Name or feast day of the Church of Saint Anthony. Religious services are celebrated the evening before and the morning of this day in the church in Gavalochori. The name days of saints typically celebrate the day that the saints died rather than their birth dates because they became martyrs and returned to God on the day that they died. Sometimes, you will find the churches decorated on their name days with seasonal greenery, the branches of bay leaves, and colorful triangle flags. People who have a strong connection with the saint for whom a church is named—perhaps they share the same name as the saint or the saint helped them in their life in some way—will often bring an offering to the service on the saint’s name day. Offerings consist of cakes, cookies, cheese pies, cheese, wine, and raki. These offerings are shared among the parishioners following the service.
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