Carols by Candlelight move thousands of Melburnians ahead of Christmas

Carols by Candlelight, the 38th Carols of the Greek Archdiocese in Victoria was hosted this year at the Archdiocesan District of Northcote in the outdoor space of St John’s College in Preston.

Many activities awaited the thousands of attendees of all ages including face painting, an animal farm, animal petting and a playground for the younger crowds.

The event was attended by Bishop Kyriakos and Bishop Evmenios, the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis; the president of the Intercommunities Council of Victoria, Antonios Tsourdalakis; the new principal of St John’s College, Andrew Ponsford; and Nikolaos Archontonis, brother of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

The choir of the Chanters of Melbourne, opened the event chanting Christmas hymns, followed by a spiritual journey throughout Greece with carols presented by many cultural institutions and schools of the city.

Pontiaki Estia, Oakleigh Grammar, Saint John’s College Preston, the Panepirotian Federation, the Cretan Brotherhood of Melbourne, the Pan-Cretan Association of Melbourne, the Florinian Association ‘o Aristotelis’ and the ‘O Periklis’ Dance Group all moved the audience with their performance.

The ‘Momogeroi’, a Pontian custom presented by the young people of the Pontiaki Estia, closed the first part of the event exciting and uplifting spectators.

The second part began with a message from Archbishop Makarios who is currently visiting Mount Athos, read Bishop Evmenios of Kerasounta.

Bishop Evmenios pointed out that “in this holy place he has a special opportunity to pray for everyone, as a spiritual father. Finally, he conveyed the love and paternal wishes of the Archbishop for the following holy days.”

For the last part, the choir of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia took to the stage, led by music teacher Stelios Tsiolas and singers Anna Tsourdalakis, Agapis Gioftsidis, Panagiotis Ploutos and Pantelis Volaris.

Hymns and songs of the festive days of Christmas, New Year and Theophany were performed as fireworks appeared in the sky.

Finally, the bishops and dignitaries were called to the stage, where they sang together with the choir ‘Your Birth, O Christ our God’, ‘Kalin Esperan’ and ‘Archiminia kai archichronia’.