- The OMILO Newsletter

Greek Language and Culture Courses

www.omilo.com

December 2014
Page 1 of 3

Dear OMILO friends,

The Christmas period started again! Since it is a time to slow
down a bit, to enjoy family moments, to have some days off and
no stress, maybe you also find some time to read this newsletter!
Before we talk about how Greeks celebrate Christmas and New
Year, just a little OMILO news! The web-site www.omilo.com is
updated with all the information for the 2015 courses. New
videos and photo albums are added as well as students
comments. If you have more questions, or you want a personal
program feel free to contact us!
Social media expands every year. Apart from Facebook and
Twitter, OMILO now also joined Pinterest. Pinterest basically
works with photos and is again another way to stay in contact with
Greece and OMILO. Hope to meet you there soon :
http://www.pinterest.com/omilohellas/
If you are still looking for a useful Christmas or New Year gift, a gift voucher is always an option!
You want to motivate your partner or friend to learn Greek? Skype lessons, private lessons,
group courses, cooking lessons.it is all possible with a OMILO gift voucher!
Time to enjoy the Christmas Holidays!
Christmas was never considered much of a holiday in Greece compared to Easter, but things
have changed a lot over the past 10 years! Most towns in Greece
are decorated with bright lights, bells, angels and other Christmas
objects. Athens in particular has responded to the revival of
Christmas, with decorations everywhere and festivities every day.
There are two sides to Christmas in Greece; one is religious,
while the other is festive and glamorous. Both of them have their
charm. According to Christmas traditions in Greece, the patron
saint of the holiday is Saint Nicolas, who is also the protector of
sailors. For this reason, you will often see boats decorated with
many sparkling lights, rather than the traditional Christmas trees.
Click here for more information about typical Christmas
decorations in Greece.

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR CAROLS, KALANTA

Like everywhere else, Christmas is the best holiday for the children. It means 2 weeks off from
school, presents, sweets, Christmas tree and Carols (Kalanta or Kalanda).
Christmas Eve is the main day of celebration. From the crack of dawn, children all over Greece
get ready for their Carols, equipped with their triangles they go all over the neighborhoods
singing the Kalanda. The Greek Christmas Carol every Greek knows is, "Kalin Imera Arhontes
." . (For the whole song, video and English translation, please click here!). After they
finish their song people will give the children some money and both sides will say the wish "Ke
tou Hronou" (Next year again). Honestly, the most beautiful sound of Christmas is the sound of
children singing and accompanying themselves with their little triangles.

 - The OMILO Newsletter

Greek Language and Culture Courses

www.omilo.com

December 2014
Page 2 of 3

Also the OMILO students practice singing. Here a known Christmas song you all will recognize,
but with Greek text! Look at the video and sing along with the teachers and other OMILO
students!
On New Year's Eve the children will sing again but
this time the New Year Carols "Arhiminia ki
Arhihronia........Agios Vasilis erhete". (Also the
OMILO students sing it on 31/12, but in the
classroom! )
On this point we must mention that for the Greeks,
Father Christmas is St. Basil of Caesarea or Agios
Vasilios and not the western Santa from the North
Pole. In both cases though the figures are the
same: with red clothes and a long white beard and
carrying presents for the children.
If you know Greece well, you know Greeks love music and singing! So there is no way to have
only 2 carols!! In every region of Greece there are other variations, other instruments,
etcClick here to hear different carols from every corner in Greece!

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY FOOD IN GREECE!

For the Greek woman, Christmas is a very busy time in the kitchen. (few Greek men are in the
kitchen, but things are changing!:)) Almost one week before
Christmas, in every Greek house, you can smell the cloves,
cinnamon and baked almonds from the Melomakarona and
Kourambiedes (see the mountain of Kourambiedes on the
picture!). Melomakarona and kourabiedes are the two varieties of
Christmas and New Year's cookies in Greece. The first are
semolina, cinnamon, and clove cookies drenched in honey, while
the second are rosewater and fresh butter cookies sprinkled with
powdered sugar that are normally served on New Year's but most
people begin to consume them much earlier.
Big trays with kourambiedes, melomakarona, nuts, oranges and
mandarines are part of the Christmas decoration of a Greek living
room.
Christopsomo (Christ bread) is the bread that is made on Christmas Eve, which has a cross
carved into the top crust before it is baked. On Christmas Day, the head of the household
makes the sign of the cross above the loaf of bread, cuts it and gives a piece to each person at
the dining table.
On Christmas day lamb and pork are roasted in ovens and on almost every table are loaves of
'christopsomo'.
In the past years, Christmas turkey has become very popular as the main dish of the
Christmas as well. No matter what the main dish is, one thing is certain: Christmas food in
Greece is delicious! If you want to make also your dinners a bit more Greek, just try some of
the delicious Greek wines as well.

 - The OMILO Newsletter

Greek Language and Culture Courses

www.omilo.com

December 2014
Page 3 of 3

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR ENTERTAINMENT

In big towns many Greeks will spend Christmas Eve with friends in bars, restaurants, or music
clubs with live music and shows. On Christmas day the Greek households will be busy with the
lunch
or
dinner
preparation,
and
families
get
together.
Since gifts are traditionally given on New Year's Eve, Christmas shopping in Greece continues
way after the 25th of December.
On New Year's Eve home entertainment concentrates mainly on card games. The reason
probably for this is the so called Guri (Luck), which means that if you win that night the New
Year will bring you luck. At 12 O'clock the lights will be switched off for a few seconds and every
one will go out to light fireworks. If it happens that the town or the village has a port the sounds
from the ships are amazing, especially in the Port of Piraeus where all the ships and ferries
hoot their sirens while the whole sky of Athens is lit up by the multicolored fireworks.
During the entire holiday period attendance in bars and clubs is very high as people go out at
night to celebrate. On New Year's Eve especially, you can't get a foot in these nightspots after
midnight, and the streets are so crowded that no car can move! The fun and excitement
continues until sunrise.
The Christmas season ends on 6 of January with the celebration of Epiphany (the three Kings)
future!and the blessing of the waters, but that is another story we will tell you soon!

We wish you a very HAPPY, GREEK and SWEET 2015!

Your OMILO team!