Introducing a New Product

Christmas in Greece

Christmas Trees are popular in Greece. But an older and more traditional decoration is a shallow wooden bowl with a piece of wire is suspended across the rim. A sprig of basil wrapped around a wooden cross hangs from the wire. Some water is kept in the bowl to keep the basil alive and fresh. Once a day someone, usually the mother of the family, dips the cross and basil into some holy water and uses it to sprinkle water in each room of the house. Most homes decorate a christmas tree with tinsel and a star.

Fishing boats are decorated with christmas lights during the holiday season.

Christmas Traditions in Greece

The custom is that children go from house to house singing the carol, with the accompaniment of a triangle, and residents of the houses give them a small amount of money. Greek Christmas carols (calanda) are sung on the mornings of Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and January 5, the Eve of the Epiphany.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5DbU6xsYSg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLsEDiAQt9g

According to tradition, during the Greek 12 days of Christmas (December 25 to January 6), goblins come out to tease people and eat their food. This tradition is based on the legend that the "waters aren't christened" since Christ has not yet been baptized. The goblins are renowned for their ugliness and their impishness. They are not very intelligent and can't really hurt anybody. It is said that they enter houses through chimneys, and this is the reason people, especially in villages, keep the fireplace lit during the 12 days of Christmas.

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.

Presents are exchanged on January 1st, St. Basil Day.

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

In many parts of Greece, people hang a pomegranate above the front door of their house. By the New Year, when the fruit will have dried, Greeks throw it on the ground so it breaks, and step into their house on their right foot. According to tradition, this brings good luck for the year to come.

People in Greece also celebrate Epiphany on the 6th January. In the Greek Orthodox Church, Epiphany celebrates Jesus's baptism when he was a man. It's also known as 'The Blessing of the Waters'. There are many events throughout the country where young men dive into really cold lakes, rivers and the sea to try to be first to get a cross which has been blessed by a priest and thrown into the water. Whoever gets the cross first is meant to have good luck during the coming year. Epiphany festivals also include blessings of boats & ships, music, dancing and lots of food.

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.

Christmas Food in Greece

Christmas, like many other holidays in Greece, is a time for feasting. In the past years, Christmas turkey has become very popular as the main dish of the holiday. Traditionally, the main course of Christmas dinner in Greece is roast pork, with a variety of side delicacies. No matter what the main dish is, one thing is certain: Christmas food in Greece is delicious!

Melomakarona and kourabiedes are the two varieties of Christmas and New Year's cookies in Greece. The first are semolina, cinnamon, and clove cookies drenched in honey, while the second are rosewater and fresh butter cookies sprinkled with powdered sugar that are normally served on New Year's but many succumb to temptation and begin consuming them earlier.

A traditional table decoration are loaves of 'Christopsomo' (Christ's Bread or Christmas bread). It's a round sweet bread which is flavored with cinnamon, orange and cloves. The top is decorated with a cross. The bread is made on Christmas Eve ready to be eaten on Christmas Day.

In Greek Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Kala Christougenna

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