Easter in Greece #1

Our first trip to Greece was in 1964 when we went to visit my father’s sister and my cousins in Edipsos, Evia. My grandfather ended up there after they came from Asia Minor, obviously not by choice. We arrived the week before Easter, intending to stay a couple of days.
We had a rather ambitious travel plan and not much time. Naturally we were pressured into staying longer, at least until Easter.
We did not have many clothes with us as we had only planned to stay for a couple of days and had left everything at my Aunt’s house in Athens.
Friday we went to church and Saturday night we planned to go to church. I only had some casual clothes, and for Saturday I needed a suit. My aunt came up with one of mine that my mother had sent. At that time, 1960s, we in the States sent over clothes and other things to our relatives in Greece, every Greek American did it, so my suit was not that much of a surprise, even though I had looked for it at home before we left.
Mama was too fast for me and she got it, and sent it, probably since I hadn’t worn it for a while.
My wife, Jeannine, had enough clothes with her. Women pack more than men. So far, no great surprise.
We get to the church and Jeannine notices and recognizes lots of outfits, my sister’s, my mother’s, even my father’s suit. She even recognized an outfit that my sister had worn about a month ago. It seems that all the stuff my mother had been sending, was worn proudly and well, and put to good use. Everybody in town seemed to be wearing very familiar clothes.
My favorite pink and white shirt was on the Mayor. I looked for it before we left the States, but Mama was too fast for me again.
Naturally we felt even more at home. We met family for the first time and felt reassured by being surrounded by our clothes from the States. To this day whenever and if we go to church, I always see if I can recognize any of the outfits, but those days are gone forever. 

Greece, will always remind me of our first holiday, when we truly felt at home and discovered some of our roots.
Although, seeing your family’s clothes 3000 miles from home is a unique experience.