Christmas and Its Customs
For traditional people, time is— as already mentioned—defined by its content, by lived experience. In the lives of Greek farmers during this period, cold weather predominated, sowing had come to an end, and daylight was reduced. December has the shortest days of the year. From Christmas onward, however, the days begin to grow longer. As a Greek proverb says of December: “In December, day is like greeting and farewell at once,” meaning that daylight is very brief.
Christmas is also closely connected with the sun and light. From the 22nd of December, that is, from the winter solstice, the sun’s declination begins to decrease; as a result, the Northern Hemisphere—where Greece is located—receives more light, and the days gradually become longer.
The celebration of Christ’s birthday was established on December 25th by Christians, and gradually spread throughout the Roman Empire, both East and West. The aim was to supplant the Persian god Mithras, god of the sun and light. Mithras’ birthday, “the Nativity of the Invincible Sun,” was celebrated on December 25th. This Christian celebration was associated with the Saturnalia, an ancient agricultural festival that became one of the most important Roman holidays, celebrated from December 17th to 23rd. The connection between Christ and the sun is also reflected in Christmas hymns: “You have risen, Christ, from the Virgin, O intellectual Sun of Righteousness.” Initially, Christ’s birth was celebrated on January 6th, together with His baptism. In 378 AD, Christmas was celebrated for the first time in Constantinople as a distinct feast.
The cycle of customs during the Twelve Days of Christmas begins on Christmas Eve and ends on Epiphany, with the Blessing of the Waters. Heralding Christmas are the groups of children who sing kalanta (Christmas carols). The kalanta begin with the story of Christ’s birth, continue with praises for the household and its members, and end with a request for a small gift or reward. In some regions of Greece, the kalanta recount Christ’s birth as if celebrating the birth of a child:
For example, in Zagori, Epirus, on Christmas morning they make “spárgana”—pancakes with many walnuts—which are traditionally offered to anyone visiting a new mother. The Twelve Days between Christ’s birth and His baptism constitute a special period of time. Just as special precautions were taken in traditional society for unbaptized infants and new mothers—to protect them because they were considered vulnerable and potentially at risk—the time between Christ’s birth and baptism was regarded as a period of disorder affecting the entire traditional community.
Christmas is primarily a family celebration, gathering family members around a common table, where they cut the Christopsomo (Christ’s bread), decorated with walnuts and dough designs. In Macedonia and other regions, they prepared cabbage and pork stuffed rolls (dolmadakia or sarmades), often accompanied by celery, leeks, or spinach (also called spárgana tou Christou, referring to how they were wrapped in cabbage), while in other areas, they would slaughter a chicken and make soup. Turkey is a more recent addition to the Christmas table.
Center for the Study of Greek Folklore
