K ! (Kal hristyenna) Another Christmas without gifts!

The Greek Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on the same days as the Catholic and Protestant faiths, but it is the 6th of January, Epiphany, which has religious significance. The Greeks celebrate the day Jesus was baptised (Theophany) rather than his birth. However, the date used to see the celebration of Mithras (the Persian God of light), as in the Catholic Church, which is why the date has been kept as a holiday.

On November 15th, forty days before Christmas, the Greek Orthodox Church starts its fasting period which will last until the 24th of December. Consequently, where St. Nicholas (5th of December) is often celebrated as a bearer of gifts in other countries, he has a slightly different role in Greece, where hes known as the patron saint of sailors the protector of ships and sailors. Greek ships never leave port without some sort of St. Nicholas icon on board.

The Christmas-fast is finally broken on the 24th of December with a large family dinner. There will be at least a couple of different soups, several main courses (freshly slaughtered lamb, pig and

turkey) and various desserts as well as the obligatory

Christopomo

(Christ's bread). The bread is more of a cake in that it

contains wine soaked figs, anise, orange, various types of nuts, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. It is said that it is the care with which the loaf is made that carries the largest importance, as it ensures the well being of the family for the next year. The head of the household will bless the bread by making a cross above it and then portion it out to the guests. It is customary to leave crumbs on the table believing that Christ himself will come and eat them during the night.

Greek children wont be getting any presents during Christmas but only on 1st of January, the day of Aghios Vassilis - (Saint Basil). There will naturally be many variations to the

religious celebration of Christmas. Although not everybody celebrates a typically Greek Orthodox Christmas, many of the traditions and customs are also being practised by the more secular.

Christmas

trees

are

very

common

in

Greece.

However,

it

is

more

important to ensure that each house has a wooden bowl containing a wooden cross wrapped in basil sprigs. Once a day, a family member will dip the cross in the water and sprinkle it around the house to keep the Kallikantzaroi- (bad spirits) away. These bad spirits, trolls or goblins will appear during the 12 days of

Christmas (25th of December to the 6th of January), coming from the middle of the Earth and getting into peoples homes through the chimney.

Logically, most Greek homes will have a fire burning during those 12 days. On Christmas Eve, and on New Years Eve, children will often go out and sing kalanda- (carols) to bless the house. The Kallikantzaroi are said to make milk go sour, extinguish fires and braid horses tails. They are mostly thought as mischievous

rather than pure evil. Yet there are stories where they are depicted as monsters with hooved to feet, those glaring red eyes and long are curved set on

fingernails.

According

stories,

the

goblins

ruining peoples homes and violently attack families or leave them paralysed by fear. Merry Christmas, or K !

Flexible Understanding