A Time of Celebration

At this time of the year some of the most important local and national celebrations take place. As well as the ever more westernised Christmas, it's a time of parties to celebrate those named after three famous saints.

6^th December: Nicholas was The Bishop of the Christian Church in the Asia Minor city of Myra (now Demre, Turkey) in the fourth century AD. He is beloved throughout the Christian East for his kindness and help, both during his life and afterwards. He is called "Wonderworker" for the miracles which he performed and which he is believed to still perform. In the Protestant West, which suppressed the invocation of saints, Saint Nicholas became popularly known as Santa Claus. In accordance with early Christian tradition, saints are remembered in the Orthodox Church on the date of their passing from this life into the next. Saint Nicholas is thus remembered on December 6^th. The remains of St. Nicholas now repose principally in Bari, Italy, having been transported there in 1087 A.D. after Myra fell to Islamic invaders.

12^th December: Corfu's patron saint is St Spyridon and his mummified body lies in the church dedicated to him in Corfu Town. He was The Bishop of Cyprus and was famous for performing miracles. He took part in the first Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 325AD and died a martyr's death shortly afterwards. His remains were taken to Constantinople and interred in the Church of the Holy Apostles until 1453 when the city fell to the Turks and he was brought to Corfu, along with the remains of Saint Theodocia. It is said that when the Turks attacked the island on August 11, 1716, Saint Spiridon appeared with a lighted torch and scared the invaders away. That day is now one of the days which commemorate Saint Spiridon, as are December 12th, Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday when he saved the island from the plague and an epidemic. Many boys on the island are named Spiridon (Spiros) in his honour and celebrate their name day on December 12^th

1^st January: Santa is not a foreign notion to the Greeks although his name is different in Greece than in some western countries. He does not come from the North Pole but from the town of Ceasaria (now Kayseri, Turkey) in Asia Minor, where he was bishop and lived between 330 and 379 AD. His name is Saint Basil (Aghios Vasilios in Greek) and he always comes on his name day, which is celebrated on January 1^st. (This is the day when Greeks traditionally exchange presents rather than December 25^th.) He is said to have spent all his wealth to help the poor and the following lines are attributed to him.

"The bread that you store up belongs to the hungry;
The cloak that lies on your chest belongs to the naked;
The gold that you have hidden in the ground belongs to the poor.

Tourism 2002

The Association of Corfu Travel Agents (AOCTA) has returned from the World Travel Market, which took place in London in mid-November, with a positive message for the island's tourism industry.

Greece stands to gain from cancellations in other regions which are considered less safe and it is believed that as a result of the current world crisis there will be an increase in late bookings and a price war.

Now could be the best time to book a flight. The first charter flight to Corfu is May 1^st and if you live in the north-west of England you may be interested to know that in May 2002 a new service goes into operation from Liverpool to Corfu.

A Reminder

Don't forget Easter Sunday is 5^th May. This is possibly the best time to experience the real Corfu, rather than the version which is often offered to tourists later in the season. Also, with Easter falling so late, it means, unlike some years, cheap charter flights will be easily available.

Weather

Archive
Autumn 2001

Editorial

Have you ever visited Pelekas and wished you didn't have to leave? Without wanting to encourage anyone to rashly give up the rat-race and move here tomorrow, it is becoming easier every year to find a place in the sun.

Several changes have led to this. Under EC law it is now possible for EU citizens to wholly own property in Greece. There is quite a growth industry here in finding houses for foreign purchasers, including Corfu Real Estate who currently have several properties in Pelekas on their books.

EU citizens now have the right to travel freely in the EU and to live and work in its member states and can obtain a residence permit if they wish to live in Greece for more than three months from the immigration department of their local police station. Those eligible to apply for an EU residence permit are students, pensioners, workers and those married to Greeks, as well as people who declare that they can support themselves financially during their stay here.

A third factor is the introduction of cheap flights to Athens throughout the year, principally by Easy Jet. If you have a flexible schedule there are some real bargains to be found.

And finally of course, that wonderful invention, The Internet, has opened up the possibility of working from home anywhere in the world. Which is what I'm doing, here in Pelekas, right now!

Hopefully we'll see you here next year and in the meantime everyone at pelekas.com would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Christmas and a Fruitful New Year wherever you are.