The festival season in Western New York is in full swing, and to start things off right, we opened the Summer with one of my all time favorite cultural adventures: Hellenic Heritage Festival, or as we call it, “Greek Fest.”
Everything about the Greek Festival is amazing, especially the food. Traditional style Mediterranean libations and cuisine fill the air with the scent of yumminess, including my personal guilty pleasure, Greek cookies.
Like with so many civilizations in the world, the homemade traditional food in many ways mirrors the culture. In fact, the cookies reminded me of a little bit of the jewelry. Mostly in earrings, there were a lot of coppers, nudes, and sandy tones, and of course a lot of dangling elements, generally based on natural or geometric circular shapes.
The rest of the jewelry, (aside from bright swirling patterns and traditional coins of course) included a lot of layering of beaded strands and earthy gemstones. The amazing thing is that to get the Grecian look, the only rule to follow is to keep it simple. Unfussy circular designs, plain knots, and monochrome coloring make it incredibly effortless to incorporate this style into an everyday wardrobe without looking like you’re trying too hard.
The ornamentation worn by various groups of Mediterranean dancers and performers ranged from practically bare, to stunningly decorative, but all of the participants were clothed and accessorized in that lightly exotic, sweetly home-grown style that makes you feel as if you’ve stepped into a tented shoreside street market outside Athens.
We may not have traveled across the Ocean or taken a tour through the ruins of the Parthenon, but amid the beauty and deliciousness of all the festival had to offer, it sure felt Greek to me.
