St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church Traditional Pastry Makers, Watertown, NY.
St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church Pastry Sale, Watertown, NY.
Sweet bread for sale.
St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church Pastry Sale, Watertown, NY.
Finikia for sale.
Baklava made for the Pastry Sale.
Baklava for sale.
An earlier Pastry Sale at the St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church, Watertown, NY. Date and photographer unknown.
St. Barbara's Society banner at the St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church, Watertown, NY.
Greek cook Cristina Mesires.
St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church, Watertown, NY.
St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church, Watertown, NY.
St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church service, Watertown, NY.
St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church Pastry Sale, Watertown, NY.
St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church Pastry Sale, Watertown, NY.
Flier for the 2006 Greek Pastry Sale at St. Vasilios.
The community comes together on the day of the St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church Pastry Sale.
Table setting at the St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church Pastry Sale, Watertown, NY.
The community enjoys the meal and celebration on the day of the St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church Pastry Sale and Dinner.
The community enjoys the meal and celebration on the day of the St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church Pastry Sale and Dinner.
Program for the St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church dedication on October 7th, 1951.
The 1951 dedication of the St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church. 1951, photographer unknown.
An earlier service at the St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church. Date and photographer unknown.
A newspaper listing advertises and describes the upcoming annual Greek Pastry Sale and Dinner at St. Vasilios. Date unknown.
1976 St. Barbara's Society, St. V's

Watertown, Jefferson County
Traditional Pastry Makers

Since Saint Vasilios was consecrated in 1951 as the only Greek Orthodox church north of Syracuse, members of the congregation—mostly women—have sponsored sales of pastries to the public as fund raisers to support the church. For several weekends twice a year—one two weeks before Christmas and one a week before Western Easter—the cooks prepare at least 15,000 pastries like fenekia (honey cookies), diples (crullers), koulourakia, baklava, and tsoureki (Sunday bread) in the church’s kitchen, then hundreds of local people come to the church to stock up. The pastry makers—several now in their 80s—describe these times spent together as important opportunities for spiritual and ethnic renewal as well as a chance to support their church. The congregation has over 200 members scattered through the North Country.

  • Award Inherited Traditions
  • Award Year 2006
  • Location Watertown, NY (Jefferson County, Black River Valley)
  • Categories Religion & Ethnicity