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Long Island Culture Guide: Greece

Posted June 9, 2010 by Naveen Sultan

Strolling along beautiful beaches, the taste of heavenly seafood, and the works of Plato—this all comes to mind when daydreaming about Greece. OK, maybe you don’t daydream about dead philosophers, but those other things, for sure.

Luckily for us, Greek immigrants have called Long Island home for generations, and it’s hard to throw a piece of pita bread out here without hitting a bowl of hummus. Beginning in the early 1900s, clusters of Greek immigrants moved to Freeport, Hempstead, Mineola, Merrick, and Baldwin to open small businesses. And some of those coffee, pastry, and flower shops still survive today.

Before the opening of the first Greek Orthodox church on Long Island 65 years ago—St. Paul’s Cathedral in Hempstead—parents would run Greek schools where their children would learn about their heritage. Today, there are 14 Greek Orthodox churches on Long Island in both Nassau and Suffolk counties, according to Katherine R. Boulukos, a Freeport-based Greek history buff. Different than the schools of days past, churches today offer classes for both children and adults who want to learn about Greek traditions.

Ready to explore the mysteries of the Mediterranean? Start by heading over to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Resurrection for a festival jam-packed with gyros, dancing, and everything else short of a Minotaur. And for more Hellenic happenings, read below.

Celebrate Greece:

Didn’t Aristotle say something about feeding the soul with kebabs? That’s how I remember it anyway. Skewer yourself at the three-day Church of The Holy Resurrection Greek Village Festival (1400 Cedar Swamp Road, Brookville; 516-671-5200; June 11; Fri 6pm-11pm; June 12; Sat 3pm-11pm; June 13; Sun 3pm-9pm; free), a carnivalesque primer in Greek culture. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the beautifully lighted tents, fake Doric columns, and friendly smiles of the church hosts who greet you at the entrance.

Dance the night away to the rhythmic Mediterranean melodies of traditional Greek music by Minore, who will perform at night on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Saturday evening, The Holy Resurrection Church choir will serenade you with PG-rated Greek love ballads. It is a church choir, after all.

During a free moment, take a guided tour of the Byzantine-style church and prepare to be memorized by the breath-taking architecture inside. Or browse the flea market for handmade crafts and Greek jewelry, like a Mati bracelet, which protects you from evils. Disclaimer: May not work on your uncle’s garlic breath.

Kids can occupy themselves with face painting and sand art, or they can watch their peers from Holy Resurrection parish perform a Greek dance in traditional clothing.

Make sure to come on an empty stomach because the home-cooked food, Greek wine, and sweets will leave you stuffed for days. On the menu: gyros; spanakopita (cheese and spinach pies in filo dough); homemade pastichio (baked macaroni layered with meat sauce and topped with a bechamel sauce) and moussaka (layers of eggplant, potatoes, meat sauce topped with bechamel sauce).

Leave room for sweet treats from the dessert stand such as loukoumades (fried dough topped with honey and cinnamon), kourambiedes (butter cookies rolled in confectioner’s sugar and topped with a clove), and of course the ever popular baklava (layers of filo and chopped walnuts and honey).    

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Image by Klearchos Kapoutsis via Flickr.

Tags : art, church of the holy resurrection greek village festival, classes, dance, food, greece, greek, language classes, long island culture guide, music