Christmas is among the most famous celebrations and surely the most beloved time of the year for almost all of us!
Christmas lights, carols, glittering stars, Santa Claus’, presents and smiling children, sweet or salty delicacies, Christmas trees, family gatherings…such a delight!!!
So, Greece gives a festive farewell to 2011 all dressed in Christmas, once more, and Cycladia will take you on an authentic discovery of the countless traditions and unique customs that overwhelm the entire country during Christmas period!
The original Greek custom for Christmas is adorning a miniature boat with light bulbs instead of a Christmas tree, as in many other places around the world. Greece is principally a country strongly bound to sea and, as such, an adorned boat is what fits best. Even nowadays, with Christmas trees being so popular, people in various places still prefer the boat over the tree.
Another traditional custom is the “Christopsomo”, meaning the “bread of Jesus” in Greek. Women prepare the bread on Christmas Eve and engrave on its top a cross while they also add various other ingredients and ornaments like nuts. The bread is cut and served to all family members gathered on Christmas Day to resemble the Holy Communion.
Also, on New Year’s Eve, women prepare the “Vasilopita”, a traditional cake containing somewhere inside it a coin. After 12 am, Vasilopita is cut and served, usually by the house lord, and the lucky one that finds in his piece the coin will have a good luck and health throughout the New Year!
Other traditional delicacies are “melomakarona”, delicious biscuits dipped and soaked in a syrup made of honey, “kourampiedes”, thick cookies sprinkled with powder sugar, and “diples”, a sweet made by a flaky dough in a spiral formation fried and dipped in honey.
On Christmas and New Year’s Eve children literally “gush out” in groups of more than two and pass through all the houses and shops of the neighborhood to sing Christmas and New Year’s Carols and get their treat and some pocket money for the season! The streets, houses and means of transport are usually filled with carol singers, giving a warmer and celebrating touch to the illuminated ambience!
A very popular tradition and folk myth has to do with the “Kalikantzaroi”, which are believed to be ugly elves dressed in black and rugged clothes that live underneath the earth’s surface. In Christmas time and especially between the 25th December and 6th January, they find the opportunity to climb up above the surface and make their naughty stuff, cheat people and mess up their houses, as they are pretty jealous of men who live above the surface!
People usually take their precaution during these days by placing 12 long sticks in their fireplace exit, from which Kalikantzaroi seem to prefer in order to enter the houses!
Throughout the various towns and villages of Greece, people follow different variations of Christmas customs. One of them are the “fire wedding”, when two tree sticks are placed in a burning fire, one coming from a tree with feminine name and one from a tree with spikes and masculine name, and the stick that gets burnt first, the boy or girl who placed it in the fire will have good luck for the New Year. Another well spread custom is the breaking of the pomegranate. The pomegranate is believed to bring luck, abundance and fertility, so when the year changes, at 12am, the house lord breaks one right in front of the house’s front door and then all family enters the house by stepping on their right foot.
Finally we could not but mention Santa Claus or Father Christmas and the Christmas tree! Although they are not Greek customs purely, they have been so deeply engraved in our culture and tradition that they overwhelm every single place…from squares and public buildings to houses and shops, Santa and the glowing Christmas Tree are the most popular trademarks of the season!
We are not sure about everybody else, but Cycladia team will surely have a glass of milk and some cookies right by the fireplace and the Christmas tree just in case Santa Claus wants to visit and leave any of his “goodies”!!!!
All our best for a Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2012!
