23/12/2012
CHRISTMAS IN GREECE (CHRISTOUGENNA)
Greece is a country where traditions and customs are a part of everyday life. Most holidays in Greece are celebrated traditionally, and Christmas in no exception. Christmas caroling is very popular, and although you might hear them being sung at any given moment during the holiday season, there are actually three "official" caroling days. The custom is that children go from house to house singing the carol, with the accompaniment of a triangle, and residents of the houses give them a small amount of money. Greek Christmas carols (calanda) are sung on the mornings of Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and January 5, the Eve of the Epiphany.
According to tradition, during the Greek 12 days of Christmas (December 25 to January 6), goblins (kalikatzaroi) come out to tease people and eat their food. This tradition is based on the legend that the "waters aren't christened" since Christ has not yet been baptized. The goblins are renowned for their ugliness and their impishness. They are not very intelligent and can't really hurt anybody. It is said that they enter houses through chimneys, and this is the reason people, especially in villages, keep the fireplace lit during the 12 days of Christmas.
In many parts of Greece, people hang a pomegranate above the front door of their house. By the New Year, when the fruit will have dried, Greeks throw it on the ground so it breaks, and step into their house on their right foot. According to tradition, this brings good luck for the year to come.
Christmas decoration: Today almost everyone buys and decorates a Christmas tree in Greece, whether it be real or artificial. Usually they are decorated a few days before Christmas and remain in the homes until Epiphany.
The Christmas tree, assumed to be foreign, may even have some Greek roots. Use of decorated greenery and branches around New Year is recorded as far back as in Greek antiquity.
In older times,Greeks they would decorate little boats instead of athe christmas tree.
The Christmas Boat (Karavaki- Little ship) is part of a very old Greek tradition. It comes from the Islands where each year children go door to door singing ‘kalanda’ (Christmas Carols) usually accompanied by instruments such as triangles, guitars, accordians and harmonicas. The children on the islands used to carry small wooden boats, either illuminated to light the way or with enough space to store treats given to them by the residents they sing for. Some claim that this custom’s roots are linked with the December 6th Celebration of Agios Nikolas (Saint Nicholas) who is the Patron Saint of Sailors in Greece.
As a matter of fact, the tradition of Christmas ship (karavaki) dates back hundreds of years when many Greeks were working as seamen. During Christmas time, when many were returning home after a long time at sea, their wives would celebrate by decorating small wooden boats as a way of saying welcome home. This tradition has gradually spread inland with people all over the country beginning to decorate model wood or paper boats with lights and ornaments at Christmas time. Traditionally the boats are placed near the door or fire with the bow pointing inwards, this symbolises the boats making their journey towards the mainland. Sometimes coins or gold objects are also placed in the boats to symbolise riches entering ones home.
The Christmas Boat (Karavaki- Little ship) is part of a very old Greek tradition. It comes from the Islands where each year children go door to door singing ‘kalanda’ (Christmas Carols) usually accompanied by instruments such as triangles, guitars, accordians and harmonicas. The children on the islands carry small wooden boats, either illuminated to light the way or with enough space to store treats given to them by the residents they sing for. Some claim that this custom’s roots are linked with the December 6th Celebration of Agios Nikolas (Saint Nicholas) who is the Patron Saint of Sailors in Greece.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
