Virgin Mary Celebration

Every year the Greeks celebrate the Virgin Mary Day (''Panagia'' in Greek) in a very enthusiastic but also religious way.

"Dekapentavgoustos", as the day refers to in Greek (simply means "August 15th"), is a Greek National Holiday and a huge day for the Greek Orthodox Church, just like Easter and Christmas.

On August 15, names such as Maria, Mary, Panayiotis, Panayiota, Parthena and Despoina are celebrated.

The Greeks celebrate this holiday by preparing themselves with a fasting period of 14 days in total, which begins on August 1st. During this period, it is not allowed to eat any kind of meat or fish, dairy products or eggs. During this period there are also church services, in addition to local celebrations to create entertainment as well as to celebrate the Virgin Mary.

One of the most famous and delicious meals to serve during this fasting period is the Greek 'Gemista', which describes the colorful peppers and tomatoes stuffed with rice. This traditional Greek dish falls under the category of “Ladera”, which means a dish prepared with olive oil. So make sure you use a good Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil!

Elena's wishes you “Kalo Dekapentavgousto” / “Happy August 15” !

If you are hungry after Gemista, see our recipe here.