Today is a great feast day here in Thessaloniki; today we remember and rejoice the suffering of the Great Martyr Demetrios for the sake of Christ. Everything is closed and thousands attend Divine Liturgy. This year, the holy icon of Axion Estin (from Karyes, Mt. Athos) came as a special blessing since we are also celebrating the 100 anniversary of the end of Turkokratia (Turkish occupation). We went to venerate the icon Wednesday night and we waited in “line” for 2 hours and 45 minutes!
As you can see in the video I uploaded, the holy relics were moved to the center so that we could venerate St. Demetrios after we venerated the icon. There were some monks in front of me slipping their prayer ropes under the casket. So I did the same with the wooden cross on my prayer rope and didn’t think of it again. Later on the bus home I smelt the cross and it was very fragrant because of the sweet-smelling myrrh the saint’s relics give off. My prayer rope still smells strongly two days afterward! St. Demetrios is such an amazing saint!
The back of the “line”. That massive crowd of people waiting outside the church shows how thick the line was all the way to the front of the church where the icon and holy relics were.
Happy feast everyone! May we have the saint’s blessing!
matushka constantina
lessons from a monastery 
Amen. May we have the saint’s blessing! St Dimitrios is one of my favorite saints. He is rushing with his horse and helps every time I ask for his help. Glory to the God. Thessaloniki is very blessed to have his relics. I have also smelled his myro, he is amazing I totally agree with you. I wished I was in Thessaloniki today, it is a very special day for Macedonia as well because we are celebrating 100 years from the city’s freedom. This happened the same day when the saint who protects the city is celebrating. Glory to the God.
Amazing. Thank you for sharing these experiences with us. (: