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Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-12-25Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Christmas Day messages; Greece's municipalities support homeless and needyThe birth of Christ was celebrated by Christianity on Monday throughout the world with devoutness. In their Christmas Day messages, the heads of church referred to the meaning of the days. Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos in his Christmas Day message noted that "we must begin from today a new life worthy of the call of Christ." Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos stressed that "Christmas is an opportunity for our spiritual growth, for the cohesion of the family and the interception of the new order of sovereignty which changes the stable values of our culture." Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania Anastasios referred to the problems faced by families in the modern era.Meanwhile, the Athens Municipality, as well as other municipalities of the country, offered "luncheons of love" to the homeless and the needy. The Greek Red Cross did likewise. They distributed food from the foundation's installations at 3rd September Street in Athens. [02] Christmas carols for political leaders; PM in FlorinaPrime Minister Costas Karamanlis and his family spent the Christmas holiday in the northwestern prefecture of Florina, an increasingly popular winter destination in the east Mediterranean country. On Sunday, several local groups sang Christmas carols for the prime minister, whereas Karamanlis and his wife Natasha handed out gifts to the carolers. Costas and Natasha Karamanlis later strolled through the town of Florina before attending a reception in their honor hosted by local and prefectural officials.Meanwhile, in Athens, the annual tradition of Christmas caroling witnessed most political leaders receiving groups of carolers. Main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou received carolers at his party's headquarters, exchanging gifts with the groups, which hailed from several parts of Greece. Communist Party of Greece (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga also greeted carolers at her party's headquarters, while Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (Synaspismos) leader Alekos Alavanos enjoyed carols by a choir of children of Filipino guest workers in Greece. Groups of carolers sent by clubs and societies from various areas of Greece on Saturday visited Parliament President Anna Psarouda-Benaki in order to sing traditional Christmas carols, including a group from Crete and an association of Pontian Greeks from southern Greece and the islands. Other carolers to visit Benaki were children living at the 'Smile of the Child' hostels and the childrens' choirs of the Greek police headquarters, as well as the Greek Scouts Corps. The Parliament president offered the carolers good-luck charms from the Thrace Museum. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |