The feast of the Nativity of Christ and the New Year in Orthodox Greece is celebrated on December 25, according to the new style. For the Greeks, this is always a joy, in all parts of the country it is celebrated with a special mood, as it is accompanied by the tradition of decorating the house, preparing dishes and starting a new life in the new year, banishing all the bad things from the past.

In the villages and villages of Greece on the eve of three holidays: Christmas - New Year - Epiphany, once the owners of the houses went out into the forest in search of the strongest spruce tree, or instead of spruce they used an olive tree, which they cut down and carried home. This tree was called "Christoxylo" - the Tree of Christ. The tree was cut down and transferred to the house, in order to burn it in the fireplace during the entire period of holidays - from Christmas to Epiphany. Today this tradition is preserved only in some villages of Northern Greece.

Another tradition that continues to this day is cleaning the home fireplace. The purpose of this procedure was to clean out all last year's ashes, chimney and chimney - all this so that evil spirits and demons could not enter the house in the new year. So, in the evening, on the eve of Christmas, when the whole family gathers around the fireplace, the owner lights a fire from firewood chopped from the tree of Christ. Popular belief says that while this tree is burning, it becomes warm for Christ there, in the cold cave of Bethlehem. In every house they tried, so that there would be enough firewood from this tree until the Epiphany holidays. "Ta Photo".

As for carols, they were always performed by children and adults during these holidays. This tradition is still alive today.

In Greece, people don't dress up on New Year's Eve, except in some areas, such as Naousa and Kastoria. (Note: Carnivals in Greece are held only during Shrove Tuesday - "Apokries" (end of February).

A very interesting pre-Christmas tradition "Sartes" is when, a month before Christmas, in each place in the neighborhood, young people and teenagers gather in groups and learn carols, and then go to performances from house to house, competing "in the catch" - gifts and treats. This tradition is still preserved in Greece. True, only among children and adolescents who learn carols in groups and go from house to house, collecting as a reward not treats, but ... money, the amount of which sometimes reaches a respectable amount.

Stuffed cabbage rolls ("lahanosarmades") are a traditional Christmas dish in all parts of the country. They symbolize Christ wrapped in swaddling clothes. Butter cake is also prepared, pickles ("tursha") and dried fruit compotes are served, as well as "christopsomo" - Christmas bread where nuts, raisins and olives are kneaded. In addition, roast pork, turkey stuffed with rice, chestnuts and raisins, a sweet pie and boiled wheat with sugar are traditionally prepared these days. A coin is baked in the "pie of St. Basil" ("vasilopitu") - the one who finds it will be happy all next year.

The biggest holiday of winter is celebrated in a peculiar way in the region of Mani, lost on the Peloponnese peninsula, in the extreme south of mainland Greece. The inhabitants of Mani consider themselves descendants of the ancient Spartans, who became famous for their valor in battles and extremely harsh morals. Indeed, the inhabitants of Mani still honor their ancestors, love weapons, preserve the ancient law of hospitality and maintain strict tribal relations, as was the case with the Spartans. When the whole of Greece was under the Turkish yoke, Mani remained the only place where the Turks did not reach.

At Christmas, the inhabitants of Mani do not sing - in their harsh tradition, of all types of folk songs, only laments are preserved. But in Mani they bake special Christmas sweets: "Christopsomo", that is, "Christ's bread". "tiganites" - a type of brushwood made from dough - are also popular. For happiness, they prepare two special tiganites - in the form of figurines of men and women, and give them to children to eat so that next year there will be happiness in the house.

Christmas is a time of fun and joy. But in Mani, Christmas is also a time of scary tales. One of these tales is about kalikandzars, ugly and evil creatures from the underworld. Therefore, the inhabitants of Mani avoid going out at night after Christmas, so as not to be kidnapped by the Kalikandzars. In Mani, children dress up as Kalikandzars, who go around the houses with carols.

Winter holidays, New Year and Christmas, in all European, even southern, countries carry a special atmosphere. They are also called "children's", probably because in childhood it is easier to believe in miracles. But if in most European countries the main meaning of the holiday of the Nativity of Christ is, in fact, lost, then Greece - remaining an Orthodox believing country - celebrates Christmas in the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God was born into the world in order to transform it, revealing His boundless Love and boundless Grace to humanity blinded in sins. That is why the heart stops on Christmas days, the bell ringing announces this, calling us to the temples for the celebration of the birthday in the flesh of God, the Creator of everything visible and invisible.

In Greece, Christmas is celebrated according to the new, Gregorian calendar, that is, on December 25th. Back in 1924, the Church of Greece switched to the so-called New Julian calendar. According to it, “non-transitory” holidays, that is, those celebrated on the same day regardless of the year, such as Christmas, are celebrated according to the Gregorian “new” style, and “transitory”, the date of which varies depending on the year, such as Easter, are celebrated according to the "old" Julian calendar. Therefore, the days of the feast of the Nativity of Christ in Greece and Russia do not coincide, the Greeks celebrate on December 25, and the Russians on January 7, but we celebrate Easter together, on the same day.

Accordingly, Christmas in Greece is celebrated before the New Year. It is the dominant of the winter holidays both in its meaning and in the intensity with which it is celebrated.

The religious component of the holiday for the Greeks, of course, is the main one. On the eve of December 24, children begin caroling: they gather in groups and go around relatives, friends, neighbors, singing « Καλήνεσπέραν » (« Good evening, wise men"), a song that tells the story of the Nativity of Christ, and other carols. In every house they visit, they are given sweets and small gifts.

The service on Christmas Day usually takes place on the night of December 24-25. Therefore, at night everyone gathers in church for a common holiday prayer. And after the service, a joyful, varied and “delicious” holiday immediately begins.

Barbecues are set up on the streets, balconies and even rooftops, festive treats are fried, music sounds from everywhere, people sing, dance and even play funny scenes.

Festive dishes that are prepared in Greece for Christmas vary depending on the region. The main dish is usually pig or turkey cooked in different ways. Be sure all housewives bake rich bread, which they call Christopsomo (from the Greek Χριστός - Christ, ψωμί - bread). The dough is kneaded with dry basil, the finished round loaf is decorated with a cross. During cooking, the hostess prays, reading the troparion to the Nativity of Christ. Honey is always put on the festive table as a symbol of prosperity and prosperity.

Everywhere there is a festive atmosphere: long before Christmas, megacities, small towns, villages, and every house in Greece are decorated with illumination, festive compositions appear in shop windows. The custom of decorating the Christmas tree came to Greece at the beginning of the 19th century, and since then the Christmas tree has become an integral attribute of the winter holidays. But the Greeks decorate not only Christmas trees, according to an old custom, they arrange dens in the streets, squares and houses - symbolic images of that Bethlehem cave, in which the Lord Jesus Christ was born. In addition, models of boats are decorated, because Greece is a maritime country, its well-being has long been associated with the sea: the sea feeds and supports life. And if earlier it was mainly fisheries, now it is tourism, also associated with the sea. Therefore, the ship decorated with illumination, which at the same time denotes the Church - the ship on which we cross the stormy sea of ​​\u200b\u200blife - is also a symbol of the Nativity of Christ.

In Greece, it is at Christmas, and not at New Year's, that it is customary to give gifts. And this is symbolic. Only God, by His great Love for man, has arranged so that He does not receive gifts from us on His Birthday, but we receive gifts on this amazing day.

The miracle of Christmas continues in the world for everyone - believers and non-believers - the Lord is waiting for everyone and calling to Himself. And in Greece, this is felt with particular force, because the Greeks remember that Christmas carries the highest meaning - the birth into the world according to the flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The celebration of the Nativity of Christ and the New Year in Orthodox Greece begins on December 25 - according to the new style. In general, the holidays last 12 days - until Epiphany on January 6th. For the Greeks, this is always a joy, in all parts of the country Christmas is celebrated with a special mood, as it is accompanied by a tradition of decorating houses, preparing special festive dishes and starting a new life in the new year, banishing all the bad things from the past.

Christoxylo

In cities and villages Greece on the eve of three holidays: Christmas, New Year and christening, - the owners of the houses went out into the forest in search of a strong spruce tree, or instead of spruce they used an olive tree, which they cut down and brought home. This tree was called christoxylo - Christ Tree. The tree was cut into small logs and brought into the house to heat the fireplace for the entire period of the holidays - from Christmas before christening. Today this tradition is preserved only in some villages of Northern Greece.

Fireplace cleaning

Another tradition that continues to this day is cleaning the home fireplace. The purpose of this procedure was to clean out all last year's ashes, chimney and chimney - all this so that evil spirits and demons could not enter the house in the new year. So, in the evening, on the eve of Christmas, when the whole family gathers around the fireplace, the owner lights a fire from firewood chopped from the tree of Christ. Popular belief says: while a tree is burning here, it becomes warm for Christ there, in the cold cave of Bethlehem. In each house, they tried to manage so that there would be enough firewood for Christoxyl until the Epiphany holidays - Da Fota.

V Greece New Year do not change into special clothes (mummers), except in some areas, such as Naousa and Kastoria. Carnivals in Greece are held only during Maslenitsa - Apokries - at the end of February.

Greek Christmas songs

Concerning Greek Christmas songs, then they were necessarily performed by children and adults on these holidays. This tradition is still alive. A very interesting pre-Christmas tradition is sartes, when a month before Christmas in each town in the neighborhood, young people and teenagers gather in groups and learn carols, and then they go from house to house with performances, competing "in the catch" - gifts and treats. This tradition continues to this day in Greece. True, only among children and adolescents. They learn carols in groups and go from house to house, collecting as a reward not a treat, but money, the amount of which sometimes reaches a significant amount.

Greek Christmas Dishes

In all areas Greece traditional Christmas dish are cabbage rolls - lahanosarmades. They symbolize Christ wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Preparing for Christmas also a butter cake, pickles (tursha) and dried fruit compotes are served, as well as christopsomo - christmas bread with the addition of nuts, raisins and oils.

In addition, roast pork, turkey stuffed with rice, chestnuts and raisins, a sweet pie and boiled wheat with sugar are traditionally prepared these days. V Saint Basil's cake- vasilopitu - a coin is baked: the one who finds it will be happy all next year.

V Greece sure to Christmas and new year cook sweet treats. On the shelves of confectionery (zaharoplastio) - Greece appear christmas sweets: powdered like snow with powdered sugar courabiedes and sprinkled with pistachios or walnuts melomakarona. Opinions differ about their origin. According to one of the popular versions, these sweets came from Central Asia and Turkey, others claim that they are really Greek.

In large Greek families, grandmothers and mothers usually gather to prepare kurabieedes and melomakaron and prepare large quantities of sweets so that later they will be enough to distribute to all relatives and friends. Boxes of homemade Christmas cakes are brought to loved ones during holiday visits.

Traditions of Mani

Territory: Maniots and Mani (peninsula)

The big holiday of winter is met in a peculiar way in the region Mani lost on the peninsula Peloponnese, in the extreme south of the mainland Greece. Inhabitants Mani consider themselves descendants of the ancient Spartans, famous for their valor in battle and extremely harsh morals. Inhabitants Mani they still honor their glorious ancestors, love weapons, preserve the ancient law of hospitality and maintain strict tribal relations, as was the case with the Spartans. When all Greece was under the Turkish yoke, Mani remained the only place where the Turks did not reach.

On the Christmas residents Mani they do not sing - they have strict traditions - of all types of folk songs, only lamentations are preserved. However, on Mani special Christmas sweets are baked: christopsomo, which are popular, and tiganites, a type of brushwood made from dough. At the same time, two special tiganites are prepared - in the form of figurines of men and women, and they are given to children to eat so that peace and happiness reign in the house next year.

Christmas- a time of fun and joy, and on the peninsula Mani Christmas- also the time of scary tales. One of these tales is about kalikandzars, ugly and evil creatures from the underworld. Therefore, the inhabitants Mani avoid going out at night during the Christmas period, so as not to be kidnapped by the Kalikandzarams. In the costumes of kalikandzars, children dress up as Mani, who go around the houses with carols.

Christmas holidays

The period from December 25 to January 6 is called in Greece Twelve Day Festivities (ΔΟΔΕΚΑΗΜΕΡΟ ΕΟΡΤΩΝ) It begins with the feast of the Nativity on December 25th and ends with the feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. Until the 4th century AD, Christmas and Epiphany were celebrated together on January 6th. Later they were divided to give special meaning to each of the holidays.

25 December celebrated as the winter solstice in many cultures. The turning of the sun towards spring was celebrated, and the feast of the god Mithra, borrowed by the Greeks from the Persian pantheon, was especially popular. Subsequently, the Christian church decided to celebrate Christmas on this very day in order to replace the traditional pagan festivities.

The custom of decorating a tree with candles on the day of the winter solstice existed in antiquity. The tree symbolized the unity of the Underworld of the dead, Earth and Heaven. The roots of the tree meant the Underworld, the trunk the Earth, and the branches stretched upwards the Sky. Lighted candles with which the tree was decorated symbolized the light sent from Heaven to Earth and the Kingdom of the Dead. This tree bore the name of the Tree of Life in Ancient Greece. Subsequently, in the Christian era, this tradition was lost, and in Greece a tradition was created to decorate a wooden boat with candles and sweets - it was decorated on the day of St. Nicholas on December 6th.

The Christmas tree in its modern form came to Greece along with the Bavarian king Otho, who was placed on the throne of Greece by European powers after it was liberated from the Turkish yoke. It is interesting how the ancient Greek tradition, which served as the source of the European one, returned again in the form of a European innovation. It should be noted that this happened not only with the Christmas tree. Very often, what was considered * Europeanization * of Hellas after its liberation from the Turkish yoke had its root precisely in ancient Greek culture, borrowed by Europeans - and there was simply a reverse borrowing.
It should be noted that in many places, especially those close to the sea, even after the introduction of the tradition of the Christmas tree, the boat continued to be decorated - it can still be seen on many Greek islands during the Christmas holidays.

Christopsomo (Χριστόψωμο) - Bread of Christ.

The tradition of preparing the Bread of Christ continues to be observed quite widely, although not universally. Its preparation requires great attention and reverence. It is baked on the eve of Christmas, using special yeast from dry basil. The image of a cross is always applied to it; it can be decorated with something else.
On Christmas Day, at the festive table, the head of the family takes the Bread of Christ, puts on it the sign of the cross and, having broken it, distributes it to all family members and those invited. This symbolizes that moment at the Last Supper when Christ, having broken bread, distributed it to his disciples, having made the First Communion.

New Year celebration

In each city-state of ancient Greece, the New Year began at different times. For most it was July-August - the harvest period. In Athens, the first month of the year was Ekatomveon, which lasted from July 15 to August 15, in Delphi Apelleion (July-August), in Epidaurus Azosion, also covering July-August. But let's say in Rhodes the year began with the month of Thesmophorion (October-November).

In 46 BC, when Greece was already part of the Roman Empire, the Roman emperor Julius Caesar announced that the year would begin on the first day of the month of January in honor of the mythical god Janus. Janus was the patron saint of sailors and merchants. Prior to this innovation, the new year in Rome began in March. The first day of every month was called in Rome calendae - calenda, this word comes from the Latin verb calare - to call, which in turn comes from the Greek καλώ. On the first day of each month, the rulers in Rome called the people to the square and announced their important decisions to them. The Greeks did not have calends, and in Latin there was an expression *postpone until Greek calends*, which means - until an indefinite period. This expression has passed into many European languages.

The first day of the month was called in Greece numinia(νου-μηνία), from neos minas (νέος μήνας). In Byzantium it was called archemenia(from αρχή του μήνα - the beginning of the month), and the first day of the year - archchrony(αρχή του χρόνου - the beginning of the year). With the approach of the New Year in Greece, you can see groups of children everywhere, entering all houses, shops, offices, tapping with an iron stick on the iron triangle that they hold in their hands and joyfully bawling a song that begins with - Kaliminiya', Kalichroniya'! This is a New Year's Eve- a wish for a happy New Year, for which children expect monetary rewards from you - not giving at least a small coin is tantamount to an insult. These are the days that children are waiting for, because they give them the opportunity to massively replenish their cash reserves. Those who are not too brave to go around all the nearby houses and shops with friends will certainly perform kalada to their parents, grandparents, and close neighbors - and collect at least some kind of cash catch.

This custom lives for many millennia - it was also borrowed by the Romans from Ancient Greece. There, the children held in their hands a branch of an olive tree or laurel, decorated with fruits and pieces of white wool - the so-called heresioni- from έριο (wool - other Greek), they also went around all the nearest houses, wishing everyone good luck - and they were given gifts for this. In the Byzantine era, they held branches, lit lanterns and decorated boats in their hands, at the same time it came into use trigono (Τρίγωνο), the same iron triangle on which children tap creating musical accompaniment to their New Year's song. It should be noted that in Byzantium the church new year began on September 1st and ended on August 31st. But later, when in the 10th century the onset of the New Year also began to be celebrated from January 1st, in order to give importance to these days in the church calendar, January 1st began to be celebrated as the feast of the Circumcision of the Lord and the day of memory of the saint very beloved by the people - St. Basil.

Vasilopita

On this day, vasilopita is prepared - a pie in which a small coin is hidden. It is cut during the New Year's festivities, and whoever gets the coin is considered to have good luck this year. This custom has roots in ancient times. During Kronia (Κρόνια) - the holiday of the god of time Kronos (Chronos) in Ancient Greece, which later passed into the Saturnalia of Ancient Rome, sweets and pies were made in which coins were hidden, and the one who got it was considered lucky.

Christian tradition has made its own interpretation of this custom. According to her legend, when Caesarea in Cappadocia, where St. Basil was bishop, was besieged by enemies, he collected money and precious jewelry in order to offer them to the enemy as a ransom and stop the siege. The enemies eventually left on their own. and then the saint ordered to bake many pies, each of which baked coins or jewelry, and distribute them to poor people.

Vasilopita with a coin are sold at the end of December in all shops, supermarkets and bakeries in Greece - but of course the homemade one is considered the best.

13th salary

In ancient Rome, on January 1, consuls took office and there was a tradition of giving them gifts of money. Subsequently, on this day, the Roman rulers began to give sums of money to all their subordinates. With the transfer of the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium, this custom also passed there. According to Roman tradition, schools were closed on these days and teachers received philodorima (φιλοδώρημα) - a sum of money as a gift. Thus, the traditions of New Year's payments - the 13th salary, now accepted in many countries, are of Roman-Byzantine origin.
In Greece, at the end of December, all civil servants receive an additional monthly salary, but all private services consider it their duty to pay it to their employees. In all taxis these days, pieces of paper indicating the amount are pasted next to the taximeter. δώρο (expensive)- a gift that you have to pay plus the fact that the taximeter chimed. What do you have to pay these days to everyone who works for you - let's say housekeepers. In fact, almost the entire amount of what they pay you can scatter into what you have to pay.

Calendars

Greece adopted a new style - orthodox new calendar julian calendar( it coincides now with the Catholic Gregorian and will coincide for a few more centuries - then they will disperse again.)

In the Julian calendar, it is calculated that the Resurrection of Christ should take place after the Jewish Passover-Pesach, as it was in reality. The Gregorian calendar, which Catholics adhere to, no longer pays attention to such a *detail* and Catholic Easter often happens there before the Jewish one.

The new style of the Yulin calendar has been brought into line with astronomical reality - 13 days of difference have accumulated over several centuries of its use. Therefore, all church holidays in Greece are 13 days earlier than their Russian counterparts - including Christmas on December 25th.

But here is the pre-Easter period - Lent begins at the same time for both the Novostilists and the Old Calendarists - Easter and the week after Easter always coincide.
The true value of the tropical year corresponds to 365 days, 5 hours. 48 minutes and 45.51″ seconds. The calendar adopted in ancient Rome during the reign of Emperor Numa Pompilius had 355 days, i.e. there was a difference of 11 days with the tropical year. To correct this difference, an extra month called marcedonius was inserted, having 22 or 23 days. In this month, payments were made to all mercenaries and cash balances were summed up. Within 4 years, the total number of days reached 1465, and thus the average length of the year became 366 and Ό days, which again exceeded the tropical year by one day.

To correct this mistake, a special law was issued, giving the right to the Roman rulers to change the duration of the month of marcedonius, depending on the need. But the rulers very often used this law in their own interests - to set up for their election campaign or the payment of taxes. Thus, by 46 BC. there was already a difference of three months with the tropical year, and the harvest festivals fell at the end of winter. To correct the horrendous difference the Roman emperor Julius Caesar turned to the famous Alexandrian astronomer Sosigenes with the aim of creating calendar with leap years, called the Julian.

But by the 16th century, a difference of 13 days had again accumulated and Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar - Gregorian(which also does not exactly correspond to the tropical year - every 400 approximately years it loses 1 day and five hours).

The introduction of the new Gregorian calendar began by the Catholic Church in 1582, was accepted in different countries of Europe at different times, and was almost completed by the beginning of the 20th century.
Eastern local Orthodox churches have never accepted it. But by the 20th century, secular authorities throughout Europe adopted a new astronomical calendar, brought into line with astronomical reality.
Taking into account the current situation, the Local Orthodox Churches created in 1919 a commission that decided to place the responsibility for resolving the issue of updating the calendar on the *first among equals* Constantinople throne. In Greece, the church continued to use the old Julian calendar, but when a new calendar was introduced by royal decree in 1923, a decision was made to update the Julian calendar and bring it into line with astronomical reality - without touching the calculation of Paschalia, which remained the same.
The throne of Constantinople agreed with this decision and in 1924 Patriarch Gregory VII of Constantinople (irony of fate...) published the decision to switch his church to the New Julian calendar.
In Greece palioimerologites - Old Calendarists played the role of schismatics. The decision to switch to the New Julian calendar is at the council, and everyone who does not obey the decisions of the councils of the local church, according to church terminology, becomes a schismatic.
In Greece, the New Julian calendar has already become customary, and ordinary people who are not familiar with the subtleties of the Church know only that Palioimerologites - the Old Calendarists - are some kind of schismatics. But at the same time, it respects the old style in other countries, if the church there has deemed it necessary to preserve it.

With the feast of the Epiphany, the period of the Twelve Day Feasts ends. It symbolizes the first appearance of Christ to the world and His baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist. In Greece, Theophania (Theophany) is also called Τα Φώτα (Ta Fota - Light) - the Light revealed by Christ to the world. On this day, the consecration of water in churches also takes place.

Also according to the custom on this day, the priest throws the cross into the nearest body of water - a river, lake or sea, and many swimmers rush after him - the one who first raises it is considered to be lucky.

Throughout the Twelve-day holidays until the day of the Epiphany, it is believed that around you can meet many calicanzdaro (καλικάντζαρος)- demons that come to the surface of the earth on the day of Christmas to harm people, and disappear on the day of the Epiphany. In many villages you can find mummers who portray them.

Copyright © Atena Boutsiani 2007.

Greek Orthodox Christians. But the New Year holidays for them, unlike the Russians, begin on Christmas, December 25th. The fact is that they celebrate it according to the Gregorian calendar, which is almost 2 weeks earlier than according to the Julian calendar.

More than 90% of the country's population is Orthodox. Therefore, in the tradition of the Greeks, the concept of "Christmas holidays" is embedded. The New Year is called Saint Basil's Day. It is celebrated widely and massively. Behind him is no less important holiday - Epiphany (January 7).

Everyone who travels to Greece to celebrate Christmas and New Year should be prepared to spend their holidays in an unusual and fun way. Tourists in this country are welcome and gladly demonstrate all the Christmas and New Year customs. The Greeks have similar traditions with Russian ones. For example, gifts are expected from St. Basil in the same way as from our kind Grandfather Frost. But he puts them not under the Christmas tree, but in shoes put out the door, filling them with sweets.

Preparing for Christmas begins long before it arrives. Shop windows and street cafes are decorated with festive garlands in November. They also decorate houses by hanging bright lights on the windows. Beautiful lighting is present in every yard.

Dress up for Christmas not only Christmas trees, but also ships. Greece is a country where the sea and sea fishing are revered. The ship is a symbol of a happy life filled with joys and bliss. On the streets, squares and in the houses of the Greeks, next to the Christmas trees, there are the most beautiful ships, the sails of which are filled with the wind. The tradition of decorating boats originated much earlier than the custom of putting up Christmas trees, which were recognized in the country in the middle of the 19th century. The Christmas tree stood at the court of King Otto, and the capital of Greece at that time was Nafplio. Its squares were also decorated with green beauties.

Christmas caroling is customary. Children go from house to house, sing Christmas carols to the accompaniment of metal triangles and receive candy and money for this. They come to all the neighbors, go to every shop. Give them gifts and godparents. The tradition of going to church with godparents around Christmas has been preserved to this day.

is a great time for those tourists who want to make unforgettable gifts for their relatives. It is at this time that every store lowers prices to such an extent that literally everything can be afforded. But do not take presents to the hotel by taxi if you do not want to waste your capital. During this period, drivers greatly increase the cost of travel. Waiters of cafes and bars also want to receive Christmas gifts in the form of increased amounts of cash fees.

At the same time, in each of the cities, especially in Athens, there are a lot of people. Everyone wants to visit Greece. During the Christmas holidays, the weather pleases locals and tourists with warmth. The climate in this country is quite mild. January is considered by Greeks to be the coldest month of the year. The average temperature during this period drops to +10. At night - up to +3. Precipitation is possible. Some daredevils swim in the sea, but you should not do this if you are not engaged in winter swimming. The water temperature only reaches +16.

Everyone who came to this country during the Christmas holidays will get acquainted with another unique tradition - the exchange of cameras. Pieces of fruit are strung on small skewers. Most often, these are bananas, apples, oranges, figs, and candles are attached on top.

In the family of every self-respecting Greek, on the first day of the new year, the following ritual is performed: the head takes the juiciest and largest pomegranate fruit and throws it against a strong wall. After that, all members watch how the grains scattered and whether they survived. The more scattered they are in different directions, the happier and richer the coming year will be.

Gifts in Greece do it in a unique way. Just before the celebration, neighbors and relatives present huge wicker baskets to each other. They are filled with bottles of expensive, elite wines, and decks of cards are placed between them. There is another New Year's tradition. A cobblestone is placed in front of the neighbor's door. Its size and severity depend on what wish is made. If the stone is large, the neighbor will be rich, small - to the absence of troubles and hardships.

Secular holiday. Christmas traditions during this period fade into the background. A lot of people come out to the squares of Greek cities, performances are arranged, the main characters of which are costumed actors, and wine flows like a river in restaurants, musicians play national instruments, sirtaki dance everywhere.

On the tables are fried piglets with baked potatoes. This is a traditional Greek New Year dish. The inhabitants of the islands often bake a turkey, generously seasoning it with wine sauce. During the celebrations, children and adults eat spicy cookies. It is soaked in honey or various syrups. Favorite Greek sweet is vasilopita. It's a pie with a coin inside. It is decorated with a variety of nuts with braided dough, berries. If the head of the family gets the coin, the year will be fertile and successful, but the first piece is reserved for St. Basil, and the second is left within the walls of the house for good luck and prosperity. The head of the family gets the third piece. Next, the pie is distributed by seniority. The youngest child gets a treat at the end.

On the eve of the festive night, the Greeks guess a lot. This is usually done by unmarried women. Wanting to see their betrothed in a dream, they put a piece of pie that they received at the table at the head of the bed.

The Greeks also adhere to certain rules of prohibitions during the celebrations. It is unacceptable to raise your voice, drink coffee (even grind it is prohibited). There is a custom not to let four-legged friends into the dwelling, whose coat has a black color. This color of dogs is considered devilish. And yet, when the hostess accidentally breaks a glass or a plate, it is customary to coax St. Basil with the most tasty morsel from the New Year's table. Breaking dishes among the Greeks is an unlucky omen.

Christmas and New Year are family holidays. Holidays are spent at home with family. This sweet time is full of pleasant impressions and gifts.

Philosophy and tourism in Greece

Roman Agora

The “pearl” of this valuable archaeological and historical find is rightfully considered to be the Odeon. Places for spectators paved with marble, arches and columns fascinate and attract the eye.

Ancient Macedonia, from savages to conquerors.

This name, according to giving, he owes to the name of the mythical character Pelops, the son of Tantalus and the grandson of Zeus. Leaving Asia Minor, his native city of Lydia and possessing great treasures, Pelops reached the shores of Elis and settled in the city of Pis.

Theater in Ancient Greece

Crete.City of Heraklion

When planning your trip to Crete, be sure to pay attention to the city of Heraklion, located on the northern coast of the island. The city is named after the legendary Hercules, whose exploits caused fear and reverence among the ancient Greeks. Heraklion was founded near the center of the once powerful Minoan civilization, the city of Knossos, famous for its mysterious labyrinth, luxurious royal palace and the terrible monster Minotaur.