ΚΑΛΑ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥΓΕΝΝΑ

MERRY CHRISTMAS
 CHRISTMAS IN GREECE!!

• In Greece when we talk about the “Holidays” we are referring to the holiday period of
Christmas, New Year and Epiphany.
• Traditionally the Christmas holiday period lasts 12 days. There are many customs
associated with the “twelve day of Christmas”, some very old and others relatively
recent like the decorated tree and the Christmas-day dinner.
• Historically in 354 A.D. it was arranged for the birth of Christ to be celebrated on
December 25th , the same day that they celebrated the birth of the ancient god Mithra,
known as the “invisible sun god” and god of solar deities in idolatry. With the change
and the turning of people towards other gods, the popularity of the “invisible sun god”
dropped and Christ took place.
• Christmas in Greece or the “holidays”, are not what they were 40 years ago. Today
Christmas appears more impressive glossier and more glamorous. Store windows are
decorated almost a month in advance and in the cities the streets and town squares
lit with colorful lights. Also many people now travel either abroad or around Greece to
places which offer winter holidays. On Christmas Day all family members gather at the
festively set dinner table.
• In older times Christmas was simpler, warmer, perhaps much closer to the true spirit
of the holiday. Many of the traditions continue to exist unchanged, so maintains its
originality and many of the customs.
 FASTING AT CHRISTMAS

• In Greece a fasting period would start almost 40 days before Christmas.

While the fasting was predominately for religious reasons, many
considered the period to be a healthful practice as well. The faithful would
not eat any meat. Today there are many who follow the fasting of
Christmas and consume during the Christmas and New Years holiday
period.
 CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS
• As Christmas drew near, preparation began so all would be ready for the
big holiday. Houses would be cleaned with extra care and a few days
before Christmas housewives would prepare the Christmas cookies which
would be eaten on Christmas Day when fasting ended.

• In the past the honey cookies (melomakarona)

were made exclusively for Christmas, while sugar
cookies or “kourabiedes” were prepared for the
New Year.

Today though that distinction is

not observed and both melomakarona and kourabiedes
Are prepared and consumed during the Christmas and
New Years holidays period.
 VASILOPITA
The Vasilopita isn’t a Christmas cake, it’s St. Basili’s cake. St Basil instead of just St. Nicolas is known for bringing gifts. We put a coin in the cake and put symbolic pieces for Christ, the Virgin Mary, St Basil, the Home, and then a piece for each family member. Whoever gets the coin will have good luck for the rest of the year. We cut it at midnight on
December 31.
•

INGREDIENTS :
•

1 cup fresh milk

• 2 teaspoons yeast
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 cup milk-butter, melted
• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 1 envelope mahlepi, crushed
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 level teaspoon salt
• 1 kilo flour
• Handful of blanched almonds
• Preheat oven to 180c
• • In a large tub pour half a cup of lukewarm milk and dissolve the yeast in it. Add ½ cup flour and stir to mix. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour.
• • While the dough is rising, beat the egg yokes with the sugar in an electric mixer or food processor and set aside. Beat the egg whites into a meringue. To the risen dough, add yoke/sugar mixture, the remainder of the milk, the meringue, butter, mahlepi and zest. Knead until all is well mixed, adding the remainder of the flour a little at a time so the
dough won't be too tight. Shape the dough into several balls, place in a bowl, cover it with a towel and leave in a warm place for about 3 hours until it doubles in size.
•
Knead the dough for 5 minutes more and place in a large round oiled pan (or two smaller ones) and leave covered in a warm place until it doubles in size again.
• Before placing in oven, beat the yoke of 1 egg with a teaspoon of water and brush it on the dough with a pastry brush. Then, using the blanched almonds, form the "new" date on the top of the dough. Bake for about 30/40 minutes, or until Vasilopita looks well browned.
•
 CHRISTOPSOMO (CHRIST BREAD)

• We bake loaves of Christopsomo, sweet bread formed into shapes of our

choice. We decorate the loaves with symbols that reflect our family’s trade.
We serve the bread with dried figs.
 THE GREEK VERSION OF SAINT NIKOLAOS

• Saint Nikolaos is considered the patron saint of sailors in Greece;

he is said to save them from shipwrecks. He has his feast day on
December 6th, when some children receive small gifts, similar to
Christmas gift-giving elsewhere. Many small churches are named
after him in the islands.
 THE CHRISTMAS HOG
THE CHRISTMAS TREE IN GREECE

• In older times hey used to decorate a ship (usually wooden) instead of a

Christmas tree. Nowadays almost everyone buys and decorates a
Christmas tree in Greece. Whether it be real or artificial. They are usually
decorated a few days before Christmas and remain in the homes until
Epiphany.
• The Christmas tree assumed to be foreign, may even have some Greek
roots. Use of decorated greenery and branches around New Year is
recorded as far back as in Greek antiquity!
• Christmas carols by N. Lytras
 GREEK “KALANTA” (CHRISTMAS CAROLS)
• Kalanta were traditionally sung on three holidays: Christmas, New Year and
Epiphany.
• Epiphany kalanta have almost become extinct but the other two songs are
still fairly popular throughout the country but more prevalent in smaller
towns and villages.
• Children go from house to house in two of more singing the kalanta while
accompanied by the sounds of the triangle, even guitars, accordions, lyres
or harmonicas. They offer their good wishes and they expect dried figs,
walnuts, almonds but most important money.
• Kalanta have been handed down from Byzantine times and add to the
reverent quality of the celebration!!
 NEW YEAR’S DAY TRADITIONS

• On January 1st which is St. Basil’s Day we also perform a renewal

ceremony by replacing all the water in our jugs with St. Basils holy
water. Gifts are also exchanged on this day, but an increasing
number of families exchange gifts on Christmas.
 CHRISTMAS ELVES IN GREECE

• While other cultures have Christmas elves, the Greek equivalent is

not so benign. Mischievous and even dangerous sprites called the
“Kalikantzari” prey upon people only during the twelve days of
Christmas, between Christmas itself and Epiphany on January 6th.
Description of them vary and in one area they are believed to
wear wooden or iron boots, the better to kick people, while other
areas insist that they are horde, not booted. Almost invariably
male, other regions see in them the forms of wolves or even
monkeys. In folktales, the twelve days in their power figure in a
“wicked stepmother” story where a young girl is forced to walk
alone to a mill through the twelve days, because her stepmother
hopes that “kalikantzari” will snatch her away!!
 GREECE’S VERSION OF THE YULE LOG

• Some households keep fires burning through the twelve days,

to keep the spirits from entering by the chimney, a curious
inversion of the visit of Santa Claus in other countries! The
“Yule log” in this case used to be a massive log set on end in
the chimney, burning or at least smoldering for the entire
period. Protective herbs such as hyssop, thistle and asparagus
were suspended by the fireplace to keep “kalikantzari” away.
Other households would put meat out for the “Kalikantzari”.
This seems to be a more substantial snack than the milk and
cookies put out for the Santa. On Epiphany, the ceremonial
blessing of the waters by the local priest was believed to
settle the nasty creatures until the next year. Some local
festivals still include representations of these entities, which
may be a survival from Dionysian festivals.
 EPIPHANY CELEBRATIONS

• Epiphany is an important feast

intended to celebrate the revelation of
God to mankind in human form in the
person of Jesus.
• In Greece, Cyprus and in many Greek
immigrant communities this is the day
that the blessing of waters take place.
Citizen gather at the nearest body of
water. A priest will throw a cross into
the water and young men dive in to
receive it. The one that comes out of
the water with the cross is blessed for
the year!
 Καλά Χριστούγεννα!

Merry Christmas!

Ευτυχισμένος ο Καινούριος Χρόνος!

Happy New Year!

From
1st Primary School of Triandria
Thessaloniki