Saints’ Days and Holidays!

Many thanks to John Larsen for providing the Bugle Team with a comprehensive list of name days for the month of April, and also for giving us some really interesting facts about some of our best known local saints. John Larsen writes:

April saints: Giorgos' Name day is on April 23, unless this is Easter Sunday, or in the week before it. Then it is celebrated on the first Monday after Easter Sunday. Saint George, according to tradition, was a Roman soldier and priest in the Guard of Diocletian. Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, and the Eastern Catholic Churches. He is immortalized in the tale of Saint George and the Dragon. His memorial is celebrated on 23 April, and is regarded as one of the most prominent of the military saints. He is the patron saint of Aragon, Catalonia, England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal and Russia.

Leonidas is a name given to several saints. Saint Leonidas was a Bishop of Athens who lived in about the sixth century. Another well known Leonides is Saint Leonides of Alexandria who was martyred during the persecution of Septimius Severus, condemned to death by Lactus, prefect of Egypt in 202 AD by being beheaded. His feast day is April 15th.

Saint Elizabeth, the wife of Zachary - the parents of St John the Baptist. She like Zachary was known to be “just before God” She had been unable to conceive a child until one was promised to her by the Angel Gabriel. She was visited at her home by the Virgin Mary and her son was sanctified in her womb. Following the birth of St John she is not mentioned in the Gospels any more.

Saint Markos (Marcos) or Saint Mark the Evangelist. Traditional author of the Gospel of St Mark, who was said to be the disciple and interpreter of Saint Peter. St Mark’s Gospel was composed of what he had heard St Peter preach. St Mark later travelled to Alexandria in Egypt and became the founder and first bishop of Christianity in Africa, and founder of the Coptic Church. In Nero's eighth year he died and was buried in Alexandria’.

Saint George’s Day in Asi Gonia

As we reported in 2007, whilst St George’s Day is a bit of a damp squib in the UK, here on Crete it is celebrated with style and panache. If you have never experienced a Cretan St George’s Festival we think you should, and the village of Asi Gonia is one of the best places to be. The village is located in the mountains, a few kilometres south of Argyroupoli and is famed for being the home of George Psychoundakis: The Cretan Runner. He acted as a guide for the resistance during the German occupation, and passed on vital messages between various partisan groups. As to the festival, well we won’t give too much away because we don’t want to spoil the surprise, but it does involve a lot of sheep and great deal of fun!

The Zaros Trip on April 17th / 18th. Update and Directions!

The village is expecting us! Just to recap, fellow travellers, the plan (such as it is!) goes as follows. The idea is that we all travel down to Zaros in our own unique styles and modes of transport, check in at Studios Keramos, and, for those who want to, meet up for lunch at Taverna Votamos (the trout farm) at around 1pm. For those of you who are planning on making it to lunch, could you confirm this with Anna via text/phone on 28310 57305 ahead of time so she can give the Trout an idea of numbers. Kate and Luc will be on hand to meet and greet the intrepid explorers at Studio Keramos from 11.30 am. Kate’s mobile phone number is 6942635515, Luc’s mobile phone number is 6946694948, and the phone number of Studio Keramos is 28940 31352, and Vivi’s phone number from Restaurant Vegera (see bit about supper later) is 28940 31730. In the evening we have the option of eating supper at Vivi’s wonderfully vibrant restaurant.

For those of you who haven’t been to Zaros before, here are some directions from Rethymnon: Firstly, drive South. Once you get to Agia Galini turn left towards Matala. Do not drive as far as Matala, because this is will be too far. Do, however, drive through Timbaki. Shortly after Timbaki you will find Moires. At the end of Moires there is a left turn to Zaros, up the hill (about 10km). In Zaros, studios Keramos is very well signed. Taverna Votamos (the trout farm) is also well signed but is a little bit out of the village, slightly further up the hill.