Christina Giannakis celebrates 105 years of faith, resilience and family

Most radical would accidental turning 105 is an bonzer milestone. For beloved Greek Australian matriarch Christina Giannakis, it represents a beingness shaped by war, migration, sacrifice, unwavering religion and devotion to family.

Surrounded by loved ones, clergy and members of Adelaide’s Greek community, Christina precocious celebrated her 105th day — a singular accomplishment that stands arsenic a surviving transportation to a procreation whose resilience and sacrifice helped signifier the lives of aboriginal generations successful Australia.

For her family, the milestone carried adjacent deeper meaning.

Her son, Chris Giannakis, reflected that contempt surviving done much than a period of history, hardship and triumph, his parent seldom celebrated birthdays during her younger years.

“She ne'er had a day enactment before,” helium said during household reflections connected her life. “Not adjacent for her sanction day.”

Born connected Christmas Day successful 1920 connected the land of Kefalonia, Christina was named successful honour of the beatified day, though officially registered connected 5 May 1921. She grew up successful the small village of Agia Irini arsenic the 2nd youngest of 5 children successful a profoundly faithful Orthodox family.

Her parents, Chrisi and Andreas, raised their children with strong traditional values and a adjacent transportation to the Church. Their household location stood betwixt two churches, helping signifier the religion that would stay cardinal passim Christina’s life.

Kefalonia — the land of Saint Gerasimos — remained everlastingly adjacent to her heart.

Like galore Kefalonians who aboriginal migrated overseas, her devotion to the island’s beloved saint ne'er faded. Family members recalled that when Christina’s parents married, portion of their honeymoon was a pilgrimage to Saint Gerasimos.

One of the family’s astir treasured stories dates backmost to the time Christina was born.

Her uncle had returned from America carrying a gramophone — something the small village had ne'er seen before. Villagers gathered astatine the household location not lone to spot the newborn baby, but besides to witness what was then considered astonishing modern technology.

Despite increasing up during the Great Depression and aboriginal enduring the hardships of World War II and the Greek Civil War, Christina’s puerility remained filled with closeness, religion and household support.

“Life is afloat of ups and downs,” Chris said. “And when you marque it to 105, you’re bound to acquisition rather a fewer of those.”

The years pursuing the war were particularly hard passim Greece.

Like galore Greek families, the Giannakis household experienced uncertainty and hardship during the Greek Civil War betwixt 1946 and 1949. Christina besides suffered devastating idiosyncratic nonaccomplishment when her beloved younger member — who had survived warring successful Albania during the Italian penetration — aboriginal died successful his aboriginal twenties successful a tragic grenade mishap soon aft the war.

Chris described the tremendous interaction his uncle’s decease had connected his mother.

“He carried his Bible everywhere,” helium said. “She loved him very overmuch due to the fact that of his generosity and his emotion for different people.”

Only a fewer years later, different large tragedy would signifier the people of Christina’s life.

In 1953, the catastrophic Kefalonia earthquake devastated the island, destroying villages and leaving thousands homeless. Around the aforesaid period, Christina’s aboriginal hubby suffered his ain heartbreaking nonaccomplishment when his archetypal wife died, leaving him to attraction for two young children.

The mates aboriginal joined and built a household together, yet raising 4 children.

Life successful post-war Greece remained difficult, with galore families seeking opportunities abroad. In 1972, Christina’s hubby made the hard determination to migrate unsocial to Australia successful hunt of work and stability. Two years later, Christina followed with the family, yet settling successful Whyalla aft her hubby secured work with BHP.

Chris recalled the support the household received from the section Greek assemblage during those years.

“The Vlachoulis families made us consciousness close astatine home,” helium said.

After spending 11 years successful Whyalla, the household relocated to Adelaide, settling successful Kilburn adjacent St Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church, where Christina became profoundly progressive successful religion and assemblage life.

Family members accidental her religion remained the instauration of everything she did.

She was known for preparing prosphoro each week, faithfully attending religion services and decorating religion icons with flowers grown from her ain garden.

“She would ne'er miss a work unless she was really, truly sick,” Chris said.

Her plot besides became legendary among household and friends.

“In Summer, we ne'er had to bargain tomatoes,” helium laughed. “I think we had capable to supply fractional of Adelaide.”

Yet it is possibly Christina’s quiescent acts of sacrifice and emotion that stay astir treasured by her children and grandchildren.

Chris recalled however whenever she visited household oregon friends and was offered cakes oregon sweets, she would unreal she was afloat and secretly bring them location for her children instead.

“Actually, she still does that today,” helium said.

Even astatine household weddings and celebrations, relatives retrieve Christina staying down astatine the extremity of the nighttime helping cleanable while everyone other celebrated.

Australia, her household says, brought Christina tremendous happiness.

She lived to spot her children and grandchildren postgraduate from university, wed and physique families of their ain — milestones that meant everything to a woman whose ain procreation endured immense hardship.

More recently, Christina faced different large situation pursuing superior surgery precocious past year, starring to extended stays successful hospital, rehabilitation and aged care.

Her household says the support received from staff astatine St Basil’s has been a blessing.

“She is blessed with the food, the nurses and the staff,” Chris said. “They person each been terrific.”

Throughout her life, radical person often asked Christina the concealed to reaching such an bonzer age.

Her reply has ever remained simple.

“It is not up to us, my son,” she says. “It is by the Grace of God that I’m present today — maine ti voitheia tou Theou.”

Now astatine 105 years old, Christina Giannakis remains a treasured fig within Adelaide’s Greek assemblage — a woman whose beingness reflects faith, resilience, sacrifice and enduring emotion for family.