CELEBRATEGREECE.COM MEETS WITH GREEK AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES

Alexandros P. Mallias, Cynthia Daddona and Dr. James Stathis


CelebrateGreece.com was honored when Founder Dr. James Stathis and On-Camera Host & Marketing Director Cynthia Daddona were invited to a private lunch with Greek Ambassador to the United States, Alexandros P. Mallias, during his recent visit to the University of California at Santa Barbara.

In our discussion of Greek culture with the Ambassador, we discovered he also believes the past of Greece offers much wisdom that is applicable to the present. He was delighted to learn more about CelebrateGreece.com’s mission to “preserve Hellenic Heritage and Greek Culture for the Future.” The luncheon also included Author/Professor Apostolos N. Athanassakis, Argyropoulos Chair in Hellenic Studies, Department of Classics, UCSB, and Consul General of Greece at Los Angeles, Dimitris Caramitsos-Tziras.

BIG, FAT, GREEK WEDDING BLESSING FOR CELEBRATEGREECE.COM’s A GREEK ISLANDS WEDDING PRODUCTION

Nia Vardalosraises money for the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Camarillo, California and also Blesses CelebrateGreece.com’s Dr. James Stathis and Cynthia Daddona.

Nia Vardalos was the MC for a highly successful fundraiser for the St. Dimitrios Greek Orthodox new building Fund. Her inspiring personality and, of course, entertaining humor had Greeks bidding on My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding movie memorabilia that included signed movie posters, scripts and a bottle of Windex!

Short Video Trailer for A GREEK ISLANDS WEDDING

Click screen to play or pause.

Afterwards, we talked with Nia and discovered that her Yiayia and Dr. Stathis’ Yiayia were good friends in her hometown of Winnipeg, Canada. When we told her that James is the founder of CelebrateGreece.com and a documentary filmmaker of subjects on ancient Greece and Cynthia Daddona is on-camera personality, former comedienne and author of the amazon.com bestseller Diary of A Modern Day Goddess she asked for Cynthia’s autograph and book. But, best of all when we told her we were making A Greek Islands Wedding documentary and writing a feature film called Goddess and the G®eek she was overjoyed and began rubbing our backs to bless and instill us with her good wishes. OPA!

WORLD RENOWNED ARCHAEOLOGIST CHRISTOS DOUMAS and DR. JAMES STATHIS EXCHANGE ANCIENT HISTORY THEORIES AT UCLA

The top photo shows Dr. James Stathis ( left) and Prof. Christos Doumas.
Also attending were Consul General of Greece at Los Angeles, Dimitris Caramitsos-Tziras (bottom picture, left),
and Press Counselor Helen Vrynioti.

Professor Christos Doumas, head of excavations of the bronze-age site of Akrotiri on the Greek Island of Santorini, discussed his fascinating and ongoing theories about his excavations and factual basis for some of the Greek Myths. Santorini is thought by many in the scholarly community to be the factual location of Plato’s legendary lost island of Atlantis. His North American Lecture Tour, sponsored by the Alexander S. Onasis Foundation, included three days of talks at UCLA.

Most compelling was his theory that the Cycladic Islands were the birthplace of Western Civilization as evidenced by their cooperative trade practices and evolved economy. He also discussed his bronze age theories as the factual basis for many of the ancient Greek myths, including Jason and the Argonauts, Prof. Doumas’ favorite.

During the three day visit, Dr. Stathis and Prof. Doumas exchanged their own closely held theories on the factual bases of many of the Greek Myths. Dr. Stathis’ own theory on the origins of the Atlas myth astounded Prof. Doumas who commented, “thank you for telling me that…I never thought of that. It makes so much sense.” Dr. Stathis’ Atlas theory will be presented as part CelebrateGreece.com’s
Greece: Spirits of the Ancients® documentary, presently in post-production.

A short video trailer of
GREECE: SPIRITS OF THE ANCIENTS®

Click screen to play or pause.
Music Courtesy of Yanni Live At The Acropolis
23rd Street Publishing