Christmas in GreeceChristmas Holidays and New Year's Eve in Greece

In Greece, Christmas, Easter and the assumption of the Virgin Mary are the most important religious celebrations in Greece.

See Christmas and New Year's Eve as a Greek holiday with its traditions.

The Greek Christmas has almost no difference from celebrations in

the rest of the Christian world. Most importantly, like everywhere else, Christmas is the best holiday for the children. It means 2 weeks

away from school, presents, sweets, Christmas tree and Carols

(Kalanta or Kalanda) .Of course something we miss most in southern Greece is the white Christmas but the northern regions have no problem with that as many northern areas of

Greece snowy winters every year. For the Greek mother or wife, Christmas is a very busy time in the kitchen. Almost one week

before Christmas, in every Greek house, you can smell the cloves, cinnamon and baked

almonds from the Kourambiedes and Melomakarona- the famous Greek Christmas

cookies .

Big trays with Kourambies,

Melomakarona, Nuts, Oranges and Mandarins are part of the Christmas decoration of a

Greek living room. (CHRISTMAS EVENT IN OUR SCHOOL)

The decorated Christmas tree, artificial or natural, is in many houses many weeks

before Xmas with Christmas lights, stars ,angels, and any kind of shining

Christmas ornaments. Also, most Greek houses will decorate the exterior of their house with Christmas lights, deers, Carol

singing Santas and the latest Xmas decorations. In Athens (our capital city)

almost every balcony is decorated with small illuminated Christmas trees and singing Santa Clauses which are give a unique

atmosphere that Athens can have only during Christmas and New Year's Eve. All this can be more magical if Athens is covered with snow

(something very rare and very short) .

Christmas Eve is the main day of celebration. From the crack of dawn, children all over

Greece (CASINO OF RHODES)get ready for their Carols, equipped with their triangles they go all over the neighbourhoods

singing the Kalanda, the Greek Christmas Carol, "Kalin Imera Arhontes an in o

Orismos sas Hristou ti Theia Gennisi na Po sto

Arhontiko sas" . This means "Good Morning Sovereigns if you allow me in your Mansion I will tell you about the

Holy Birth of our Christ".

After they finish their song people will give

them some money and

both sides will say the wish "Ke tou Hronou" (Next year again). It is truth that the most

beautiful sound of Christmas is the sound of children singing accompanying themselves

with their little triangles. On Xmas Eve many families, as in many western countries, will celebrate with friends with a big feast and,

later on, will play board games. Traditionally however, the majority will play

the popular Christmas card game "Triantamia". In big towns many Greeks will

spend the evening in restaurants, music clubs or hotels with live music and floor

shows. On Christmas Day the Greek house will be busy with the dinner preparation. The

main dish is roast turkey, stuffed with rice and chestnuts.

The holiday continues with the New Year's Eve celebrations, where the home gathering is the same as in Christmas only, this time, the main food will be mostly roast pork or

lamb.

On New Year's Eve the children will sing again but this time the New Year Carols

"Arhiminia ki Arhihronia........Agios Vasilis erhete" (beginning of the month beginning of

the year.....Saint Basil is coming).On this point I must mention that for the Greeks, Father Christmas is St. Basil of Caesarea or Agios Vasilios and not the

western Santa from the North Pole. In both cases though the figures are the same: with red

clothes and a long white beard and carrying presents for the children. On New Year's Eve

the home entertainments concentrates mainly on card games. The reason probably for this is the so called Guri (Luck). Which

means that if you win that night the new year will bring you luck. At 12 O'clock the lights will be switched off for a few seconds and every one will go out to light fireworks. If it happens that the town or the village has a

port the sounds from the ships are amazing, especially in the Port of Piraeus where all the ships and ferries hoot their sirens while the

whole sky of Athens is shining from multicoloured fireworks. Traditionally, as the

New Year arrives the head of the house, usually the man, will step out of the door and

smash a pomegranate for good luck and afterwards he will cut the "Vasilopita", the

Greek New Year's cake.

In the Vasilopita cake from tradition the Greeks put a coin inside. Depending on your wealth it can be a gold sovereign or a simple coin. The one that finds it in his piece will be

the new Year's lucky one.

The Christmas season ends on 6 of January with the celebration of Epiphany and the

blessing of the waters. Traditionally during this day (Fota) the Christmas goblins

"Kalikantzaroi" ,after having annoyed the mortals for 12 days, go back to the centre of

the Earth, but that is another story ………………………………………

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

ANDA HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!