Essay on Greek Festival

It is known that the Yiasou Greek Festival is one of the most popular annual events in Greek community that attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. The Yiasou Festival gives an opportunity to learn more about the traditions and customs of the country. It is a big party which celebrates Greek heritage. During the festival, people talk about Greek faith and Church, visit the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the Greek Cultural Exhibition, etc.  Tourists are offered delicious homemade foods and pastries, including baclava, roast lamb, Athenian baked fish, Grecian baked chicken, Greek salad, etc. Baclava is the most popular Greek dessert which consists of several layers of thin bread filled with different ingredients, including honey, butter, nuts and a variety of spices. It is interesting to notice that in Ancient Greece there was no sugar, and people used honey for sweetening foods. This tradition is observed during the Yiasou festival. Moreover, tourists are given an opportunity to listen to Greek music and perform Greek dances. The volunteers from the Greek community speak their national language, and wear clothes that their Greek ancestors wore many years ago, when they lived in Ancient Greece.  In addition, the Yiasou festival gives a chance to choose and buy Greek souvenirs which can be viewed as a part of the Greek culture. I am greatly impressed by this colorful event, which creates an atmosphere of hospitality, friendship and peace. The word “Yiasou” means hello, goodbye and cheers. This cultural event deserves respect and admiration as it unites people of different cultural backgrounds. Although the festival was founded in 1978, it has already become the proud of the nation. The 2012 Yiasou Greek festival is the 35-th festival.