Dreaming of spending the Christmas holidays in Greece? You’re in for a treat! The Greeks have all kinds of unique and wonderful Christmas traditions. Even better, the festivities begin as soon as December hits and last until early January… So there’s plenty of time to get your dose of Christmas cheer. From decorated boats and Greek Santa, to the kalanda and vasilopita, here’s how to celebrate Christmas in Greece.
1. Greek Santa
The merry, rotund, red-suited Santa Claus, is the iconic symbol of Christmas around the world. But in Greece, he’s a little different. While your regular Santa originates from Saint Nicholas, the Greek Santa is called ‘Agios Vasilis’, meaning Saint Basil, or Basil of Caesarea. As one of the Three Hierarchs, Saint Basil the Great was known for caring for the ill, building hospitals and giving to the poor, and he became known as the saint who gives gifts at Christmas in Greece.
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2. Christmas boats
While Saint Basil is the star of Greek Christmas, Saint Nicholas still plays a role in the festivities. As the patron saint of sailors, the Greeks honour Saint Nick with beautifully decorated boats. While you may be used to dressing up a Christmas tree, in Greece, the real tradition is decking the boats with twinkling lights.
You’ll find illuminated boats in ports and marinas, small caiques in town squares, and magical model boats in family homes. The bedazzled boats also symbolise the country’s love for the sea and welcome loved ones home for the festive season.
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3. No gifts on Christmas Day
When you think of Christmas you probably think of big family feasts and handing out gifts to each other. But in Greece, there are no presents on Christmas Day. Instead, the Greeks hand out their gifts on New Year’s to celebrate the feast day of the Agios Vasilis whose feast day is January 1st.
This is also the day the locals cut the traditional New Year’s cake, the Vasilopita. There’s a gold coin or charm hidden inside the cake and whoever finds it in their slice will be blessed with good luck for the rest of the year. Just be sure to chew your cake well!
This Greek Christmas tradition originated from the story of Saint Basil, who once had many valuables belonging to the people of Caesarea. He didn’t know how to return the valuables to the rightful owners, so he baked them all into buns. He then handed them out, and each person miraculously received their own treasures.
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4. Greek Christmas food
Just like everywhere else in the world, Christmas is all about the food. And in Greece, they don’t hold back on the festive feast. While the food varies between regions, the traditional Greek Christmas dish is pork, and it’s usually served as the first meat to break the advent fast. In some areas, you’ll also find stuffed cabbage, while mulled wine or honeyed raki is the festive drink of choice.
It also wouldn’t be a Greek Christmas without dessert! The Greeks love to bake melomakarona (gingerbread-like, walnut-topped honey cookies) and kourabiedes (shortbread-like, sugar-coated almond cookies) during the holiday season. These Greek Christmas foods have been a tradition for centuries, and are made with the country’s famous local products like oil, oranges, honey and nuts. You can’t miss it!
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5. Kalanda (Greek carols)
The Greek Christmas carols, known as kalanda, are a bit different from the famous tunes like ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Jingle Bells’. They originate from the musical traditions of the Roman and Byzantine eras, and you’ll often hear the high-pitched chime of the triangle.
The lyrics also tell Christian stories about the birth of Jesus Christ and they’re usually performed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s and Epiphany. The kalandas are mostly sung by young children, who go from door to door on Christmas Eve. Their neighbours reward their sweet singing with cookies and coins!
6. The Blessing of Water (Epiphany)
Christmas is such a big event in Greece that it doesn’t end on 25 December – or even New Year’s Day. The celebrations officially last for 14 days, from Christmas Eve to Epiphany on January 6th, also known as Theophany or Ta Fota (The Lights). It’s one of the most important days on the Christian calendar, with the Greek Orthodox Church celebrating the day as the Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. They also honour the presence of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – at the Baptism of Christ.
On the eve of Epiphany, children once again go door to door singing the kalanda, and people attend the church service of the Lesser Sanctification of Water (Mikros Agiasmos). On the day of Epiphany, the service of the Great Sanctification of Water is held across the country.
During this ceremony, people gather around bodies of water (lakes, seas, rivers) and a priest blesses the water by casting a cross into it and releasing a dove to symbolise the Holy Spirit. Then a group of young men dive into the water to retrieve the cross. It is said whoever finds the cross and returns it to the priest first will be blessed for the year ahead.
Have you ever celebrated Christmas in Greece? Let us know in the comments below!