A Taste Of St.

Michaels
The Orthodox Christian church is not what most people would expect. When someone talks about St. Michaels, they usually refer to it as that place with the big dome and the bells. Few people know about the rich history of this church, and its faith that has endured with no change since Chritianity was first established in 33 C.E. St. Michaels Orthodox Church was first founded in 1927 by a group of Lebanese immigrants who held the sevices in a small social hall. Since then, it has grown to a church community of over 5,000 parishoners with several buildings on the property. The immigrant basis of the church has led to a sort of cultural melting pot. The Taste of St. Michaels festival is a showcase of all the many cultures present at the

Continuation of Age Old Traditions By Anna Dryden

church. We have Arabs, Greeks, Slavs, Ethiopians, Indians, and a lot of American converts at our church. At the Taste of St. Michaels, we have food, music, and dance from four major cultures and we also have tours of the church and lectures so that we can share our faith with everyone else. says Marianna Michael, president of the churches youth group. Being at church and working at the festival makes me feel really connected to both God and the all the orthodox people in the world. I feel like it is my responsibility to share my faith with the rest of the community. says Anna Dryden, whose great-grand parents were among the founders of St. Michaels. Nearly every member of the church participates in the

Built on Tradition-The main building of St. Michaels Orthodox church. The building features many characteristics of ancient Byzantine churches with arches, a dome and sun bleached brick. This is the church my mom went to as a girl, where my parents were married, where all of my sisters and cousins where baptized and where I have grown up. The building has never changed. says Dryden. Photo By: Katherine Atty

festival somehow, whether it be in the set-up, entertainment, or clean-up. Its not uncommon for entire familys to come and all work jobs together. Every year me, and my two sisters start practcing for the dance around June, my dad has always been a big influence in all the organizational parts and he and my mom always serve in the food line. says Dryden. Sophia Brown, who has been dancing at the church since she was six, has fond memories of the festival.The day of the festival is always crazy. I get to church around 9 am and leave around 11pm. I spend almost the entire day dancing and changing costumes and theres about 5 minutes where I get to eat some of the food, but its so worth it. Its my favorite day of the year.

Did You Know? A Taste of St. Michaels used to be called the ethnic fair, and lasted for the entire weekend.
Mix of Yesterday and Today- There are many forms of the dabke, but anyone can learn the most basic ones. Here, dancers dressed in traditional Arabic clothing teach one to visitors dressed in jeans. Even though the types of clothes change, the dance steps stay the same. Just like our faith. says Rachel Bolus(in the striped dress). Photo By: Pixy Jones.

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Its not a fashion show

Im not wearing that! Alex Bolus says once she is dressed in her Russian costume. Yes you will. Carolyn Cunningham replied, its what they wear in Russia. This is not a fashion show. Conversations like this were very common to Carolyn Cunnigham. After all, the teenage girls performing were not to keen on wearing big, heavy, red moo-moo dresses in front of hundreds of people. Cunnigham teaches that you should dance so well that it wont matter what you wear, people are only looking at the dance. When you dance, and when you live your life, you let your inner beauty shine, your skills and what is in your heart.

The New Red Army- Just like the costumes, the choreography for the Russian dances is passed down by word of mouth. My mother taught me how to dance when she immigrated here from Russia in 1924, says Carolyn Cunnigham, a long time instructor, since the festival has been going on, I have been teaching the young people Russian dance. There are no books or papers to record the steps, I pass the steps on to each person I teach. The dance lives on through them. Photo by: Pixy Jones Ompah!- Arabic is not the Stomp the Stage- A traditional dabke performed by the teen girls of the church. The dabke is a traditional dance that features intricate footwork and a string beat. Every year is more exciting than the next because every year you get older, you learn a more. says Sara only dance that requires years of practice. The dancers who perform the more complicated Greek dances have been learning dances since the were six years old. Sometimes it gets a little bit competitive. The older girls dont always think its fair when the younger girls get to learn dances that they are doing. But in the end, were always still friends. says Anna Dryden. Photo By: Pixy Jones

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