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Christmas sweets...

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Chrismas at Methana...

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Our traditional sweets...

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•Pomegranate is traditionally considered a fruit that brings good luck and prosperity. That is why it is our custom to break one every New Year’s Day to ensure good luck and prosperity for our homes. It is a tradition which dates back to ancient Greece.

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•Greece is a country which is surrounded by the sea. Therefore, on the islands and in most coastal areas people traditionally decorate the Christmas boat. The boat symbolizes man’s new journey into life after the birth of Christ. But it was also some kind of honour and welcome to our sailors when they returned from their journeys.

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•It is a custom for the children in Greece to go from door to door in groups of two or more and to sing the Christmas and New Year’s carols playing the jingle bells and/or other musical instruments. They are rewarded with money nowadays, although in the past they were given traditional sweets or other goodies.

In this photo you can see a group of musicians singing traditional greek New Year's carols.

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•Our Santa Claus is in fact St Vasilios. He is a highly respected figure of our church who served Christianity in numerous ways and was a pioneer in charity work.

•He once asked for small pies to be baked and then placed valuable jewels and coins inside collected by rich people. Then he handed out the pies to all the people in need.

•That is why it is our custom to bake our “vasilopita” on New Year’s Day and hide a coin in it.

•Whoever gets the coin is said to have good luck for the New Year. It is also the reason why children expect Santa on New Year’s Eve and we open and exchange gifts on New Year’s, when we celebrate St Vasilios’ nameday.

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Syntagma square...