Parnassos Hellenic Cultural Society of Ottawa
Mission
The mission of Parnassos is to advance education for the benefit of the public on Greek history, culture, and civilization by sponsoring presentations and other educational events on these subjects.
Parnassos is a registered charitable organization (Reg. #847344413RR0001), which enables tax-deductible donations to raise funds to achieve its mission in accordance with the Canadian Income Tax Act.
Membership
Anyone who has an interest in Greek history, culture and civilization may become a member or friend of Parnassos.
Official Language
The official language of Parnassos is English. However, presentations in other languages are also provided if translation is available.
History
The Parnassos Hellenic Cultural Society of Ottawa, Inc. was established in 1974. The original name of the organization was The Parnassos Society, Inc., renamed to The Parnassos Cultural Society, Inc. in 1990 and to its present name in 1994.
In 2018,Parnassos acquired a charitable organization status. The name Parnassos originates from the mountain range around the oracle of Delphi that was sacred to the ancient Greeks. Mount Parnassos was the sanctuary of Apollo, god of light and music. The nine Muses, goddesses of the arts and sciences, also made their home on Mount Parnassos. In time, Mount Parnassos thus came to symbolize man’s striving to cultivate thought and to achieve excellence in the arts and letters.
Inspired by this legacy, several organizations, societies and literary magazines have chosen, over the years, Parnassos as their eponym. “Parnasianism” was even a literary movement developed in France in 1850.
In modern Greece, the Parnassos Literary Society was established in 1865, in Athens. Today, the centre hosts music, literature, poetry, and other educational activities.
