Christmas traditions in Greece Dear friends Hello from Athens and the 3rd primary school of Agii Anaryri. Here you can read about the most important Christmas traditions and customs in Greece. Tradition in Greece wants boats decorated with many sparkling lights standing side by side with the beautifully decorated Christmas trees in Greek houses, city centers, villages and mostly on the islands. The Christmas Boat (karavaki- little ship) is a part of a very old Greek tradition. The roots of this custom are linked with the December 6th Celebration of Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas) who is the Patron Saint of Sailors in Greece. This tradition also dates a few decades back when many Greeks, mainly those who lived on the islands , were working as seamen. During Christmas time, when many of them were returning home after a long time at sea, their wives would celebrate by decorating small wooden boats as a way of saying a warm “welcome home”.

Το ελληνικό καραβάκι The Christmas boat! Καλά Χριστούγεννα! Kala Christouyenna! Merry Christmas!

The Christmas tree! Nowadays , however the most favourite decoration of children and grown ups are the Christmas trees. We love decorating our houses , and our cities or villages with them.

Shall we sing the Christmas carols? In the morning of Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and Epiphany children go from door to door in every neighbourhood all around Greece playing the musical triangles while singing the Christmas carols –“Kalanda”.

Christmas sweets On Christmas Day the whole family usually goes to church and later at noon we all have the Christmas meal , which could be either roast turkey or pork meat, chicken soup and lots of cottage pies. “Thiples”, “Vasilopita -New Year’s Eve Cake ”, “Melomakarona”, biscuit-like honey sweets with walnuts and cinnamon and “kourabiethes”, butter cookies sprinkled with icing – sugar are the children’s favourite sweets of the day.

- Agios Vassilios the Greek Santa Claus, the most beloved saint of children! sweetened and distributed to the needy citizens of Caesarea, as a symbol of sweetness and joy for the coming year! This custom is still observed today, in every Greek home. Mother hides a lucky coin, *Flouri* in Greek , in the cake *Vassilopita* which we cut at midnight on New Year’s Eve. The head of the family makes the sign of the cross before he cuts the first piece which goes to Jesus Christ; the second to The Virgin Mary, the third to Agios Vasilios, the fourth to the family house, and, from then on, in order of age, to each member of the family. Whoever finds the coin, will be blessed with good luck, health and happiness for the coming year. He died on January 1st 379 AD. and the Greek Orthodox Church celebrates his memory on January 1st. This is why in Greece Agios Vassilis brings gifts to the kids on New Year’s Eve and not on Christmas Day. Agios Vassilis , a Saint of the Greek Orthodox Church ,was a kind-hearted and helpful man, who was aiding the poor and needy ones while he was a bishop in Caesarea, Capadoccia. Born in 330 AD he was a tall, thin man with a black beard and black penetrating eyes.  Legend says that he tried to find a way to distribute money to the poor people of Caesarea, without embarrassing them. So he came up with the idea of concealing coins in specially baked bread , .

The pomegranate, a symbol of prosperity On New Year’s Eve we also hang a pomegranate on the front door of our houses as a symbol of prosperity which everyone and especially the children, love throwing on the ground until it breaks and the little red seeds will spread all around . We believe that it will bring good health, good luck and riches to the whole family for the year to come. Why don’t you try it?

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May the Christmas light make our world sparkle with joy and peace. Our warm greetings to all of you ! The pupils and the teachers of the 3rd primary school ,Agii Anargyri, Athens , Greece.