Ο Ακάθιστος Υμνος:Τη Υπερμάχω Στρατηγώ - To Thee, the Champion Leader

Τή υπερμάχω στρατηγώ τα νικητήρια
Ως λυτρωθείσα των δεινών ευχαριστήρια
Αναγράφω σοι η πόλις σου Θεοτόκε.
Αλλ' ως έχουσα το κράτος απροσμάχητον
Εκ παντίων μέ κινδύνων ελευθέρωσον
Ίνα κράζω σοι·
Χαίρε Νύμφη ανύμφευτε.

 To thee, the Champion Leader, 

O Theotokos

we thy servants dedicate a feast of victory and thanksgiving

as ones rescued from suffering ;

but as thou art one with invincible might, 

Deliver us from all possible dangers ,

so that we may cry to thee:

Rejoice, Unwedded Bride... 

Υesterday, Friday, the τελευταίοι Χαιρετισμοί took place, the day that the Akathistos Ymnos, of which this verse is the beginning, is chanted in its entirety in all Orthodox churches around the world, during the last of the Heretismous services - the Salutations to the Virgin Mary services.

 In the 7th Century, the people of Constantinople were saved from the attacking Avars by the divine intervention of the Virgin Mary after they took over the Church of Panagia ton Vlahernon. On the 8th of August wanting to give thanks to the Virgin Mary for her assistance, the people gathered in Aghia Sofia and standing up throughout the psalm, sang the Akathisto Ymno to thank her and to salute her with this most beautiful of hymns. One of Orthodoxy's most beautiful this hymn has been attributed to Romanos o Melodos, Romanos the Melodian, who wrote many Orthodox chants over that period.  

It is divided into four parts for the services of the Salutations to the Virgin Mary, Οι Χαιρετισμοί, which take place on the first four Fridays of Lent. During each of these four Fridays one part of the hymn is chanted whilst on the fifth Friday the entire Akathistos Ymnos is chanted.

Κατά το έτος 626 μ.Χ., και ενώ ο Αυτοκράτορας Ηράκλειος μαζί με το βυζαντινό στρατό είχε εκστρατεύσει κατά των Περσών, η Κωνσταντινούπολη πολιορκήθηκε αιφνίδια από τους Αβάρους. Οι Άβαροι απέρριψαν κάθε πρόταση εκεχειρίας και την 6η Αυγούστου κατέλαβαν την Παναγία των Βλαχερνών. Σε συνεργασία με τους Πέρσες ετοιμάζονταν για την τελική επίθεση, ενώ ο Πατριάρχης Σέργιος περιέτρεχε τα τείχη της Πόλης με την εικόνα της Παναγίας της Βλαχερνίτισσας και ενθάρρυνε το λαό στην αντίσταση. Τη νύχτα εκείνη, φοβερός ανεμοστρόβιλος, που αποδόθηκε σε θεϊκή επέμβαση, δημιούργησε τρικυμία και κατάστρεψε τον εχθρικό στόλο, ενώ οι αμυνόμενοι προξένησαν τεράστιες απώλειες στους Αβάρους και τους Πέρσες, οι οποίοι αναγκάστηκαν να λύσουν την πολιορκία και να αποχωρήσουν άπρακτοι.

Στις 8 Αυγούστου, η Πόλη είχε σωθεί από τη μεγαλύτερη, ως τότε, απειλή της ιστορίας της. Ο λαός, θέλοντας να πανηγυρίσει τη σωτηρία του, την οποία απέδιδε σε συνδρομή της Θεοτόκου, συγκεντρώθηκε στο Ναό της Παναγίας των Βλαχερνών. Τότε, κατά την παράδοση, όρθιο το πλήθος έψαλλε τον από τότε λεγόμενο «Ακάθιστο Ύμνο», ευχαριστήρια ωδή προς την υπέρμαχο στρατηγό του Βυζαντινού κράτους, την Παναγία, αποδίδοντας τα «νικητήρια» και την ευγνωμοσύνη του  "Τη Υπερμάχω Στρατηγώ".

Η Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία ψάλλει τους Χαιρετισμούς κάθε Παρασκευή βράδυ, τις πρώτες 5 εβδομάδες της Μεγάλης Σαρακοστής. Για την ακρίβεια, κόβουμε τουςΧαιρετισμούς σε 4 κομμάτια (λέγονται "4 στάσεις") και λέμε από ένα κάθε Παρασκευή, ενώ την 5η Παρασκευή λέγεται ολόκληρο το έργο.

Τους Χαιρετισμούς τους απαγγέλλει με τη μουσική τους ο ιερέας. Πριν απ' αυτό, οι ψάλτες έχουν ψάλει ένα άλλο περίφημο μουσικό και ποιητικό έργο, που λέγεται "κανόνας των Χαιρετισμών" (οι κανόνες είναι ένα άλλο είδος βυζαντινής κλασικής μουσικής) και δημιουργός του είναι ένας ακόμη κορυφαίος ποιητής και μουσικός του Βυζαντίου, ο άγιος Ιωσήφ ο Υμνογράφος.  Read more at Agioritiko Vima/ΑΓΙΟΡΕΙΤΙΚΟ ΒΗΜΑ

Χριστός Ανέστη - Χρόνια Πολλά! Christos Anesti - Kalo Pascha to All!

To Aghio Fos

Photo Source: Konstantina Moutos

Megalo Savvato last night and the  Midnight Resurrection (Anastasi) Service is the culmination of Holy week.

At the stroke of Midnight as the Priest chants Defte Lavete Fos, everyone clambers to be the first to light his or her candle from the Aghio Fos. This is the Holy Light which arrived in Greece earlier in the day from the Holy Sepulcher in the Holy Lands. 

Anastasi at Aghia Sophia, Neo Psychiko Athens

Photo Source: Konstantina Moutos

Apart from the spiritual fulfillment and sense of renewal, once the service is over it is a wonderful opportunity to catch up with friends and be with family, to exchange the traditional kisses and wish each other 'Christos Anesti' (Christ is Risen) and 'Alithos Anesti'! (Truly, He is Risen). 

Easter Sunday (Kyriaki tou Pascha) today and we are roasting our lamb - either in the oven or on the traditional spit and spend much of the day eating and drinking trying to see who will win in the traditional Tsougrisma of the Eggs! ( we have yet to find a good translation for this one...so we have left it in Grenglish).

It is wonderful to note that many Greek communities around the world make the Anastasi and Easter Day celebrations a Community event so that all members can come, bringing their family and friends, both Greek and non-Greek, to join in the festivities.

These are special memories to hold on to and cherish - a time of bonding of families and reinforcement of the traditions of our Hellenic upbringing, traditions which are timeless and hold strong no matter where we are in the world! 

Easter Sunday is also Kyriaki tis Agapis, the Sunday of Love, with the Agapi service later in the day, with the Evangelio (Gospel) being  read in various languages, Italian, Arabic, Russian and others, proclaiming the universal message of the Resurrection, Rebirth, Hope, Love and Peace for all.

We have chosen to end this series of posts on Greek Holy Week  as we started it!
Listen to this beautiful and unique rendition of Christos Anesti by Irene Papas from her collaboration with Vangelis Papathanassiou...two of our wonderful Global Greeks!

Χριστός Ανέστη εκ νεκρών, 

θανάτω θάνατον πατήσας 

και τοις εν τοις μνήμασιν, 

Ζωήν χαρισάμενος

----------

Christos Anesth ek nekron 

Thanato thanato patisas 

Kai tis en ths mnimasi 

Zoi xarisamenos 

 ---------

Christ is risen from the dead 

Crushing death with His death

Giving the gift of life

To all those lying in their tombs

 

To all our friends in the Global Greek World who are celebrating today...

Christos Anesti!  

Kalo Pascha kai Chronia Polla!! 

Have a Truly Blessed  Easter!

A traditional Greek Easter Greeting Card


All photos are from the GGW archives unless otherwise mentioned.  

At Global Greek World, We ♥ Greece...and it shows! 

 © GlobalGreekWorld 2009-2017 All Rights Reserved

Aghia kai Megali Paraskevi - Good Friday - O Epitafios - O Glyky mou Ear

Decorating the Epitafio at Evangelismos Tis Theotokou, 
Good Friday 1959, Wellington New Zealand

Father Elias G Economou

GOOD FRIDAY - I APOKATHILOSI

Usually in mid-afternoon in churches abroad, but in the late morning in Greece, Great Vespers is chanted. During this service, we hear the story of the Crucifixion, but with attention paid to the death of Christ, the work of Joseph of Arimathea to secure the body of Christ from Pilate, His removal from the cross, and His burial.
 
During the service, the Body of Christ is removed from the cross, wrapped in a white cloth (shroud)  and brought into the sanctuary. Following the reading, the priest carries the icon of the Epitafio through the church and places it in the Sephulcher (the kouvouklion), which has been decorated with flowers.

GOOD FRIDAY EVENING -TA EGKOMIA - THE LAMENTATIONS

On Holy Friday evening, we sing the Orthros of Holy Saturday, consisting of psalms, hymns and readings, dealing with the death of Christ. During the Orthros, the congregation will join in chanting the Lamentations, ta Egkomia, hymns of praise to the Lord and relating His ultimate triumph over death. 

During this service the icon of the Epitafio is carried in procession around the church while the priests, choirs and congregation sing the most beautiful hymns of Holy Week, 

I Zoi en Tafo - Η Ζωή εν Τάφω



Aksion Esti - Αξιον Εστί



Ai Geneai ai Pasai - Αι γένεαι Πάσαι...






In Greece, and in most communities abroad, the entire flower-bedecked Epitafio, symbolising the Tomb, is carried in a procession around the neighbourhood of the church, or within the church if the weather is not good. 

Evangelismos Tis Theotokou, Wellington New Zealand 

Good Friday 1959
Father Elias G Economou officiating

In some towns around Greece and in Athens centre, all the processions gather in one central point, usually the main plateia or square, and the service continues there with all the faithful gathered together. 

  

It is an awesome sight indeed and the aroma of the beautiful spring flowers which adorn the Epitafio pervades the atmosphere. 

Decorating the Epitafio is one of the beloved rituals of young and old alike, and is generally carried out after the early morning Orthro service in our communities  abroad. 

   In Greece, because the Apokathilosi service takes place immediately after the morning vespers, the Epitafio is decorated straight after the Dodeka Evaggelia and usually finishes early in the morning. We lasted until 2 am ...

All of Good Friday people file come to pay their respects, filing past the Epitafio, crossing themselves and bowing their head in homage to the body of Christ in the Sepulcher right up to the time of the perifora (procession).

The coloured photos in the post are from the decoration of the Epitafio last night and from today's services in our small church, Profitis Elias, an eksoklisi in the northern suburbs of Athens... The black and white ones from the Holy Week 1959 at the first Evangelismos Church in Wellington, New Zealand, under the guidance of Father Elias Economou.
  
Καλή Ανάσταση! Kali Anastasi!

Megali Pempti - Holy Thursday - Σήμερον Kρεμάται επί Ξύλου...Today He is Crucified...

HOLY THURSDAY-MEGALI PEMPTI-TA DODEKA EVAGGELIA

In the morning, the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated. At this Divine Liturgy, the Church commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist by the Lord at His Last Supper with His disciples.

Here, Christ presented bread and wine as His body and blood, which form the core of the new covenant between God and His people, the Church.

In the evening, in the Orthros of Holy Friday, the Church recalls the Passion of the Lord, from His betrayal by Judas Iscariot, His agony and arrest at Gethmane, His trial by Jewish religious leaders and Roman authorities, His beatings and mocking, and crucifixion and death on the Cross. This service is long, with twelve readings from the Gospels recounting the events, but its content is dramatic and exceptionally moving, culminating with the Hymn of the Crucifixion... Σήμερον κρεμάται επι Ξύλου.

After the reading of the fifth Gospel comes the procession with the icon of the Crucified Christ around the church, while the priest chants the compelling hymn Simeron Krematai epi Ksylou...Today the Lord is crucified...

 This is the traditional version by Evangelos Hardavellas, Protopsaltis or Lead Chanter...

and that sung by singer Manolis Mitsias, who incidentally is a priest's son and spends a large part of his free time as a psalti or chanter.