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Contextualizing the Chios Wildfires with Greece’s Strange Fire History

Written By: KTE Executive Board

Many Greeks worldwide have already heard the news and seen the devastating videos: approximately 40,000 hectares of land in Chios have been scorched by wildfires. The official story is that a Georgian housemaid (who has now been arrested) unintentionally caused the blaze by throwing out a cigarette that was still lit, but many locals from Chios and Greeks all across the Diaspora express historical skepticism about the true cause of these fires.

What to do if the locals won’t speak Greek to you

Written By: Christophoros

I’ve got a short article for you today, but it’s a topic that is very near and dear to my heart. Let’s say you’ve practiced Greek for months, painstakingly drilled your verbs and vocabulary in anticipation of an authentic Greek summer, but everyone with a thick Greek accent automatically defaults to speaking English every time you lead off with a well-practiced question or phrase.

What it’s like going to a hospital in Greece

Written By: Penelope Conomos Benis

A minor leg injury forced me to find a public hospital during my vacation in Milos, Greece this past week. I eventually found the community clinic of the island, located on the outskirts of Milos’ capital city, Plaka. So, with my passport in hand, I rolled my car into the driveway of a whitewashed building that my phone claimed to be a hospital (though there was no sign visible on the outside to confirm as much), and I hesitantly parked and limped down the driveway with some trepidation.

Today in Hellenic History: The Battle of Kilkis-Lachanas

Written By: Telemachos Gregoriadis

It is important to remain educated on our history. From June 19th - 21st in the year 1913, the Battle of Kilkis-Lachanas took place during the Second Balkan War. This battle took place between Greece and Bulgaria. Prior to the Second Balkan War, Bulgaria had been allied with Greece, Serbia, and Montenegro against the Ottoman Empire during the First Balkan War. By the end of the war, the Bulgarians were dissatisfied with the results, and so, on the night of the 16th of June, they attacked their former ally Serbia. The Serbs had their communications with the Greeks cut off, but King Constantine led the Greeks into battle, forcing the Bulgarians to retreat to the Kilkis Lachanas Line.

Rekindling Our Roots: The Indispensable Role of Diaspora Investment in Greece's Future

Written By: Vasili

For generations, the Greek Diaspora has been a vibrant, resilient force, carrying the flame of Hellenism across continents.

From the bustling streets of New York to the vibrant communities of Melbourne, our shared heritage, language, and traditions bind us together. But beyond cultural preservation, there lies a profound opportunity for the diaspora to play a pivotal role in Greece’s economic resurgence through strategic investment.

This isn’t merely about financial transactions; it’s about transforming a longing for the homeland into tangible contributions that uplift communities, create opportunities, and strengthen the very fabric of Greece, particularly as the nation continues its recovery from the recent economic crisis.

Εἰ ὁ Θεὸς μεθ’ ἡμῶν, οὐδεὶς καθ’ ἡμῶν

Written By: Telemachos Gregoriadis

I think about the deepness of our roots. The spirit of what a Hellene is. It’s something that can’t be described, only felt. We are an ancient people. There’s something Mystical about it. You can feel it, in the Air, in the Sea, in the rays of light from the Sun. I see before my eyes, a Hellenic island, the village-folk, with blood older than history. Our ancestors look down and smile at us when were remember our Folk Traditions.

The Miracles We Witnessed at Ionian Village: A Photo Essay

Written By: KTE Executive Board

Over the past two weeks, members of KTE have spent time with Ionian Village on a transformative pilgrimage to venerate holy relics and visit Holy sites in Zakynthos, Kefalonia, Aegina, Patras, Kalavryta, Athens, and Glyfa.

While experiencing this once-in-a-lifetime spiritual journey, we witnessed real miracles and venerated a piece of the true cross that Christ our God was crucified on.

Choose it or Lose it: Holding onto Your Identity in the Greek Diaspora

Written By: Niko Wilk

Photo via Shutterstock.

The United States of America, being a relatively new world superpower, has been viewed as a symbol of religious freedom and economic opportunity for generations of immigrants seeking a new life from their troubled homelands.

America held the promise that all walks of life could prosper with the unalienable rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” American values for these waves of immigrants – albeit influenced by Anglo-Saxon principles of monarchist Great Britain – forced naturalized citizens to make a personal decision on whether passing down their heritage and history to their American-born offspring is a priority.

Checking in on SYRIZA: Greece’s fractured, formless Left

Written By: Alexandros

No single political party better characterizes the political turmoil following the financial crisis than SYRIZA. The self-described “Coalition of the Radical Left” was elected essentially as an anti-austerity group.

In the mid-2010s, Greece’s two dominant political parties, Nea Dimokratia and PASOK, were both rejected due to their willingness to continue to subject the Greek people to the harsh austerity measures that facilitated the destruction of the Greek economy during the financial crisis. SYRIZA swooped in and ran a campaign almost entirely as a rejection of the austerity measures – an anti-EU, left-wing populist party.

When explaining Greece’s beauty, my advice is always the same: “Come and see”

Written By: Christophoros

Photo via Shutterstock

I’m writing this article on my deck in Nafplio, Greece, where it’s raining in May (uncharacteristically), forcing visitors and locals alike under umbrellas and restaurant awnings.

It’s still beautiful here.

I know all about rain, having grown up in Seattle, WA. In case you’re wondering, the sayings are 100% accurate — it’s wet and miserable for nine months out of the year. From October till June, it’s a marathon of clouds, sunsets at 4:30 pm, and weather that’s slightly too warm for snow, which would actually be really nice for a change.

Our Rebuke to Greece’s Plan to Bring 50,000 Workers From India

Written By: KTE Executive Board

You may have seen by now that Greece is one step away from formalizing an agreement with India’s government to supply 50,000 Indian workers each year to bolster specific sectors of the Greek economy. These people will be both unskilled and skilled workers, and will likely be the recipient of lower tax obligations, compared to those of Greek citizens.

The idea that Greece is considering the strategic import of tens of thousands of foreign workers – instead of trying to attract the nearly five million Greeks living abroad – is puzzling, to say the least. Essentially, the Greek government has decided that transplanting mostly unskilled laborers from the third world is better than changing the social and economic circumstances that make jobs unworkable for the Greek people.

Greece Should Criminalize Graffiti Before it’s too Late

Written By: Christophoros

As a regular visitor and seasonal worker in Greece, I’m seeing more and more graffiti every time I go back. And at the risk of sounding too altruistic, it pains me greatly that some of our most treasured towns and locations are covered in the ugliest form of “art” ever conceived.

Most of it is produced by delinquents and undesirables, and I know I’m not the first journalist to suggest cracking down on its pervasiveness. Athens and Thessaloniki are always beginning and ending publicly-funded cleanups of graffiti in places of interest.