Kindergarten of the American Farm School

For Greece, the Christmas season is in full swing by December 6th, the Feast of St. Nicholas (important in Greece as the patron saint of sailors) and will last through January 6th, the Feast of Epifany.

Christmas in Greece is a traditionally a solemn, religious holiday. Throughout the festivities, there is never any question about whether Greece is remembering the Christ in Christmas. Beautiful Christmas carols called kalandas have been handed down from Byzantine times and add to the reverent quality of the celebration. On Christmas Eve, village children travel from house to house offering good wishes and singing kalanda, the equivalent of carols. Often the songs are accompanied by small metal triangles.

Another tradition in Greece is decorating the Christmas or Christmas boats (due to Sant Nicolas ).

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. Gifts are exchanged on St. Basil's Day (January 1). 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

While other cultures have Christmas elves, the Greek equivalent is not so benign. Mischievous and even dangerous sprites called the Kallikantzari (or Callicantzari), prey upon people only during the twelve days of Christmas, between Christmas itself and Epiphany on January 6th. Descriptions of them vary, and in one area they are believed to wear wooden or iron boots, the better to kick people, while other areas insist that they are hooved, not booted.

Some households keep fires burning through the twelve days, to keep the spirits from entering by the chimney, a curious inversion of the visit of Santa Claus in other countries! The "yule log" in this case used to be a massive log set on end in the chimney, burning or at least smouldering for the entire period. Protective herbs such as hyssop, thistle, and asparagus were suspended by the fireplace, to keep the Kallicantzari away. Other households, perhaps less devout, were reduced to simple bribery and would put meat out for the Kallikantzari - again, this seems to be a more substantial snack than the milk and cookies put out for Santa. On Epiphany, the ceremonial blessing of the waters by the local priest was believed to settle the nasty creatures until the next year.

In Greek, these honey spice cookies with sesame centers might be called "Stuffed Melomakarona with Sesame“or "Melomakarona from Rhodes," where they have become famous. A winter holiday tradition (but delightful any time of year), these cookies bring in seasonal tastes and smells of cinnamon, cloves, and oranges. After baking, the cookies are briefly soaked in a lightly spiced honey syrup, and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH 1 1/2 cups of olive oil 1/2 cup of sugar juice of 1 orange 4 tablespoons of brandy 1 teaspoon of baking soda 1 teaspoon of baking powder 1/2 cup of Vermouth 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cloves 6 cups of all-purpose flour 1.Melomakarona

FOR THE FILLING 1 cup of white sesame seeds 1 tablespoon of honey 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves FOR THE SYRUP 2 cups of honey 2 cups of sugar 2 cups of water 1 stick of cinnamon FOR TOPPING 1/2 cup of sesame seeds Preparation: Dissolve the baking soda in the brandy. Combine the ground cinnamon and cloves in a bowl and mix well for the dough. Combine the ground cinnamon and cloves in a bowl and mix well for the filling. In a mixing bowl, beat together the oil and sugar for about 5 minutes. Add orange juice, brandy with baking soda, baking powder, combined ground cinnamon and cloves, and Vermouth. Continue beating and add two-thirds of the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, beating on low speed until well blended. Change to dough hooks, or use hands when needed. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, kneading with hands at the end. Dough is ready when it no longer sticks to the hands, about 5 minutes of kneading (the dough will be oily). Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl. Use a handful of dough to make each cookie, forming into a log shape. Flatten it out, place a small teaspoonful of filling in the center and close the cookie, sealing the filling inside, in a long oval shape (see photo). Continue until all dough and filling is used. Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Place cookies well spaced on a lightly greased or nonstick cookie sheet (or on baking parchment paper). Bake at 355°F (180°C) for minutes until nicely browned.

Preparation: Dissolve the baking soda in the brandy. Beat the eggs whites and yolk together. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, oil, and 1 cup of confectioner's sugar until white and light. Beat in eggs, brandy with baking soda, cinnamon, and chopped almonds. Stir in flour and use hands to combine. Knead for 20 minutes. The dough will be fairly dry and dense. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Take a fistful of dough and squeeze 8 times to soften. Shape into balls and flatten slightly to a height of about 1/2 inch and 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. The dough can also be patted to a height of 1/2 inch and cut with a cookie cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes or until a pale golden color. The cookies may split slightly on top. Allow cookies to cool completely before topping with confectioner's sugar. Sprinkle one or more serving platters with confectioner's sugar. Place one layer of cookies on the platter (carefully, using a spatula) and dust with sugar. (Place sugar in a strainer and tap or shake over the cookies.) Place another layer on top of the first, and sprinkle with the sugar, continuing to no more than three layers on each plate or platter. Be generous with the confectioner's sugar! Yield: cookies Variation: To avoid using alcohol, use orange juice instead of brandy. Smaller cookies: A great idea for gifts, kourabiethes can also be made in bite-sized cookies (boukies in Greek, say: book-YES) and given in batches of 6, 12, or other number of your choice. To store: Kourabiethes will keep for several months if stored in airtight containers. Make sure there's a dusting of powdered sugar on the bottom of the container, then layer cookies as above, each layer with a covering of sugar. Wait one day after baking to cover with an airtight lid.

May joy and happiness snow on you, may the bells jingle for you and may Santa be extra good to you! Merry Christmas!