A Christmas Bazaar for a Good Cause

With December upon us even here in grim Athens we are starting to think of the holiday season. With the forecast for next week to include colder, wetter weather with snow in the mountainous regions to the north, maybe winter is in sight too for this city?

The Historical Archive of the Archaeological Service

One way a resident of Athens can get ready for the season is to go on the evening of December 7th or all day December 8th to the Historical Archive of the Archaeological Service on Psaromylingou 22 on the edge of the Kerameikos and Psyrri districts of the city near Odos Piraeos. The Theseion Piraeus-Kifissia train station is nearby.

Here you will discover a small but friendly Christmas Bazaar organized by the Association of Friends of the Historical Archive of the Archaeological Service (Syllogos Filon tou Istorikou Archeiou tis Archaiolgikis Iperisias). The Bazaar will feature a wide selection of books (literature in Greek, English and French, archaeological volumes, coffee table books and my Scandinavian thrillers/murder mysteries and spy novels), small gift items (many of them handmade) and a bake sale (my cookies are to die for!). The lottery will have many gifts and prizes (including various personal guided tours in the city by archaeologists such as me!). The special feature of this year’s Bazaar is a photographic exhibition entitled, “The Archive of the Road” which features photographs by our members and friends of the ubiquitous graffiti that cover the walls of Athens (including our house) with images and texts. These framed photographs will be for sale (€10 - €25) and orders can be placed for larger images.

The Poster for the Christmas Bazaar

The Bazaar on Friday evening the 7th will run from 19:00 to 22:00. There will be live rembetika played by the Athens archaeological community’s own rembetis, Martti Leiwo, the Director of the Finnish Institute at Athens, to add a party touch to activities. On Saturday, the 8th the hours are 10:00-17:00.

The proceeds from the Bazaar will go to support the educational outreach programs of the Historical Archive in the public schools. These programs emphasize the importance of the past in constructing our daily lives and how archaeologists and historians use archives to create a historical narrative.

You can learn more about our Syllogos Filon by going to the facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/213856465352751/ Why not join the group and follow their activities???

If you wish to volunteer your time to help out at the Bazaar and/or wish to contribute books, gift items, baked goods or prizes for the lottery please call me: 694 72.72.153, or send me an email at: drupp@brocku.ca. The more the merrier!!!

We look forward to seeing you at the Bazaar!

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director