Celebrating Greek Culture in RI

Celebrating Greek Culture and Traditions in Rhode Island

by Julia Romano

Officially known as the Hellenic Republic, Greece is a mountainous peninsula located in southeastern Europe, between the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. With a landmass of 51,000 square miles, Greece is bordered to the north by Bulgaria and Macedonia. Nearly 2,000 islands surround its eastern, southern, and western borders. The nine major land areas that constitute Greece include Central Pindus, Thessaly, the Salonika Plain, Macedonia/Thrace, Peloponnesus, the Southeastern Uplands, the Ionian Islands, the Aegean Islands, and Crete.

The capital city, Athens, and the cities of Thessaloniki (Salonika), Patras, Volos, and Larissa have the largest populations in Greece, which has a total population of approximately ten million. Ninety-seven percent of the ethnically and linguistically homogeneous nation speaks Greek, and one percent, Turkish. The Eastern Orthodox church is the dominant religion; only about 1.5 percent of the population is Muslim, and a small percentage is Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, or Jewish.

Traditionally, Greeks referred to themselves as “Hellenes” and to the country of Greece as “Hellas.” The word “Greek” comes from the Latin Graeci, a name given to the people of this region by the Romans.

Rhode Island Celebrations of Greek Traditions

According to 2019 census data, there were approximately 530,418 Greek people residing in the United States, and Rhode Island is home to about 2,950.

Each year in Little Rhody, the culture and traditions of Greek people are celebrated with authentic Greek food, traditional costumes, and music and dance, all with pride and honor.

Join in the festivals and have fun learning about Greek culture and all its contributions to the world.

Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church Annual Festival

97 Walcott St., Pawtucket Free Admission /Free Parking Friday, August 19th - 5pm -10pm Saturday, August 20th - 12pm-10pm Sunday, August 21st - 12pm-9pm For more than two generations, the Cranston Greek Festival has been held on the church grounds, the weekend after Labor Day. The Festival marks the “Official End of Summer in Rhode Island.”

Thousands of people will visit the Cranston Greek Festival over the course of this exciting three-day event of Food, Fun, Greek Dancing, Greek Religion, and Greek Culture.

Learn about classic Greek attire, traditions, and cuisine that prominently reign at the Pawtucket Greek Festival. Homemade pita, sweet Greek pastries, and fresh Greek salads are just a few of your food offerings. When you are done eating, grab a unique Greek coffee or a drink and check out the dances or the all Greek marketplace.

The renowned Greek Pride Dance Troupe, known throughout New England as “the best”- will perform Traditional and Modern Greek dances throughout the Festival. They will dress in traditional costumes representing the various regions of Greece: Villages, Islands, and Mountain regions.

The dance troupe will be performing: Friday - 7pm, Saturday & Sunday - 4pm & 7pm The dancers will guide everyone through the traditional Greek dances to the rhythm of a live Greek band. Don’t be shy to participate and try out the dance steps!

Greek Cuisine

Dine on authentic Greek Cuisine that you will not be able to resist, including the following:

Roast Lamb Dinner, Roasted Chicken, Rice Pilaf Gyros, Souvlaki, Tiropitas (Cheese Pie), Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna), Spanakopitas (Spinach Pie) Stuffed Grape Leaves, Moussaka (Greek Casserole) and much more...

Greek pastries and specialties, baked by the ladies of the Philoptochos Society.

Rizogalo (Rice Pudding), Kourambiedes (Greek Christmas Cookies) Finikia (Greek Almond Cookies) Koulourakia (Greek Easter Cookies) Baklava Galaktoboureko (Greek Custard Pie) Loukoumades (Greek Donuts)

Tours of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church are available and give Greek Festival guests the opportunity to learn about the Greek “Eastern” Orthodox Christian Church — the second largest Christian communion in the world; with a global following of roughly 250 million people.

Additional Cranston Greek Festival Attractions:

Imported items, some from Greece, including jewelry, souvenirs, and clothing.

Annual Cranston Greek Festival Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church

175 Oaklawn Ave., Cranston (401) 942-4188 September 10–12 The Cranston Greek Festival is a 3 day event, celebrating the birth of the Virgin Mary. You definitely do not have to be Greek to find pleasure in experiencing Greek culture and tradition, all amidst food, food, and more food. From authentic Greek dishes, including amazing pastries, to live music, traditional and modern Greek dancing, and much more, there is something for the whole family to enjoy at the annual Cranston Greek Festival.

You don’t have to be Greek to be interested in these fun facts…

Greeks have an assortment of traditional customs, beliefs, and superstitions to ensure success and ward off evil and misfortune - Old beliefs persist in some communities in the United States. For example, belief in the “evil eye” is supported by the Greek Orthodox church as a generalized concept of evil. Precautions against the evil eye (not endorsed by the church) include wearing garlic; making the sign of the cross behind the ear of a child with dirt or soot; placing an image of an eye over the lintel; wearing the mati, a blue amulet with an eye in the center; and recitation of a ritual prayer, the ksematiasma. Greeks may also respond to a compliment with the expression ptou, ptou, to keep the evil eye from hurting the person receiving the compliment. Greeks also “knock wood” to guard against misfortune, and reading one’s fortunes in the patterns of coffee dregs remains popular.

Name days are just as widely celebrated as birthdays - Many common Greek names are derived from religious saints; for instance, Constantinos (or variations such as Costas and Dinos) and Helen (Ellen, Eleni, Lena). They are wished a happy name day by their family and friends on the days that the saint is celebrated in the church. For a lot of people in Greece, this is just as big of an occasion, or even more so than their birthday!

Democracy originated in Greece - The concept of democracy originated in Athens, where the Greek word demokratia meant “people-power.”

Greeks tend to smoke inside restaurants, despite the

current anti-smoking law - According to the European Commission for World No Tobacco Day, Greece is the EU’s heaviest smoking country with 37% of Greeks who smoke.

Greek Coffee is brewed differently and contains three

parts - Greek Coffee is made with a fine grind of coffee, boiled in a tall, narrow pot known as a briki, cezve or an ibrik. The three main parts to Greek coffee include the grounds, the thick and strong liquid coffee middle, and creamy topping of foam. It’s meant to be sipped slowly with grounds remaining in the cup as they settle to the bottom.