Our students write real letters telling other students how they celebrate New Year in their families...It may be the first time our students write a letter and receive another one!!!!

ADDRESS

Raquel Roncero Garcia

IES Quintana de la Serena

Ronda Este s/n

06450

Quintana de la Serena

Badajoz

España

The Holiday Season In Greece: Christmas And New Year’s Traditions You Should Know

The Holiday Season In Greece: Christmas And New Year's Traditions

Christmas in Greece starts on December 25 and ends on January 6, called Dodekaimero (12 days). These traditions are mainly from Greek Orthodox religion but have changed over time with new ideas. Christmas is celebrated everywhere now, including Greece. The streets are full of lights and decorations.

There are various traditions across Greece, but most focus on family gatherings.

Decorating a Christmas Tree or Karavaki? Every house has a Christmas tree, but until the 19th century, people decorated a small boat called 'karavaki'. Greece's history is connected to the sea, so you might still see a Christmas 'karavaki' in some places.

Traditional Christmas Treats: Greek Christmas treats include homemade melomakarona and kourambiedes, which are everywhere during the holidays. Other sweets are baklavas and karydopita.

Christmas Carols:  Christmas is on December 25, New Year's Day is on January 1, and Epiphany is on January 6. On these mornings, children go carolling. If you are in Greece on Christmas Day and hear your doorbell at 7 am, don't be surprised.

When Do Kids Receive Their Gifts? In Greece, children get their presents on New Year's Day, not Christmas Day. The Greek Santa Claus is Saint Vasilis, celebrated on January 1, which is also St. Basil's Day. People named Vassilis or Vassiliki celebrate their name day. Some Greeks now give gifts on Christmas Day too.

Saint Nikolaos vs. Saint Vasilios: Saint Nikolaos was a bishop known for his good deeds and is celebrated on December 6. He became known as Santa Claus in Europe and later in America. Saint Vasilios lived in the 4th century, helped the poor, and is honoured on January 1. Children wait for him on New Year's Day.

Get Ready for The Christmas Feast:

In Greece, people love good food. On Christmas Day, the table is full of tasty dishes. While turkey is becoming more common, chicken, pork, or lamb are still popular, with lots of side dishes like potatoes, salads, and pies. Christmas dinner in Greece is a family event. There are delicious foods like turkey or chicken, stuffed cabbage leaves, and Christopsomo (Christ's bread). Many Orthodox Christians who were fasting can now eat anything they want, and the whole family enjoys their Christmas meal together.

Christopsomo (Bread of Christ): Treat Yourself At the end, everyone gets a piece of Christopsomo, a special sweet bread. The father blesses the bread before sharing it with everyone.

Kalikatzaroi – The Naughty Greek Goblins: Kalikantzaroi are naughty goblins in Greek stories. They are small, ugly creatures that can't harm people. They only come out at night because they fear the sun. They live deep in the earth and try to cut down the Tree of Life. For 12 days a year, from Christmas to Theofania, they come to the surface and cause trouble. They get into homes through windows or doors. To keep them away, people keep fires burning and close windows and doors at night. On January 6, priests bless houses with holy water, scaring the goblins back underground, where they find the Tree of Life has grown again.

NEW YEAR'S IN GREECE

Carolling on New Year's Eve: As New Year's Day nears, children go carolling again to earn some extra money.

New Year's Feast: On New Year's Eve, pork is the main dish, with many recipes like lemon pork or stew. Another favourite is egg and lemon chicken soup.

Search for the Lucky Coin in Vassilopita: On January 1st, Greeks cut Vassilopita, a sweet bread or cake with a hidden coin. The person who finds the coin is lucky for the year and may get a prize.

Smash the Pomegranate: After the New Year countdown, a pomegranate is smashed at the door. The seeds show the spreading of good luck.

The Onion On The Front Door: An onion is hung on the front door as a sign of new life. It is removed on New Year's morning for good health and long life.

The Tradition of Podariko (first footing): Podariko is a New Year's tradition where the first person to enter the house brings luck. They must step with the right foot first for good fortune.

EPIPHANY: FOTA OR THEOFANIA IN GREECE

Take a Dive during Epiphany on the 6th of January The holidays end on Theophania, January 6th. During a ceremony, a priest throws a cross into the water. Anyone brave enough can dive in to catch it. The person who finds the cross gets a blessing and is thought to have good luck all year. Celebrations include Epiphany carols sung by children. On this day, the priest visits homes to bless them with holy water.

The next day celebrates St. John the Baptist, when people named John or Joanna celebrate their name day.

WRITING PAIRS/GROUPS

Andrea -> Fotini & Despina

Erika -> Labrini

Joel -> Dimitris

Rubén -> Vangelis & Fotis

Salah -> Elias & Stefanos

Rafa -> Nectarios

Luis -> Marios

Liqi -> Paraskevi & Marilena