Christmas Customs in Greece

St. Nicholas is important in Greece as the patron saint of sailors. According to
Greek tradition, his clothes are drenched with brine, his beard drips with
seawater, and his face is covered with perspiration because he has been working
hard against the waves to reach sinking ships and rescue them from the angry
sea, but he has nothing to do with the chrismas spirit.
To members of the Eastern Orthodox Church, as are most Greeks , Christmas ranks
second to Easter in the roster of important holidays. Yet there are a number of
unique customs associated with Christmas that are uniquely Greek. On Christmas
Eve, children travel from house to house offering good wishes and singing
kalanda, the equivalent of carols. Often the songs are accompanied by small
metal triangles and little clay drums. The children are rewarded with sweets or
money. After 40 days of fasting, the Christmas feast is looked forward to with
great anticipation by adults and children alike. Pigs are slaughtered and on
almost every table are loaves of christopsomo ("Christ Bread"). This bread is
made in large sweet loaves of various shapes and the crusts are engraved and
decorated in some way that reflects the family's profession.
Christmas trees are not commonly used in Greece. In almost every home the main
symbol of the season is a shallow wooden bowl with a piece of wire is suspended
across the rim; from that hangs a sprig of basil wrapped around a wooden cross.
A small amount of water is kept in the bowl to keep the basil alive and fresh.
There are a number of beliefs connected with the Killantzaroi, which are a
species of goblins or sprites who appear only during the 12-day period from
Christmas to the Epiphany (January 6). These creatures are believed to emerge
from the center of the earth and to slip into people's house through the
chimney. More mischievous than actually evil, the Killantzaroi do things like
extinguish fires, ride astride people's backs, braid horses' tails, and sour the
milk. To further repel the undesirable sprites, the hearth is kept burning day
and night throughout the twelve days.
Gifts are exchanged on St.Basil's (Santa Clauss) Day (January 1) and in the
night of the 31th to the 1ist, Greeks are cutting the "basilopitta (St Basil‹s
pie) in wich there is a lucky coin, the person who found it has good luck all
the new year.
On the 6th of Janyary (Epiphany), the day of the "Lights", the "renewal of
waters" also takes place, a ritual in which all water jugs in the house are
emptied and refilled after young divers jumped in the waters to find the Holy
Cross. that a pope had thown away. Once a day, a family member, usually the
mother, dips the cross and basil into some holy water and uses it to sprinkle
water in each room of the house.


Christmas bread

1 ts Freshly ground cloves 4 1/2 c Semolina flour 3 Oranges 6 Tangerines 3 tb
Freshly ground cinnamon 1/4 c Golden Raisins 1/4 c Walnuts, chopped 1 tb
Freshly ground anise 1 tb Freshly ground coriander 1 tb Ground Cardamom1 c Olive
oil, mild 4 pk Active dry yeast 2 1/4 c Sugar 4 c All-purpose flour 1/4 ts
Salt1/2 c Hot water, just above body temperature

Make the flavoring addition first. Combine the semolina flour, sugar, cinnamon,
cardamom, anise, coriander, and cloves in a bowl and add the finely grated zests
of the oranges and tangerines. Squeeze some of the oranges and tangerines.
Squeeze some of the oranges and tangerines to obtain 1 1/4 cups juice. Use half
this juice to soak the raisins for a minimum of 1 hour, preferably overnight.
Put the remaining juice in a pan with the olive oil. Heat until almost boiling.
Pour this into a bowl with the semolina and spice mixture and stir. Cover and
leave overnight until needed.
Next day, combine the dried yeast with the sugar and hot water in a cup. Put the
flour in a bowl, making a well in the center. Pour in the yeast mixture. Squeeze
2/3 cup more orange and tangerine juice, warm it, nad add. Work to a smooth
dough, adding more water and warm juice if necessary. Put the dough into an
oiled bowl, cover with a cloth, and leave to rise in a warm place until almost
doubled in size - about an hour.
Punch down the dough in a bowl. Combine the drained raisins with the semolina
and spice mixture and, working with your hands, combine with the dough. Turn the
dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, adding more flour if the
dough is sticky.
Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Oil 3 loaf pans, each 1-1/2 quart
capacity. Shape each piece to fit the length of the pan and fit them in, so the
corners are well filled. Cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place
until almost double in size - another hour.
Bake in an oven preheated to 350 F for 1 hour and 10 minutes or more; the loaves
should be rich brown color and make a hollow sound when the unmolded bread is
thumped on the bottom. Leave on a rack to cool. 2 1/4 c Sugar

Christmas Cookies
(Kourabiedes)

1 lb Sweet Butter (room temp) 1 c Blanched Almonds -finely chopped 3/4 c
Powdered Sugar 2 ts Vanilla 4 c Powdered Sugar (addition fo 2 ts Brandy ) 4 1/2
c Flour

Whip butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar, vanilla and
brandy. Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a time and fold in nuts. Use a teaspoon
amount and shape into balls, ovals or cresents.
Place on ungreased cookie sheets (will not spread). Bake 20 minutes in a
preheated 350oF oven. DO NOT BROWN. Sift powdered sugar on plate and coat
cookies completely while warm.

The big secret to succeed the cookies it's to use some (3 Tbs ) of ash water (
cleen wood ash from your fire place that you boil in some water and then filter
very carefully).

Honey Cookies (Melomakarona)

1 Orange; grated rind only 1 c Butter 6 c Plain flour 3/4 c Caster sugar 4 ts
Baking powder 3/4 c Maize or peanut oil 3/4 c Orange juice 1 tb Honey 1 1/2 c
Finely chopped walnuts 2 ts Orange juice 2 dr Almond essence 1 1/2 ts Ground
cinnamon
Syrup1 c Sugar 1 1/2 ts Lemon juice 1 c Water 1 Thin strip of lemon rind 1/2
Cinnamon stick 1/4 c Honey

Beat butter and sugar with orange rind until creamy. Gradually add oil and
continue beating until mixture is very light and fluffy.
Stir in flour alternately with orange juice. Knead dough lightly with hands for
1 minute.
Take a scant tablespoon of dough and flatten it a little.
Shape into ovals, pinching ends to a point. Decorate tops with tines of fork or
by crimping cookies diagonally across top in four rows with special crimper, or
leave them plain.
Place on lightly greased baking trays and bake in a moderate oven (180 C -350 F)
for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
Dip in boiling syrup (boil the ingredients together), four at a time, turning
cookies once. Leave in syrup 10 seconds in all, longer if well-soaked cookies
are preferred.
Lift out onto a plate and leave until cool.
Sprinkle tops with crushed walnuts or toasted sesame seeds and cinnamon. Only
those which are to be served should be dipped; store remainder in an airtight
container and dip when required.

New Year Bread ( Vasilopita)

1/4 ts Salt 1 pk Active dry yeast 1/2 ts Ground cinnamon 3/4 c Milk; lukewarm
1/4 ts Ground masticha 3 Eggs; beaten 1/2 c Butter; melted 1 1/2 ts Grated
orange rind 1 Egg; for glazing 3/4 c Caster sugar Blanched split almonds 4 1/2 c
Plain flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of the milk. Add remainder of milk, eggs, orange rind
and sugar. Sift 3 cups flour, salt and spice into a warm bowl and make a well in
the centre. Pour in yeast mixture and stir to blend in flour, gradually adding
warm melted butter. Mix dough with hands until it comes away from sides. Turn on
to a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding remaining flour
as required. Knead for 10 minutes. Place ball of dough in a clean bowl brushed
with melted butter. Turn dough over to coat top with butter and cover bowl with
a cloth or plastic wrap. Leav to prove (rise) in a warm place until doubled in
bulk. Punch down and turn on to lightly floured surface. Knead lightly and shape
into a round loaf. Place on a large greased baking sheet or in a greased 25 cm
(10 inch) deep cake tin. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled -
about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Glaze with well-beaten egg and arrange blanched almonds in numbers to denote the
New Year, pressing in lightly. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 45 minutes
until golden brown and cooked when tested. If bread browns too quickly place a
piece of greased brown paper on top.
Cool on a wire rack.
New Year Bread is traditionally cut at midnight on New Year's Eve
After baking, a coin is inserted through a slit in the base. The person who
finds the coin will have luck in the New Year. Long ago the coin used to be a
gold one, then later a silver coin was used.These could be incorporated into the
dough before baking.