My wife and I just came back from the annual Greek Festival at a nearby Orthodox Christian church. Ever since going to Greece in 2004 we've often enjoyed Greek culture and food, and today was no exception.
From my perspective, that of an amateur enthusiast of ancient Greek history and culture, the modern celebration always seems a little funny. It's an odd mix of secular and non-secular, ancient and modern. There are obvious references to ancient culture (the village of shops and vendors is called the "Agora") while the food and drink is more recent. They even serve my favorite Greek beer, appropriately called Mythos.
The event is almost exclusively non-religious, openly welcoming all, regardless of creed. Everyone enjoys the Greek food, music, local dancers and a stroll through the Agora. A nice extra touch, however, is the opportunity to take a half-hour church tour. Plenty of folks, including my wife and I, enjoyed the chance to see the beautiful interiors of the Byzantine church, while learning a little about its history and distinctions from Western beliefs and practices.
We left with the obligatory box of Greek pastries, one of which I'm eating right now. It's hard to imagine a better excuse to take in a little culture!
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