Atlanta Greek Festival

Amy and I spent about 4 and a half hours of our anniversary at the Atlanta Greek Festival at the Church of the Annunciation on Clairmont Road in Atlanta. It is held every year in October and has become a four day event drawing huge crowds (bussed in from a nearby office park) of all races and faiths. Orthodoxy, commonly called Eastern or Greek Orthodox (because it is the language of the service) is one of the three major Christian faiths along with Catholicism and Protestantism.

The really nice thing was as soon as we got there we got in line to buy food tickets and we found a bunch of family! We ran into my Uncle Gerry (my dad's next younger sibling), his wife Andie, their son Geoff with his girlfriend Kelly and their baby Hope and Geoff's sister Heather with her husband Matt and thier boys Jacob and A.J. (thier daughter Madelyn was off at a sleepover party). Pictures are below. We enjoyed the conversation, the food, the music, the shopping (which included buying a new piece for our curio cabinet) and the tour of the sanctuary.

The mosaic on the ceiling of the sanctuary (over a million tiles).

My crooked shot of the alter, Christ on the wall in the back, the virgin Mary and John the Baptist flanking the alter gate, on the left center the Annunciation and an angel, on the right center we think they said the Apostle Paul and another angel. Michael and Gabriel are on either side of God's throne at the top.

The crucifiction.

Another mosaic.

The Transfiguration with Moses and Elijah flanking Christ.

The hand-painted plate we bought for our Anniversary gift.

Hope Meadow Christopher, Geoff's baby girl.

Cousin Heather (Nikki) with baby A.J.

Uncle Gerry and Aunt Andie (Geoff and Heather's parents)

Nephew Jacob (A.J.'s big brother)