New Year celebrations I believe it is a very special time for everybody and everywhere in the world. The time that people spend in the preparation's, the gifts, the party's and everything else , it take a Lott of effort. Here in Canada people celebrate big and everybody is in a rush to do things and prepare their homes, gifts, food, party's and everything. It is just different from every other country for sure. In my home country it was almost the same and I remember growing up that that was a very special time for me; the New Year preparation in school, gifts and clothes. Very special time for our families, getting together, cooking our special food, and very special dessert, baklava. Was a really special time and a very big deal to do a good baklava. I lear to do that by helping my mother, was very special time. Than at 12 o'clock fireworks were on and almost everybody was going in the main square to await for the New Year moment all together. Was never finishes there, the celebration was almost a week after, everyday we use to visit family and friends, and dine with them sing and dance.
For me a very special time was the New Year celebration in Greece; was almost like the tradition in my country, Albania, the same cooking, the same preparations and everything else, just in Greece, the New Year day it is related to a Saint name day celebration, Saint Vasilis. So in the New Year's day children come at the door of your home and sing and ring the bells " Kalanta" they call in Greece. You than open the door and give them sweets and goodies. It is a very nice traditions and I believe that everybody enjoys it. Every family and the church too, they make a desert which it is called "vasilopita". They put a small coin there and share the "vaslopita" according to the number of the family members, but always starting the count from God and then Christ and Maria, the mother of Jesus.It is a very nice tradition and I really enjoy that . In my family here in Canada, we do that too, it is so beautifully. But because in Greece was that beautiful ring bell of the children in your door, was so special. Christmas and the New Year celebration in Greece are so much related to the church celebrations, and that you can see reflected in peoples celebrations too.
Today in Greece it is the big celebration of "Theofania", when Jesus was baptised and the Holy Spirit come upon Him, so God showed to people that Jesus is His Son, so in Greece, every church comes together and they bless the water and bless all the waters around, the sea, rivers and lakes. Every house get the holy and blessed water and they put the blessed water in their homes.
It s a very old tradition and a very nice one, and I really enjoyed that too, it is just beautiful.
Here in Canada, the celebration of the New Year it is multicultural and that's the beauty of it, but what is in common with everybody I believe is the smiles in peoples faces, the way haw they talk to you, greed you, even people that really talk to you, they will say to you" Happy New Year", and I believe that is the proof that everybody sees in the New Year celebrations, new hopes, new acceptations, new" i will do" or "to do" and keeps us going every day.
Lets hope that this New Year that just come in will bring in everybody life very good things and more souls saved for the kingdom of God, everyday that we live in this earth, it is count for everybody and it is important not to spend them without knowing that we need to come to our saver Lord Jesus Christ, before it is too late.
Wishing to everybody a very Happy and Blessed New Year of 2011.
Nina Caushi
