Greek Family Anthropology

The worshipers were very well dressed - most of the men were wearing suits, the women had beautiful outfits as well, wearing dresses, suits, high heels, make up and a lot of jewelry. I think they dress up out of respect for God, but also consider their Sunday gatherings as a social event, too. I have seen at least 5 generations there: newborns and children (approximately 15% of all members), teenagers (5%), young adults (20%), mid-age adults (25%), and elderly people (35%). It was nice to see a lot of children and young adults in church, it meant to me that the Greeks and other minorities value their traditions and show on their own example how important that was.
I could easily detect some Ukrainian and Russian female parishioners, as they …show more content…
There was couple in their thirties with a newborn baby. I was surprised that they brought such a tiny baby to church. Mom and dad were taking turns in feeding and taking care of the baby while the other parent participated in the liturgy – standing up when needed, crossing, and saying prayers. When it was time for the Holy Communion, the priest announced that they had a mother who returned to church on fortieth day after giving birth to receive the Holy Communion for the first time, and, according to the tradition, it demonstrates her reunion with the church. The family with the newborn stood up, and everyone participated in the ritual, watching her receiving the blessings from the priest and the sacraments, and congratulating her on her way back. I have never heard about this tradition and it was interesting to come home and learn more about …show more content…
Many cultures and belief systems hold that one's spirit is the essence of one's existence, and thus, spirituality may define for some people their connection to themselves and to each other. I realized that not only Greeks, but most likely every minority living in the United States try to preserve their culture and their values, and it is essential for the counselors to take it into consideration while working with the multicultural clients. Sometimes the values and concerns are quite different from the ones that the majority of the population have; therefore, learning about spirituality of different minority groups, and what I have learnt about the Greek community specifically, help me understand that for many, spiritual beliefs define coping mechanisms with adverse events in life. My observation proves that the Holy Trinity Church may offer social and emotional support for the community, assist people in find meaning and connecting to God and other worshipers, as well as teaching to value and respect their ethnic traditions. Helpers who are aware of therapeutic strategies based in spirituality, such as spiritual journaling or forgiveness protocols, may also be able to provide people in therapy with resources on these topics, and be able to include the spirituality prospective in working with those