Checkouts and Christenings……………

Sundays are always busy days here for us. We seem to spend the day driving up and down the hill through Peyia Village to Coral Bay resort. Sunday mornings are spent checking on and checking out, the many villa guests staying in our villas: afternoons spent checking in the happy new arrivals, whose faces are always a picture when they step out of their taxi or hire car and into one of the lovely villas………..as we’ve normally got to know each arriving party well before they actually get here, its great to see them happy and relieved to be in a lovely villa, which more than meets their hopes and wishes!

Speaking of new arrivals, today is the Christening Day for Savvas, son of Fedos, our wonderful local carpenter and his gorgeous wife, Christina. Savvas, their “little Prince”, is being Christened as I write – surrounded by all of his family – some of whom have flown in from Australia to be here today. Its a great occasion!

God parents, (and friends of ours), Jaimi and Michael Tsaltas, have the honour of actually “christening” Savvas: in Cyprus, the parents don’t touch the baby during or after the service until the formalities are all over. Savvas will be bathed and blessed on at least 3 occasions during the service, with each blessing entailing a complete change of clothes, more Holy Oils being annointed then another change. As God Mother (Nouna – pronounced “Noona”), Jaimi has to carefully attend to the changes of clothes without slip up or hesitation, ensuring her timing fits that of the Priest – and keep Savvas happy in the process. As Jaimi is due to have her (3rd) baby anyday now, her task is a difficult but wonderful one!

We were surprised to learn that Savvas cannot be kissed during or straight after the service. He is kept wrapped in his final blessed outfit and cared for by the Godparents for a period of time until he is put back “in the offing!” for many, many kisses and cuddles.

Approximately 10 days after the Christening, there is a second service held at Savvas home, where the Priest visits the home, blesses Savvas again then, helped by the family, takes the outfits the baby wore and was blessed in during his Christening – and buries these in a spot in the garden where the Holy Oils will stay……………Its a lovely ceremony and process.

We were invited to attend today and would have loved to were it not for many arrivals to our villas, each due to land within 30 mins of the other – and all due within the hours of the official celebration.

I suspect there will be an informal celebration later in The Jail once all of our villa guests and in, safe and happy!

Wishing Savvas a very long, healthy and happy life: and his parents good looks!