https://padlet.com/katarzyna_sikora12345/l05a304o8bby en-us 2018-01-02 19:56:31 UTC 2025-09-24 01:56:05 UTC hello@padlet.com katarzyna_sikora12345 https://padlet.com/katarzyna_sikora12345/l05a304o8bby/wish/218395009 In Greece, Christmas is Χριστούγεννα. When we want to wish someone 'Merry Christmas', we say Καλά Χριστούγεννα.]]> 2018-01-02 19:57:36 UTC https://padlet.com/katarzyna_sikora12345/l05a304o8bby/wish/218395009 katarzyna_sikora12345 https://padlet.com/katarzyna_sikora12345/l05a304o8bby/wish/218396247  Christopsomo 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. ]]> 2018-01-02 20:03:59 UTC https://padlet.com/katarzyna_sikora12345/l05a304o8bby/wish/218396247 katarzyna_sikora12345 https://padlet.com/katarzyna_sikora12345/l05a304o8bby/wish/218396851  The main Christmas meal is often lamb or pork, roasted in an oven or over an open spit. It's often served with a spinach and cheese pie and various salads and vegetables. Other Christmas and new year foods include 'Baklava' (a sweet pastry made of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey), Kataifi (a pastry made from a special form of shredded filo dough and flavored with nuts and cinnamon), Theeples (a kind of fried pastry). The pastries are either eaten for breakfast or as starters. Another popular Christmas dessert are melomakarono, egg or oblong shaped biscuit/cakes made from flour, olive oil, and honey and rolled in chopped walnuts. ]]> 2018-01-02 20:07:50 UTC https://padlet.com/katarzyna_sikora12345/l05a304o8bby/wish/218396851 katarzyna_sikora12345 https://padlet.com/katarzyna_sikora12345/l05a304o8bby/wish/218399302  Due to the nature of the Christian Orthodox religion, Christmas is a very religious holiday in Greece. The season starts of with Saint Nicolas day and continues with many other saints' days up till Christmas. In Greece, presents are often brought to children by Aghios Vassilis / Άγιος Βασίλης (Saint Basil) on the 1st January.]]> 2018-01-02 20:25:55 UTC https://padlet.com/katarzyna_sikora12345/l05a304o8bby/wish/218399302 katarzyna_sikora12345 https://padlet.com/katarzyna_sikora12345/l05a304o8bby/wish/219142413 * On Christmas Eve, children, especially boys, often go out singing 'kalanda' (carols) in the streets. They play drums and triangles as they sing. Sometimes they will also carry model boats decorated with nuts which are painted gold. Carrying a boat is a very old custom in the Greek Islands.

* Christmas Trees are popular in Greece. But an older and more traditional decoration is a shallow wooden bowl with a piece of wire suspended across the rim. A sprig of basil wrapped around a wooden cross and hangs from the wire. Some water is kept in the bowl to keep the basil alive and fresh. Once a day someone, usually the mother of the family, dips the cross and basil into some holy water and uses it to sprinkle water in each room of the house. This is believed to keep the 'kallikantzaroi' Καλλικάντζαρος (bad spirits) away. The kallikantzaroi are meant to appear only during the 12-day period from Christmas to Epiphany (January 6th).  Having a fire burning through the twelve days of Christmas is also meant to keep the kallikantzaroi away. ]]> 2018-01-07 12:40:36 UTC https://padlet.com/katarzyna_sikora12345/l05a304o8bby/wish/219142413 katarzyna_sikora12345 https://padlet.com/katarzyna_sikora12345/l05a304o8bby/wish/219143122 2018-01-07 12:48:46 UTC https://padlet.com/katarzyna_sikora12345/l05a304o8bby/wish/219143122