Greek feasts and traditions
Christmas in Greece
Christmas in Greece is the feast of the birth of Christ. It is celebrated on 25 December and marks the second largest Orthodox holiday after Easter (Pascha). After Christmas, fasting begins, which lasts for forty days - this fast is called "sarakosty".
The celebration of Christmas in Greece begins 40 days in advance. At this time, a special kind of bread called Christopsomo, translated as God's bread, is commonly eaten in Greece. On Christmas Eve, children go from house to house wishing good wishes and singing a Christmas song in Greece called Kalanda. They accompany their singing by playing metal triangles and drums. The little carolers receive small rewards for their wishes, such as candy or dried fruit pieces. Until a few decades ago, the concept of a Christmas tree was unknown in Greece. But today, decorating the tree is a common practice and Athens boasts one of the largest outdoor Christmas trees in the world. It's made of thousands of lights, connected by cables, that line the top of the tall Athenian tower.
Greeks bake Kourabiedes (light buttery cookies, usually decorated with almonds) and Melomakarona (an egg-shaped dessert whose main ingredients are flour, olive oil and honey) and simply enjoy Christmas. Restaurants, companies, offices and other administrative buildings are closed at this time. A typical Christmas dish is the sacred Christopsomo bread. It is sweet and resembles our Christmas cake or mazanec. This bread is then part of every table setting. It comes in different shapes and is decorated with all sorts of ornaments, usually recalling the professions of family members.
The Christmas tree is not as common in Greece as it is here. In most homes, a shallow wooden bowl with pieces of string around the edges and a basil shoot wrapped around a wooden cross sits on the table. Only a small amount of water in the bowl will keep the basil alive. Once a day thereafter, the mother (or another family member) goes around the house and dips the basil and cross in the sacred water and consecrates each room with it. This ritual is to protect the house from the Kalikantzars. These are evil orcs/devils that are said to cause various disasters in the home such as souring milk, putting out the fire, etc.
Families get together to play board games. On January 1, the holy water of St. Vassil is poured into all the bowls and water containers around the house.