Epiphany covers the twelve days of Christmas, from Christmas Eve through New Year to Epiphany on January 6th.
Christmas, 'XRISTOUYENNA' in Greek, it literally means Christ's birth.
Christmas is the second most important religious holiday in Greece, after Easter. It is usually celebrated with quiet church services, family gatherings and Name Day parties.
Christmas in Greece is celebrated on December 25th, but presents are usually given to children on January 1st, St. Basil's Day (Agios Vassilis).
In Greece St Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, and December 6th is St. Nicholas Day. In centuries of Greek folklore, Nicholas was seen as "The Lord of the Sea' while in modern Greece he is still easily among the most recognisable saints and December 6th finds many cities celebrating their patron saint. He is also the patron saint of Greece. In the past there used to be present giving on this day and boats were decorated instead of Christmas trees. The decorated boats are still seen at Christmas time, as well as Christmas trees.
St. Basil's (Agios Vassilis) name has been given to Father Christmas. St Vassilis Day is celebrated on January 1st, therefore the Greek Agios Vassilis, or 'Father Christmas', is associated with New Year's Day and this is the day when Greek children receive their Christmas presents from Agios Vassilis.
Christmas is becoming more commercialised in Greece and the shops are full of tinsel and trimmings from November onwards. A week or two before Christmas most Cretans decorate Christmas trees in their homes and many also have an impressive array of lights hung outside on balconies and in gardens. The town streets and villages are also well decorated with Christmas lights.
On Christmas Eve children go from house to house singing carols, the 'Kalanda' (see below). Christmas Day is usually spent with family and the traditional Christmas dinner may be roast lamb, pork or turkey without the trimmings! Fricasse - lamb cooked with egg and lemon sauce - is another traditional Christmas meal in Greece. Loaves of 'christopsomo' ('Christ bread' - large sweet loaves) are usually found on the Christmas table, along with Christmas biscuits, 'melomakarana' (sweet honey covered biscuits) and kourabiedes (icing sugar-coated biscuits).
December 25th is also the Name Day of Christos, Christina and Chrysoula, so many people are attending, or hosting, Name Day parties on Christmas Day evening.
Other Christmas and New Year Name Days are:25/26th December - Christos, Chrysoula, Manolis, Manos, Manolia.27th December - Stephanos, Stephania1st January - Vassilis, Vaso7th January - Yiannis, Yianna
X_MAS The 'Xmas' abbreviation of Christmas is said to come from the Greek 'Xristos' or Christos.
The Kalanda
The 'Kalanda' , or Christmas Carols, are traditionally sung on just three days over the Christmas period: on Christmas Eve, New Years Eve and the Eve of Epiphany. Groups of children go from house to house singing the appropriate Carol for the day (there are 3 different songs for each 3 days), usually accompanied by metal triangles (trigono). They will ask the house owner 'na to poume?' (literally 'shall we sing it?') before starting to sing this is in case there has been a recent death in the household, as those in mourning do not celebrate Christmas. The children are rewarded with sweets or coins from the householder.
