President Obama Celebrates Greek Independence at the White House
President Obama hosted a reception in honor of Greek Independence Day at the East Room of the White House on Friday April 2nd, 2014.
The US President invited Greek government officials and prominent Greek-Americans to the White House on the occasion of the 193rd anniversary of Greek Independence which was marked on March 25th. Vice-President Biden and Greek Ambassador Christos Panagopoulos also attended tonight’s event. It was the 28th time the holiday has been celebrated at the White House.
President Obama welcomed his guests in Greek by saying “Kalispera Ellines” (Καλησπέρα Έλληνες) and “Zito e Hellas” (Ζήτω η Ελλας).
“On Greek Independence Day, we honor the deep connections between our two nations and celebrate the democratic ideals at the heart of our shared history,” said President Obama who also praised the Greek American community.
Although the President’s Greek party was a little late as he was traveling to Europe last week, on March 25th the White House issued a Presidential Proclamation, noting Greece’s role as the foundation for American Democracy, and hailing the nation as “a valued NATO ally.”
The President also called “upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.” The proclamation, entitled “ Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy, 2014″ sent a message that the US and Greece have a strong historical bond and recognized the contributions of Greek-Americans to the US. Read the full text here.
The White House reception included a traditional Greek menu. The buffet of many Greek delicacies was highly praised by attendees on twitter. John Podesta, an Obama advisor wrote:
The Greek buffet included olives, spanakopita, dolmathes, tzatziki and skorhalia among other delicacies
Erik A. Cosselmon, Executive chef at San Francisco’s Kokkari Estiatorio and Mario Ortego, Executive Chef at Palo Alto’s Evvia had been at the White House since Wednesday, working with White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford and Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses and their teams. The two restaurants are owned by the same culinary group, and have gotten high marks from critics.
The party menu “of course included lamb chops,” Cosselmon said to the official site of record about White House food initiatives.
“There’s also octopus, spanakotiropita, lots of tzatziki, melitzanosalata, zucchini cakes, and feta cheese.”
VP Biden calls Greek PM SamarasThe day before the celebration, Vice President Biden called Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras “to congratulate Greece in advance of Greek Independence Day celebrations at the White House.
“The Vice President expressed appreciation for the valuable role Greece continues to play as a strategic partner and NATO ally. He welcomed Greece’s continued economic progress as the government carries out its reforms, and pledged enduring U.S. support for returning Greece to economic growth and prosperity,” the White House said in a readout of the call.
The two leaders discussed the on-going situation in Ukraine, including support for the upcoming May elections and the need to stand united against Russian aggression. They also discussed the importance of transatlantic cooperation on energy security. Finally, Vice President Biden expressed appreciation to Greece for its support for a just and lasting settlement that reunites Cyprus as a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.
The Greek-American Selfie
Attendees of the event did not miss the opportunity to snap photos and also get an Oscar-like group selfie with VP Joe Biden.
Attendees of the event did not miss the opportunity to snap photos and also get an Oscar-like group selfie with VP Joe Biden.
A national holiday in Greece, Greek Independence Day commemorates the nation’s declaration of independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821 after being occupied for 400 years. It also marks the Feast of the Annunciation in the Greek Orthodox Church. The holiday is celebrated by Greek Diaspora across America and all around the world.
193rd Greek Independence Day Parade in NYC
The 193rd annual Greek Independence Day Parade, celebrating hellenic history and heritage in New York, will be held on March 30, at 1.30pm.
The parade will begin at the corner of 63rd Street and 5th Avenue and the participants will march to 79th Street. The parade will be attended by several bands and floats along with hundreds Greek organizations such as schools, communities, associations and federations.
The Greek Independence Day Parade is the largest gathering of Greek-Americans living outside Greece and has been an important tradition since 1938. Every year, it attracts over 100,000 spectators and has about 25,000 participants. It is a parade dedicated to the shared values between Greece and the U.S. and is a day of remembrance, honor and inspiration for all Greek-Americans.
This year’s parade themes are “The Hellenic Humanistic Ideals and Values, an antidote to the multifaceted global crisis,” a celebration for the eternal Greek values and ideals, and the “40 years of Occupation and Division of Cyprus – No More,” commemorating the coming 40th anniversary of Cyprus invasion by Turkey.
As Philip Christopher, member of the Parade Committee and President of the International Coordinating Committee ‘Justice for Cyprus’, said, “As we celebrate the 193rd anniversary of Greek Independence after 400 years of occupation by the Ottoman Empire, we are all reminded that 38% of the small island Republic of Cyprus has been under occupation for 40 long years. It is unbelievable that the international community has remained silent to the greatest injustice in modern history. Turkey invaded the island in 1974, on the pretext of protecting the Turkish minority following a military coup in Nicosia led by Athens’ military junta, displacing tens of thousands Greek Cypriots from their homes, destroying 500 historical Christian churches and changed the demographics by importing colonists from Turkey. The spirit of 1821 lives in the hearts of the Greek-Cypriot people who are fighting to remove 43,000 Turkish troops and return to their ancestral homes.”
The Grand Marshals of the 193rd parade will be the U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and the U.S. Ambassador-Designate to Norway George Tsunis. Senator Schumer is honored for his services to the U.S. and the Great State of New York and he is an important supporter of the Greek-American Community and the Cyprus Issue. Ambassador Tsunis is the founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chartwell Hotels, an active member of the Greek-American Community and a philanthropist with contributions to various charities and organizations.
The parade will be organized by the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, a non-profit organization established in 1938 and comprised of over 200 groups in the New York City area. Representing societies from over 100 regions in Greece, its aim is to preserve and promote Greek culture and heritage through cultural events and programs.
- See more at: http://usa.greekreporter.com/2014/03/26/193rd-greek-independence-day-parade-in-nyc/#sthash.sUPgETDf.dpuf
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