The twelve days of Christmas in Greece

In Greece when we talk about Christmas, we are referring to the holiday period of Christmas, New Year and Epiphany.

In Greece a fasting period starts 40 days before Christmas. During this period the faithful fast from meat, eggs and dairy products.

Kalanda

On Christmas Eve children go from house to house singing Kalanda (Christmas carols), tapping small metal triangles.

Christmas decoration

The decorated Christmas tree, artificial or natural is in most houses many weeks before Christmas with Christmas lights, stars, angels and any kind of shining Christmas ornaments.

Christmas ship -Karavaki

In many places, especially the islands, the Greek people decorate ships instead of Christmas trees to celebrate the holiday season.

The main dish of Christmas dinner is stuffed turkey or roast pork.

Kourabiedes, melomakarona and diples are the most favourite Christmas sweets.

Christopsomo

It is a special kind of bread that is made on Christmas Eve.

It has a cross carved into the top crust before it is baked.

On Christmas Day, the head of the household makes the sign of the cross above the loaf of bread, cuts it and gives a piece to each person at the dining table.

New year

Smashing the pomegranate

Pomegranate is an ancient symbol of fertility, regeneration and prosperity.

As the New Year arrives someone considered good or lucky, will step out of the door and smash a pomegranate for good luck.

At exactly midnight on December 31 the father or the older person in the household, turns off the lights and turns them on again a few seconds later, so "new light" will come with the New Year.

Then a special kind of cake called "vassilopita" containing a coin is cut among the members of the family and friends. Every person and even the pets of the household are entitled to one piece. One piece is dedicated to Jesus and one to the house itself. Whoever finds the coin in his piece is considered to be lucky for the whole year

Greeks normally exchange gifts on New Year’s Eve.

According to the tradition, Santa Claus (Agios Vassilis) brings the gifts and leaves them below the tree for the kids.

Agios Vassilis is not the same person as Santa Claus though; Agios Vassilis comes from Caesarea not from Northern Europe.

KalikantzariThe kalikantzaroi are tiny little creatures that look like elves. They live in the depths of the earth where their mission is to chop at a huge tree trunk that is the earth's foundation. They work all year round to accomplish this. Right when they are about to finish the job, Christmas day arrives and they surface on earth for twelve days (from December 25 through January 6). During their visit they create havoc and play tricks on people. As a matter of fact, if anything unexplainable happens during those twelve days, the Greeks blame these creatures. Many leave their fireplace on for the duration of the twelve days to prevent the creatures from entering their house (they usually come in through the chimney).

The "kalikantzaroi" are afraid of fire, light, the cross, and holy water. For this reason, they disappear on the day of Epiphany when all the waters are blessed. However, when they return to the depths of the earth, they find the earth's tree trunk completely restored, due to the miracle of Christ's Birth, so they have to start their mission to destroy the earth all over again.

Kalikantzari sawing the Earth Tree

Fota or Theophania

The festive season ends on Epiphany Day (January 6) when the Church celebrates the baptism of Jesus and the priests throw a cross in the sea, rivers, lakes or even water reservoirs.

Young people dive to retrieve the cross and the person that catches it, is considered blessed.