Patras Society of New York organizes its annual cutting of the Vasilopita

The Patras Society of New York ‘Kostis Palamas’ held its annual cutting of the Vasilopita on February 4 at the Kefalonitiko Spiti in Astoria.

Patras Society of New York President Panos Papadopoulos-Seretis, who officially assumed the duties as president last May, expressed his enthusiasm for the great turnout at the Vasilopita cutting event and noted that the important element is the increasing presence of younger people at the Society’s events following several years when the historic association had become inactive.

“We are thrilled with the turnout,” Papadopoulos-Seretis said. “We see people we have seen throughout the years, but the most encouraging thing is that we see new young people. These young people with the appetite they have and the zeal they show, are ready to take the baton from us older ones and continue the tradition with our organizations, with our Federation, and with their presence in the Community and the parish and American society, to spread our culture, morals, customs, and language.”

Immediately after the cutting of the Vasilopita, a musical program by the Melodia band followed, while everyone looked forward to the Society’s Carnival dinner dance, which will take place on Saturday, March 9, at the same venue. Papadopoulos-Seretis also noted that the big goal is to organize an event for Olympism, the philosophy of the Olympic Games, to emphasize the role of Patras as the capital of the Olympic Anthem.

“We want to organize an event of a cultural nature, probably at the end of May, which is related to Olympism,” he said. “Also as a milestone, our goal is for Patras to be recognized as the world capital of Olympism by UNESCO and as the capital of the Olympic Anthem. That’s where Kostis Palamas came from and he wrote the Greek Olympic Anthem and we want it to be recognized.”