Christmas in Greece is one of the most important celebrations alongside Easter. In Greece, locals will prepare for Christmas by fasting for 40 days. They then celebrate Christmas by dining on a large feast, known as the Advent feast, with dishes using pork, lamb, or goat meat as the main. This is complemented with a various appetizers and desserts to complete the meal. Turkey has recently become more popular through influence from other western countries.
A traditional bread called Christopsomo (also known as Christ’s bread) has been used to signify Christmas for hundreds of years. It is usually in the shape of a circle and is elaborately decorated. Families will bake and decorate the bread the day before Christmas, so it is ready to eat on Christmas day.
There are many traditional cookies and cakes which Greeks enjoy during Christmas. The most popular are Melomakarona and Kurabides. Melomakarona is a type of cookie made with cinnamon, cloves, orange and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Kurabiedes are cookies made with butter, almonds and iced sugar.
On Christmas Eve, children will go out into the local streets to sing ‘kalanda’ (carols). Some will play drums and triangles as they sing. There is also a very old custom in the Greek Islands to decorate boats with lights. The illuminated boats welcome sailors, who were returning home from their travels at Christmas time and it also symbolises human life after the birth of Christ. Children singing ‘kalanda’ often carry model boats decorated with nuts which are painted gold. Local families may give the children some money or snacks like nuts and dried fruit.
In Greece, presents are often brought to children by Aghios Vassilis (Saint Basil – also now known as Father Christmas) on the 1st January. In the Greek islands, Aghios Vasilis comes by boat and he brings the presents to the kids. 1st January, New Year’s Day, is Aghios Vasilis’s Day who is also known as St Basil the Great.
On New Year’s Eve at 12 am we cut the “Vasilopita” which is an olive oil and orange cake, in which we hide a coin (flouri). The person who finds the coin is blessed with lots of good luck in the New Year.
Another tradition on 1st January is the “podariko”. The first person to enter the house will determine how lucky the New Year will be. For that reason, families will select and invite a person who they believe is lucky and will bring fortune to their home, often young children.