture without first learning a language which allows the devel- opment and evolution of cultural values. Learning a foreign language entails learning the alphabet, word order, but also the culture, norms, and traditions of the target commu- nity. Traditions are often the most externally-facing parts of a culture. They show the personality, color, and heritage of a culture. They pro- vide us with a source of identity; they tell the story of where we came from and remind us of what has shaped our lives. They connect generations and strengthen our group bonds, and help us feel that we are part of something unique and special. They give us a sense of being, belonging, believing, and benevolence. As the holidays are approaching, it is our team’s goal to teach and remind our students and community of our Greek Christmas traditions that have passed from generation to genera- tion and are still celebrated. These include: • Greek Christmas Carols (Kalan- da): The tradition is that these days children in groups go from house to house to sing the carols. They sing the carols accompanied by metal triangles. The lyrics of Greek Christmas carols wish prosperity and luck to the family. • Decorating a boat (karavaki) in- stead of a Christmas tree. • Making Christopsomo • Baking traditional Greek Christ- mas sweets, including meloma- karona and kourabiedes. • Greece’s version of Santa Claus is Saint Basil (Agios Vassileios). Ac- cording to Greek Christmas tradi- tions Greeks associate gift giving with Saint Basil, and gifts are ex- changed on January 1st. Holiday traditions are meaningful to marking special moments in our lives. They bridge the ordinary with the extraordinary as they give us a sense of purpose and belonging and they help us manage extreme emo- tions and stress. Children crave the comfort and security that comes with traditions and predictability. Traditions are a wonderful way to anchor family members to each oth- er, providing a sense of unity and belonging, and help share them with newer generations to keep our roots alive… even thousands of miles away from our homeland! On behalf of our Greek Language School we wish you Merry Christ- mas! Καλά Χριστούγεννα! Nancy Provataris, PhD Greek School Director stspyridongreekschool@gmail.com We would like to thank everyone who attended and made our annual OXI fundraiser a huge success. A special thank you to all those who donated and helped raise over $4,500 for our St. Spyridon Greek Language school. The evening was filled with patriotic spirit, speeches by V.P. Dino Paraskevopoulos and our new Greek Language School Director Nancy Provataris, delicious food, fun music and dance. We would like to take this chance to wish everyone in our community a Merry Merry Christmas and a bless- ed prosperous New Year 2024! If you like to join our educational or- ganization please reach out for more information at ahepa223sd@gmail. com AHEPA Chapter 223 Board Christoforos Savvides, President Dino Paraskevopoulos, Vice Pres. Vasilios Patsiouras, Treasurer Dino Gougoulas, Secretary Alex Cremidan, Chaplain A.H.E.P.A.