Kalanda tradition continues for the 32nd year

Newton Greek American families raised more than $4000 for the Hellenic Cardiac Fund though their kalanda singing on New Year's Day. It was the group's 32nd year of raising money for poor Greek children here for operations at Boston Children's Hospital.

Kalanda organizer Dr. Vassilis Zannis issued the following public relations release:

YOUNG CAROLERS CELEBRATE THE 32^nd ANNIVERSARY OF THE NEW YEAR’S KALANDA AND DONATE $3,500 TO THE HELLENIC CARDIAC FUND

On New Year’s Day the children of Newton and the neighboring suburbs and their parents went around their communities for the 32^st consecutive year to sing the New Year’s carols (Kalanda), and welcome the New Year. As is the tradition in several islands in Greece, the children carried around a blue boat that is adorned with white stripes and Greek flags.

This year we made a special effort to communicate and sing the carols over the phone to the Kouretas,and Lappas, families, who were involved in the early Kalanda.

Every year the Kalanda brings together the older and younger generations of children and their parents, thereby reaffirming old friendships and fostering new ones and thus giving a sense of community, common identity and culture. They also provide a vehicle to raise money for the Hellenic Cardiac Fund, and thus teach the young children to help other children who are in need. The Hellenic Cardiac Fund is a charitable organization that has assisted a large number of Greek children with difficult health problems during the past 33 years to receive medical treatment at Boston Children’s Hospital and other hospitals affiliated with the Harvard Medical School.

Several of the children who participated in the early Kalanda have finished college, have entered successfully into their professional careers, and have built their own families. Those with families who have stayed in the region (Markella Zanni, Natali Georgakis, Eleni Delichatsiou, Tania Kluzak-Yiannas) brought along their children to this festive occasion.

The Kalanda started in the house of David and Markella Humphrey/Zannis. The carolers then visited a total of 11 additional houses (Balodimos, Vrouvlianis, Zannis, Madias, Mitsialis/Kourembanas, Travayiakis Metropolitan Methodios, Philoxenia, Athans Bakery, L. Papaslis and D. Papaslis). The carols were also sung in honor of all the participating families (Stavrianidis, Theoharides, Paraschos, Vassilakis) and in a few cases for others who could not be with us this year ( Christos Georgakis,Yiannis Kreatsoulas, Harry Pothoulakis,). 

Dr. Nick Madias directed the chorus using a batton donated by the “Savvatoparea." Evangelos Papadopoulos played the accordion. The carolers were treated in every house with New Year's cakes, mezedes, and drinks. Metropolitan Methodios when we visited his  residence, offered his best wishes to the group and commented on how much he has become part of the Kalanda tradition over the years. Alex and Stella Kourebanas, Kostas and Hara Travagialkis Lefteris and Antonia,Papaslis had prepared elaborate receptions with mezedes, drinks, sweets and vassilopites and tyropites, that contain coins 

At the end of the festivities the children opened up the rectangular box that symbolizes the bridge of the boat, where the donations were deposited, counted the money and announced that they had collected or received pledges of more than $4000. According to the traditions, younger children below the age of 10 years were offered a symbolic gift of $10 each. The children donate 3,500 to The Hellenic Cardiac Fund.  And $500 to the Communities without Borders, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the education and healthcare needs of young children in Africa.

 In this year’s Kalanda participated a total of 30 children of varying ages, and an equal number of adults. Overall this was a memorable day. The euphoria created by the event can be best summarized by the comments of the Director of the Chorus Professor Nick Madias, “I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the start of a new year than to participate in the New Year’s Kalanda.” 

The children participants of this year's kalanda were:

1.     Vanessa Mitsialis

2.     Sophia Paraschos

3.     Phaedon, Danae and Chloe Athanassopoulos

4.     Niove  and Kostis Theoharides    

5.     John Zannis 

6.     Esme-Lyana Zannis

7.     Laura Falardeau-Zanni

8.     Anthonis Karagiorgos

9.     Natali Georgakis, her husband Sam Pauli, and their daughters, Alexa and Markella

10.   David Humphrey and Markella Zanni and their children, Andrew-Vassilis and Clara-Eleni

11.   Tania Kluzak-Yiannas, her husband Gordon, and their daughters, Alexandra and Marina

12.   Gerasimos Papadopoulos

13.   Helen Delichatsios- Pitas and her daughter, Nina

       14. Nektarios Ritzakis

        15.Dafni Papadopoulou

        16. Irini  Albanti 


Ο Εθνικός Κήρυξ τής νέας Υόρκης έγραψε τά εξής (3 Ιανουαρίου, 2013, σελ. 5), με τόν τίτλο: Στνεχίστηκε η παράδοση τών καλάντων στή Βοστώνη.

Καί του Χρόνου.....