Greek Christmas

Holiday Greetings,

My mom sent me an article relating to Christmas in Greece....I was intrigued and started my own search. So here is a compilation with my own comments...

Christmas in Greece is beginning to resemble the holidays in Western Europe and North America. It was once a quiet, spiritual time with very little commercialization, but now, it has become more frenzied and flashy.

St. Nicholas is important to Greeks as the patron saint of sailors. “Go Navy!” According to Greek tradition, his clothes are drenched with brine, his beard drips with seawater, and his face is covered with perspiration because he has been working hard against the waves to reach sinking ships and rescue them from the angry sea.

To members of the Eastern Orthodox Church, as are most Greek Christians, Christmas ranks second to Easter in the roster of important holidays. Yet there are a number of unique customs associated with Christmas that are uniquely Greek.

On Christmas Eve, village children travel from house to house offering good wishes and singing kalanda, the equivalent of our Christmas Carols. Often the songs are accompanied by small metal triangles and little clay drums. The children are frequently rewarded with sweets and dried fruits. “Yummy!” After 40 days of fasting, ..."they just lost Harry from their religious order"... the Christmas feast is looked forward to with great anticipation by adults and children alike. Pig and lamb are slaughtered and on almost every table are loaves of christopsomo ("Christ Bread"). This bread is made in large sweet loaves of various shapes and the crusts are engraved and frosted with symbols that in some way that reflects the family's profession. It is served with dried figs, nuts, and honey.

Christmas morning begins with an early Mass at the Greek Orthodox Church. After the service, Greeks feast on roast turkey stuffed with chestnuts, rice, pine nuts, and a nut cookie called kourambiethes. Baklava, another sweet dessert, is made from layers of phyllo pastry, filled with almonds and cinnamon, and then soaked in lemon syrup. “Baklava, you may know from the Greek restaurants back in the states. Yummy, yummy sugar high and you may need to call the dentist ASAP.”

In almost every home it is traditional to have a shallow wooden bowl with a piece of wire is suspended across the rim; from that hangs a sprig of basil wrapped around a wooden cross. A small amount of water keeps the basil alive and fresh. Once a day, a family member, usually the mother, dips the cross and basil into some holy water and uses it to sprinkle water in each room of the house. This ritual is believed to keep the Kallikantzaroi away from the house. “Will it keep the rain out or Peabody from marking her territory?”

There are a number of beliefs connected with the Kallikantzaroi, which are goblins or spirits who appear only during the 12-day period from Christmas to the Epiphany (January 6). These creatures are believed to emerge from the center of the earth and to slip into people's house through the chimney. More mischievous than actually evil, “oh good I was starting to worry” , the Kallikantzaroi do things like extinguish fires, ride astride people's backs, braid horses' tails, and sour the milk. To further repel the undesirable spirits, the hearth is kept burning day and night throughout the twelve days. “That or Greece is freezing in the winter months.”

Gifts are exchanged on St. Basil's Day (January 1). “I can utilize the after Christmas shopping discount.” St. Basil is the Greek version of Santa Claus and some families leave a log in the fireplace for him to step on as he slips down the chimney with a bag of toys. “There is no way he will fit down our chimney!” See photos below…

On this day the "renewal of waters" also takes place, a ritual in which all water jugs in the house are emptied and refilled with new "St. Basil's Water." The ceremony is often accompanied by offerings to the spirits of springs and fountains.

Christmas trees which were once rare in Greece are becoming more popular. They are usually artificial and are placed in the home in mid-December, decorated with tinsel and topped off with a star. The large light tree pictured here at Syntagma Square in Athens is 125 ft. tall. It has 60,000 light bulbs on it.

Here is the Christmas Tree after the rioting that took place this past week.

Christmas celebrations end on Epiphany, January 6. On this day, the priests dip crucifixes in the sea and give them the Blessing of the Waters.

So yes.... Christmas is a little different from ours. And I think I prefer the traditional US Christmas. And I desire our Protestant Christmas where the focus is around Christ and His miraculous entry to earth... and not a Saint.... no offense, but little baby Jesus.... born of a virgin....lying in a manger.... with a star burning brightly as opposed to all that sprig and log stuff.

Blessings to those with Christmas traditions,

Kristie