KIDPROJ MCC: Christmas // Christmas

A Page From the KIDPROJ Multi-Cultural Calendar
Christmas // Christmas - Greece
by Hellenic College

24 December

CHRISTMAS IN GREECE

Christmas is one of the biggest religious celebrations. It is celebrated throughout Creece, and in various and different ways in each area. There is also a traditional circle held during this Christmas period.

THE DECORATION OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE

The decoration of the Christmas tree is a warm welcoming of Christmas. It usually takes place during the first ten days in December and it's considered to be a Syrian custom. This custm was first passed on to Byzantio and branched out to the rest of the world. In the old days as in the most recent ones, children decorated the tree by wrapping up apples and various sweets in foil paper or golden paper and during New Year's Eve they were unhanged and shared out to all members of the family. In many Greek places and mainly on islands instead of decorating a tree, they decorated a model ship, wishing to emphasize the importance of the sea to all Greeks.

CHRISTMAS CAROLS

The traditional circle of the whole twelve days starts on Christmas Eve and is completed on Epiphany day. It starts on Christmas Day with groups of children going to every house in the neighbourhood, singing Christmas carols, which are songs announcing the birth of Jesus. These carols that were sung all over Greece varied in some ways, but they were basically the same. In many places especially in villages, children sang the carols at night, holding small lanterns. At the end of the carols, they usually gave wishes to the housewife and then in return they took their tip. In the old days in some areas of Macedonia they used to give them small bread with chesnuts, nuts, carobs, dried figs and more rarely some money.

CHIROSFAGIA (PIG SLAUGHTER)

Many of our Christmas customs have their roots in the years before Christ was even born. From the so called "Saturnalia", a celebration in honour of God Cronos, survived the custom for the pig slaughter or else Chirosfagia. The slaughter of the pig is being done in a specific way. In Kalampaka of Thessaly, in central Greece, they are slaughtering the pig with a specific knife, they are engraving a cross on its abdomen and are placing charcoal on it as well. A child is saying the Sunday's prayer.
On the forehead of the children a cross with the blood is marked, in order to protect them. It is also customary during these 12 days of Christmas in some area of northern Greece to eat cabbage. This custom also has its roots way back.

CHRISTMAS CAKES

In each Greek house it is tradition to bake the so called "Christmas cakes or kouloures". They are made of dough by the housewives. They are decorated with each family's profession. The farmers are drawing a plough, cattle, grapes e.t.c. The wives of the shepherds are drawing a stable, sheep or a shepherd. Even today it is customary to place a coin in the cakes and whoever wins that coin will be the lucky person throughout the year. In the old days that coin remained in a bronze pot untill December the 6th. The priest then came to bless the house and received this coin for the church.
In Epirous, the North-west part of Greece, instead of Christmas cakes they prepared pancakes which they call "spargana" meaning swaddling bands in memory of the ones Christ was put in when he was born. Some of the most impressive Christmas cakes were the "Sarakatsanika" decorated with scenes from pastoral life. "Sarakatsani", having always been shepherds consider Christmas to be an absolutely pastoral festival and they feel particularly proud of the fact that Christ was born in a cave among poor shepherds and their sheep.
The oldest member of the family, grandfather or father, usually shares the Christmas cakes, after he has formed a cross on it with his knife, starting from a piece for Jesus and His Mother and then for all the members of the family. In some parts of Central Greece, the vicar was expected to come round and bless the Christmas cake before sharing. Thus it looked more like the holly process of making consecrated bread in church which made it look more significant. After he had finished reading his blessings, the vicar would take the Christmas cake and holding it over his head he divided it in two parts. If the piece he was holding in his right hand was the bigger one, that meant that the longest part of heavy winter had gone by and so their sheep and goats would survive the cold weather. On the contrary if the bigger one was on the left, that was a bad omen for the animals and the crops.
Similar prophecies are common in other parts of Greece. In the Ionion Sea Islands, on New Year Day's Eve, they took the Christmas cake near the fire. The host dropped then some oil or wine on the flames. If the flames grew bigger, that was a good omen while if it went out that was a bad one.
Apart from the so called Christmas cakes, they usually make some other kinds of small cakes for Christmas. In the West part of Macedonia they make small cakes which they give to children singing Christmas carols as well as special bread-rolls for their cattle and the rest of their animals.

THE HOLLY COMMUNION

During Christmas time, everybody fastens and is given the holly communion on Christmas Day all over Greece.

DISGUISE

Another custom in northern Greece -Macedonia, Thrace, Thessalia- is disguising. This has to do with the so called "kalikantzari", creatures like gnomes that are said to exist on the earth at this time of the year. The disguised people are called "Rogatsia" or "Rogatsoria" or "Momoera". They are disguised in different species of animals and they go around the village singing and collecting presents. It must be said here that in every aspect of their life, they believed in the existence of "kalikantzari" (gnomes). According to tradition, "kalikantzari" (the gnomes) were demon creatures that were trying to saw the tree that supports Earth and steal the sweets and the presents from the houses. An effective way of facing them was the fire which was burning during the twelve days. Fire was also a symbol of warmth for the newly born Christ and his mother, the holly Mother. Finally, it was believed that the danger of "kalikantzari" was coming to an end when the twelve days time was over during the celebration called "Theophania" (Epiphany Day), when the priests bless the waters so that they can become sacred.

THE WISHES

According to tradition there are also customs wishing for good crops, good fishing, plenty goods and happiness at home. A characteristic wish is "Good health, good year, good Cbereket" and another one "Many birds, many lambs, many sheep and money". Elsewhere they incense a pie, the animals, the stable. Elsewhere they are given communion of wine or steal some water from the village central spring saying: "As the water flows, my spring, in the same way may goods come to me".

SANTA CLAUS'S PRESENTS

The custom of the twelve days time and the New Year's Day is the coming of the children's Saint protector, the beloved Santa Claus. In the evening of the New Year's Eve the kids hung their socks over the chimney of the house door so that Santa Claus can put their presents. According to the tradition, the boy who has been naughty throughout the year, will only find dry onions in his socks or shoes.

BRINGING GOOD LUCK

In the old years they asked from a child, who would first knock on their floor to sing the carols, to set the fire with a log. Today, the first visitor of the house is considered to bring good or bad luck. This person should enter the house with his right foot.
Christmas customs are endless in our country. People celebrate Christmas in many ways. But deeply in their heart the meaning of the Holly Day is the same: peace, love and happiness all over the world.

From Greece by
Hellenic College - 13
Email: helcol@spark.net.gr

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