Holy Week

Mayor's greeting

Thessaloniki reveals itself daily through the small and large pieces of its rich history, hoarding its rich heritage, in the context of a continuous renewal journey, which embraces the past and can transform it into a creative present.

Such an essential effort, through synergies with creative bodies of the city and under the auspices of the Holy Metropolis of Thessaloniki, is the initiative of restoring the “Holy Week” in our city, one week before the Holy Week of the Lord’s Passion. We are inspired by the devotional heart of Thessaloniki, which will beat with devotion, for the spiritual uplift of all Thessalonians and visitors, in the holy churches and monuments of the city, from April 20 to April 27.

The charm of Thessaloniki lies in its very identity, full of creative contradictions and compositions. An important part of the city’s authentic character is its strong religiousness. Through the events of the Holy Week, we invite you all to support an effort that aims to demonstrate its Byzantine past, as it goes hand in hand with a rich religious pilgrimage present and is expressed in the natural spaces of the Orthodox Christian Faith, but also through various and diverse forms of worship art and tradition.

Undoubtedly, Thessaloniki is an ideal destination for every visitor. The important thing is that every action in this direction should not be done one-sidedly or fragmentarily, but on the basis of an integrated planning, which will aim at quality results, with a lasting effect over time. I am sure that the Holy Week will be the starting point, but also the perspective for the promotion of Religious and Pilgrimage Tourism.

The Municipality of Thessaloniki will support every initiative for the visibility and promotion of the city, in order to highlight its known and unknown aspects, clearly promoting alternative/thematic tourism, as an integral part of a collective strategy that aims to transform the city into a global attraction, with all those qualitative characteristics that will make it a timeless reference point and a popular destination.

I am very grateful to the Holy Metropolis of Thessaloniki for its support in this whole project, and of course to the institutions, sponsors, contributors, as well as the human resources of the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Municipality of Thessaloniki.

Stelios Angeloudis

Mayor of Thessaloniki

Metropolitan's Greetings

Thessaloniki, Lenten 2024

It is my great pleasure to respond to the invitation of the Mayor of our city, Mr. Stelios Angeloudis and the responsible Deputy Mayor of Culture, Mr. Vasileios Gakis, and I would like to address to all the participants and the visitors of our city’s “Holy Week” this heartfelt greeting of love and welcome.

This beautiful tradition of Thessaloniki to organize the “Holy Week” just before the Holy Week of the Holy Passion of the Lord, is an essential opportunity to enter step by step into these great events, approaching them artistically, through cultural activities of people inspired by the Divine Passion.

Our local church willingly offers its love to the organization of these events and we heartily congratulate the Mayor and his partners, as well as all the artistic – musical groups that will participate, and we invite all the people of Thessaloniki and the visitors of our city to join us in this rich and qualitative “worship” journey.

With warm paternal wishes and much love

Filotheos from Thessaloniki

Vasileios Gakis’ Greetings

Thessaloniki has an important comparative advantage: its Byzantine character.

Starting from the willingness to strengthen and promote the cultural values of the city with a particularly important past and contribution to culture, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, with the support of the Directorate of Culture and Tourism and after many years, is bringing back the “Worship Week”, an institution of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, with a history of more than two decades, which returns renewed and enriched. One week before the Easter week, from 20 to 27 April.

Byzantine choirs, as well as European music choirs, monodians, soloists, recitations, theatrical analogies with well-known actors, musical ensembles, the Symphony Orchestra of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, and gastronomy in the spirit of the days, contribute to the expression of the religious feeling of the people of Thessaloniki and the visitors of the city and create with their high artistic level an atmosphere of special devotion in the area of the Historical Byzantine Churches of the Holy Virgin of Thessaloniki, which have been designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.

The atmosphere of the days is enhanced by an important photographic exhibition from the Archives of the Mount Athos Centre entitled “Easter on Mount Athos”, which is presented to the public for the first time.

The Holy Metropolis of Thessaloniki, as a helper and supporter, puts under its auspices the “Holy Week”. And we warmly thank His Holiness Metropolitan Filotheos of Thessaloniki for his active support of the institution.

The “Ηoly Week” exploits the Byzantine identity of the city. And with a clear orientation, the foundations are laid for extroversion and strengthening of pilgrimage tourism, with multiple benefits for the municipalities of Central Macedonia.

The strengthening of the local cultural identity becomes the reason for visitors to be able to “dive” into the rich Byzantine past of our region.

Moreover, strengthening pilgrimage tourism is a priority for all of us.

Deputy Mayor of Culture, Tourism Development
& Intermunicipal Cooperation

Vasileios Gakis

Program

Saturday, 20th of April

Holy Church of St. Demetrios (Patron Saint) of Thessaloniki, time: 19:30

Pia asmata melpso

Psalmic Journey of the Holy Passions
His Holiness Filotheos , Metropolitan of Thessaloniki chants together with Priests of the Holy Metropolis of Thessaloniki. With the participation of the Byzantine Choral Choir of the Chanting Society of the the pilgrimage Holy Church of St. Demetrios – Patron Saint of Thessaloniki.
Narration: Apostolos Samiotis
Artistic Director: Dimitrios Christodoulos, Principal Violinist

Sunday, 21st of April

Holy Church of St. Demetrios (Patron Saint) of Thessaloniki, time: 19:00

High Priestly Penitential Vespers of the Fifth Sunday of Lent

Hosted by His Holiness Filotheos, Metropolitan of Thessaloniki
Chanting by the Byzantine Choirs:
Historical Choral Union of Thessaloniki “Saint John Damascene”
Choral Union of Trikala Prefecture “Saint John Damascene”

Monday, 22nd of April

Ayioritiki Estia, time 20:00

Easter on Mount Athos

Έκθεση φωτογραφίας από 22 Απριλίου έως 13 Ιουνίου 2024

Photography Exhibition from 22 April to 13 June 2024

Group exhibition of photographs from the archive of Ayioritiki Estia.
Collections of relics, icons and church objects with the cooperation of the Church
Museum and the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Panagouda).
The students specializing in ‘Interpretation and Performance of Psaltic Art’ of the Department of Music Science and Art at the University of Macedonia participating are: Maria – Paraskevi Chastaoglou, Olga Bofonova, Georgios Rapoutikas, and Arsenios Charalampidis.

Artistic Director- Instructor: George Patronas, Assistant Professor of Music Science and Art.

Tuesday, 23rd of April

Holy Church of Panagia Acheiropoietos, time 20:30

Approaching the Divine Passion

Musical Narrative Journey

Narrated by the actors: Fay Kokkinopoulou, Konstantinos Markoulakis, Nikos Psarras.
Interpreted by: Fotios Giannakakis-Principal Cantor of the Holy Archdiocese of Constantinople, Paris Gkounas- Master Hymenodon of the Great Church of Christ, Petros Papaemmanouil- Master Maestro of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, Siranous Tsalikian- Tenor.
Balanced by the students of State Conservatory of Thessaloniki.

Wednesday, 24th of April

Holy Cathedral of Hagia Sophia, time: 19:30

The Byzantine Passions

by Michalis Adamis
Soloists: Apostolos Sotiroudis, Kostas Michalakopoulos
Choir of “Yiannis Bantakas”, AUTh
Choral Workshop of the Department of Music Studies, AUTh
Byzantine Choir of the Holy Cathedral of Hagia Sophia – Thessaloniki
Chorus Master: Principal cantor,Stelios Zachariou

Music Direction: Erifili Damianou

Wednesday, 24th of April

Rotunda, 20:30

Gabriel Faure: Requiem Op. 48

Soloist: Alexandra Mpimplaki (soprano), Evangelos Chadjistavrou (baritone)
Symphonic Orchestra of the Municipality of Thessaloniki
Music Direction: Charis Iliadis, Chief Musician
Choir of the Department of Music Science and Art, University of Macedonia.
Choir Instructor: Maria-Emma Melingopoulou, Assistant Professor of Music Science and Art.
Byzantine Choir “ EDROMOUNTES” of the artistic workshop of the Holy Church of Saint Therapontas, Kato Toumba and and the women’s choir ‘EU NEANIDES’ of the Department of Music Science and Art, University of Macedonia.
Artistic Direction – Instructor: Georgios Patronas, Assistant Professor of Music Science and Art.

Thursday, 25th of April

Holy Church of St. Demetrios (Patron Saint) of Thessaloniki, time: 20:00

Hymns of East and West

Byzantine Choir “EUFONON” of the Holy Cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki
Choir Direction: Stilianos Zachariou, Principal cantor
Byzantine Choir “Idimelon”
Choir Direction: Ioannis Tsamis, Principal cantor
Mixed Choir of Thessaloniki
Choir Direction: Mary Konstantinidou

Friday , 26th of April

Holy Cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki, time: 20:30

Troparion of Cassiane

Academic Music Association of Thessaloniki
Music Direction: Savvas Vrettos

Hymns of Angels to the rhythms of men
by Stavros Kouyioumtzis
Set to music hymns of Holy Week and psalms in the form of a popular oratorio
Soloist: Andreas Karakotas
Piano: Konstantinos Diminakis
Children’s and Mixed Choir “St. John Chrysostomos”
Direction: Chrisostomos Stamoulis, Iosifina Katoflidou

Saturday, 27th of April

Modiano Market, time 13:00

Flavours of Sarakosti

The award-winning chef ambassadors of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, Sotiris Evangelou and Dimitris Tsananas, will present on the Saturday of Lazarus, at the Modiano Market, a unique masterclass where they will reveal their secrets for creating traditional Lenten dishes.
Sotiris Evangellou will present a healthy and easy orzo with shrimps, while Dimitris Tsananas will show how we can prepare cuttlefish with honey and wine, using pure local ingredients.

The event is held under the auspices of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for Gastronomy.

Saturday, 27th of April

Open space of the Holy Monastery of Vlatades, time 20:00

Rodon to Amaranton

The Divine Passion and the Resurrection through the Holy Theotokos’ Hymnography & Tradition

Νarrated by the actors of the State Theatre: Nefeli Anthopoulou

Acting and singing: Stavroula Gelkavani (singing), Panayiotis Drakopoulos (singing), Christos Mpartzopoulos (kanonaki- singing) Yiorgos Psaltis (violin), Dimitris Panagoulias (drums)