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Birthdays

© Mary Ellen Bradshaw

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Postcards from Santorini 7

Well, the sun is shining as the church bells ring in Sunday and Marlene Bradshaw's 60th birthday. Today she enters a new phase of her life. Marlene is now, officially, a crone. Crone? I'm sure, due to bad press and Webster's definition of "the old hag," that you are envisioning the wicked witch with a wart on her chin. This couldn't be farther from the truth. In many cultures, including many in the west, the true crone archetype has been buried for hundreds of years and is just now re-emerging in women of the world. Instead of being vilified, the crone was — and still is in some cultures — honoured for her wisdom.

In Greece there is a song sung on name days, the day honouring the saint you were named after and on birthdays. Following is the Greek translation, thanks to Diane and Spiros Zorzos.

It goes like this:

Hronia Polla
(Many Years or Many Happy Returns)

Congratulations and may you live many years,
To grow old with white hair,
That they call you Grandmother. (Grandfather)

With many, many Grandchildren
All around you, you scatter the light of youth
And everyone will say,
"Here is a very wise one"

The traditional gift for birthdays or namedays is shoes. Even today, godparents give shoes to their godchild on these occasions. This was a revered gift in the old days, possibly because it was the only pair of shoes that person would own each year.

It is time to party, so we set off to Messaria to shop at one of the Island's excellent supermarkets, then prepare for the party that will be held here on our patio. The guys set up tables and move chairs, while the girls make salads. Spiro, Diane and Barrie arrive and bring in the lobsters which will be the main course. They light the BBQ using natural charcoal, which makes for a much better fire. They have also brought an *octopus to be grilled along with the lobster . . .

*This octopus has been beaten (thrown down onto the cement, while being held by a couple of tentacles) 41 times to tenderize it. Then the whole thing is boiled in vinegar and water. After it is cooled, it is cut up; some are cut into small pieces to be served in vinegar as salad, while the tentacles and other parts are cut in larger pieces to be barbecued. It turns out tender and delicious with a delicate flavour.