Kalanda 2020 another great success

Almost $9,000 was raised by the 2020 Kalanda carolers New Year’s Day in the Newton area. It was the 39^th consecutive year of the tradition, which is estimated to have contributed more that $110,000 to the Boston Children’s Hospital Hellenic Cardiac Fund, which supports needy children from Greece receiving specialized medical care at Children’s.

Thirty six children from Newton and neighboring suburbs and their parents went around their communities to sing the New Year’s carols (Kalanda), and welcome the New Year. As is the custom on many Greek islands, the group carried around the blue boat constructed in 1982 that is adorned with white stripes and Greek flags.

As in previous years, a special effort was made to sing the carols over the phone to the families of former Kalanda participants (such as the families of Lappas, Pothoulakis, Lefteris Papaslis and Petros Kotidis) as well as to relatives and friends in the U.S. and Canada (such as the families of Mody Kefalas, George Kefalas, George Zannis, Dimitris Zannis, Nikolis and Tasia Liapis) and in Greece (such as the families of Maria and Dimitris Michalakis, Marina and Argyro Rekletis, Nikolas and Panagiota Zannis, Spyros and Markella Anagnostopoulos).

Co-founder Dr. Vassislis Zannis said, “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 (such as Markella Zannis, John Zannis, Eleni Pitas-Delichatsios and Sophia Paraschos-Joe Fantony), brought along their children to the Kalanda.

The group first met in the house of Markella and David Humphrey/Zannis, where co-organizers Manolis Paraschos and Vassilis Zannis welcomed the participants, particularly the newborn son of Sophia and Joe Fantony–Paraschos and congratulated Markella Zannis for her promotion to associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

The carolers then visited the nearby houses of John and Laura Zannis/Falardeau and Christopher and Melissa Madias. They, then, visited the houses of Kosmas and Marina Vrouvlianis, Nicolaos and Ourania Madias, Kosta and Hara Travagiaki, George and Elisabeth Lambropoulos, Dimitri and Eleftheria Papaslis and Metropolitan Methodios.

During the day, carols were also sung in honor of all the participating families (such as Lia Triarchou, Manolis and Janet Paraschos, John and Helen Vassilakis, Maria Delichatsios, Eleni and Anastasios Pitas-Delichatsios, Maria and Vassilis Zacharakis – Lacotripe, Pavlos and Efi Pissios, Thanasis and Liza Karagiorgos, Vassilis and Christina Valayannopoulos, Aristidis and Angeliki Athanasopoulos, Pantelis Vokonas and Vassilis Zannis.

Two young talented musicians, Nicolas and Luna-Nefeli Valayannopoulos, played the violin and the guitar respectively while their father Vassilis played the ukulele. Dr. Madias directed the chorus of the carolers using a brand new baton donated by Sabbatoparea and Kostas Travagiakis read New Year’s Cretan mantinades he had composed in 2019.

The carolers were treated to a light lunch at Markella’s house and mezedes, pastries and drinks were offered in all houses. The tour ended with the usual food feast held in the house of Dimitris and Eleftheria Papaslis that included homemade tyropita and spanakopita, both of which contained lucky coins, “the flouri”. Metropolitan Methodios cut the new year’s pita and the coin was found in his slice.

The carolers hope to donate approximately $7,000 to the Hellenic Cardiac Fund, $600 to the Communities without Borders, a nonprofit organization that has as its mission the support, education and healthcare needs of young children in Africa, $600 to the Maliotis Cultural Center for the support of cultural and educational activities for children in our area, $300 to the Carter Center that supports children and fights tropical diseases in Africa,  $150 to the Save the Children to support children in need, and $100 to a cleft palate charity.

The 36 children and former participants who took part in the 2020 Kalanda where:

1.            Kostis Theoharides 


2.            George Pothoulakis 


3.            Domna Dimarchopoulou 


4.            David Humphrey and Markella Zanni’s children, Andrew-Vassilis, Clara-Eleni and Laena 


5.            John Zannis and Laura Falardeu’s children Esme-Liana, Rose and Zoi 


6.            Helen and Anastasios Delichatsios-Pitas’s daughters Nina and Mia 


7.            Phaidon, Daphne and Chloe Athanasopoulos 


8.            Nicolas and Luna -Nefeli Valayannopoulos 


9.            Christopher and Melissa Madias’s children Urania and Nikos 


10.        Penny Vlagopoulos – Boby and their son Orion 


11.         Sophia Paraschos and Joe Fantony and their two-month son Nicholas –Emmanuel, who is the 
youngest ever participant in Kalanda

12. Eva and Konstantinos Zacharakis –Lacotripe


13. Danae and Alexandros Pissios


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

15. Alexandros and Clara Georgaki and their daughter Alexandra.

Χρόνια Πολλά σέ όλους.

Και του Χρόνου.

The photographs below were taken by Christina Akrivou, whom we thank. 

Photo M. Paraschos