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redsoxdw_

Active member
So many people have asked me why everything ends in "akis" and the truth is that it doesn't really! Akis is a suffix that is added to the end of greek words to make them "little" or more cute. It's also the ending of many Cretan last names. For example, dolma (grape leaves) is the official name but we just call them dolmadakia (akia is the plural of akis). You can add this to pretty much everything!
 
I hate to be that person, but I can't think of a word that would end in akis (ακης) except for male names like giannakis (Γιαννάκης) or adonakis (αδωνακης)

Aki generally means "small" and the gender is neuter, but not all words are allowed to end in aki because they may be feminine or masculine in gender (there are a few exceptions here). Some common endings for masculine and feminine words area itsa, oula/oulis, or akis (not the same as aki).

Geneeally speaking, there is no plural for these endings because in most instances you don't use them in the plural. That said, for food when using aki (ακι), the plural is akia (ακια), because whenever a Greek word ends in iota, you add alpha to the end to make it plural. So the plural of a few words ending in aki:
  1. dolmadaki (ντολμαδάκι) becomes dolmadakia (ντολμαδάκια)
  2. Spanakopitaki (σπανακοπιτακι) becomes spanakopitakia (σπανακοπιτακια)
  3. Pswmaki (ψωμάκι) becomes pswmakia (ψωμάκια)
  4. Neraki (νεράκι) becomes nerakia (νεράκια)
  5. Pitaki (πατάκι) becomes pitakia (πιτάκια)
But some words end in oula and since oula is a feminine ending, the plural of oula mus be changes to oules. For example
  1. Gatoula (γατούλα) becomes gatoules (γατούλες)
  2. Mikroula (μικρούλα) becomes mikroules (μικρούλες)
But with names it doesn't really work the same way, because you don't usually say them in the plural with these endings.
 

Ideas for Celebrating the New Month - Kalo Mina

Growing up, I heard my family say this all the time when there was a new month. I finally started paying attention to the tradition and ritual of saying it.

Kalo Mina actually means "Good Month" but my family took it a step further. We developed the habit of doing something special as a family to celebrate.It depends which day it falls. Some things we've done:

- Brunch - We do this if it falls on a weekend.
- Dinner - Going out to dinner is great any time of the year!
- Journaling - We've done family journaling parties, sitting together reflecting on the month. Sometimes we read aloud what we write (depends how the month went LOL)
- Goals - No matter if we do anything, like go out to dinner or brunch, we always sit and review our goals for the month together.

Thinking about the Greek way of hospitality...

I thought I would ask your thoughts oh Philoxenia - or the Greek way, or art, of hospitality. I noticed this when I travel in Greece. People are so kind, they often go out of the way for us, when I feel that they don't have to! How can one describe this to someone?

From what I understand, Philoxenia is not merely a practice but a deeply ingrained value within Greek culture that extends far beyond the simple act of hosting. It reflects a genuine, heartfelt welcome to strangers, treating them with the same respect and generosity one would show to a dearly beloved friend. This beautiful tradition, passed down through generations, turns the act of hosting into an art form, embodying warmth, respect, and a profound sense of human compassion. There have been so many stories I can think of...

This thought process was triggered because we were watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 - someone in the village had taken on a Syrian refugee. Is this a Greek hospitality thing? Philoxenia?

Greek Dance Instruction Video - Will Be Attending a Wedding

I will be attending a Greek wedding. They're friends of the family. Although I am Greek, many of our friends aren't. Since about 50% of the music at the reception will be Greek, I thought it would be fun to brush up on our Greek dancing together.

The problem is, I forget some of the dances, so I will also need to brush up. I can't teach people until I am a bit stronger.

I found this video. It's pretty good. Does anyone know of any more videos that can show me some Greek dancing?

Greek Easter Family Traditions

I am curious what your family traditions are for Greek Easter. I know lent hasn't even started yet, but I've started doing some planning to make sure my family has all of its traditions all set. Sometimes it takes me a while to find ingredients for some of the foods I serve, etc.

Of course we spend Holy Week in church. We do our best to fast during Lent, and once Easter comes, it's all about serving our traditional dishes. This year I might spend part of lent in Greece to visit some religious sites.

What do you guys all do?

Greek Wedding Traditions Roundup

I am helping someone plan her Greek wedding. I wanted to make a list of all the traditions we need to keep in time for the big day. Did I miss anything?

The Stolisma

The wedding day begins with the ritual of 'Stolisma,' where the bride and groom are prepared separately by their families. It's a moment filled with emotion, songs, and blessings, setting the tone for the day. I had honestly never heard of this. Do people still do it?

The Krevati

An amusing tradition is the 'Krevati' (bed making), where family and friends gather to decorate the couple's future bed with baby items, symbolizing fertility and a happy family life. Money is also often thrown on the bed for good luck and prosperity.

The Crowning (Stefana)

One of the most iconic rituals during the ceremony is the exchange of crowns or 'Stefana.' I believe they need to buy the crowns they want in advance?

Koufeta

No Greek wedding would be complete without 'Koufeta'—sugar-coated almonds given to guests as wedding favors. These bittersweet treats represent the ups and downs of married life and are shared in odd numbers to symbolize indivisibility and shared life.
Share and discuss Greek traditions related to Greek weddings, christenings, dance & holidays!

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