For years, Easter has been considered the best time to visit Greece if one wants to experience the Christian Orthodox traditions. Lately, however, Christmas started gaining “popularity” and travelers choose Greece as a possible Christmas vacation destination. The streets are filled with light; there are concerts and other festivities and shopping is a real pleasure even after December 25.

Christmas in Greece

When talking about Winter Holidays in Greece, we are referring to the period between Christmas and Epiphany (January 6). Traditionally, in Greece Christmas period lasts for 12 days.

Back in 354 AD Christmas started to be celebrated on December 25, the same Greek celebrated the birth of the ancient god Mithra. As Christianity started to gain more worshipers, gradually only the birth of Christ was celebrated on December 25.

The beginning of Christmas is also linked to St. Nicholas, the patron of the sailors. Even today, sailors won’t leave the port unless they carry a St. Nicholas icon on the boat.

Christmas Traditions

Many traditions are similar to the ones in the West but yet so different. On Christmas Eve, children travel from house to house offering good wishes and singing “kalanda” (carols). As a reward, they are given either sweets or money. Greek carols are also sung on New Year’s Eve and on the Eve of Epiphany.

In Crete for example, it was customary for each family in the village to raise a pig. On Christmas Eve the pig was slaughtered and represented the main dish the next day. Traditionally, Greeks fast 40 days before Christmas (basically vegan diet). In the past, it was done for religious purposes but today it’s considered a healthy practice. Therefore, the pig eaten on Christmas Day is a nice “reward” after the fast. The roasted pig or lamb is accompanied with “christopsomo” (Christ’s bread). Lately, turkey has become a very popular dish for Christmas.

The traditional Christmas cookies in Greece are melomakarona and kourabiedes.

Gifts are exchanged on St. Basil’s Day (January 1). On the same day, vasilopita is eaten. It’s a traditional cake in which a coin is placed. Whoever has the coin in their piece of cake will have luck the entire year.

>>more information on Christmas Menu in Greece (& Recipes)

The Christmas Tree

Traditionally in Greece Christmas trees aren’t commonly used. Instead, in each home, you will find a shallow wooden bowl with a piece of wire suspended across the rim with a cross wrapped in basil hanging from the wire. Holy Water is put in the bowl to keep the basil fresh. Once a day, the mother dips the basil and the cross in the Holy Water and sprinkles some Holy Water in each room of the house. It’s supposed to keep the “Killantzaroi” (bad spirits) away. “Killantzaroi” are some mean goblins that like to tease the people. They enter the house through chimneys and thus in the villages people keep the fireplace lit during the 12 Days of Christmas.

Families who decide to have a Christmas Tree would decorate it several days before Christmas and keep it until Epiphany.

Photo credit: Tilemahos Efthimiadis via Flickr