Conventional wisdom says Christmas is not as big a holiday in Greece as Easter. Compared to the US and many other countries this is probably true. Easter here not only has the huge religious significance--as it does elsewhere--it is one of the traditional family reunion times. Usually held in good weather I have heard it described as Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Easter in one holiday.
Christmas is gaining ground in Greece, however, especially in the amount of
decorations. The smaller villages like our Aliki all have decorated street
lights and there are a scattering of houses with exterior decorations. In early
November we were quite surprised at the large stacks of Christmas lights on
sale.
I will describe some of the events on our island and then a bit about the
capital, Athens.
The first week of December we have the annual Bazaar put on by the volunteer
organizations as well as the official tree lighting in
Parikia. Doesn't that all
sound like Christmas elsewhere?
The Charity
Bazaar is quite well organised and very well attended due to participation by
all the youth groups and other island organizations. On sale is everything from
home-made baked goods to Greek pop music calendars as well as second-hand junk.
Our friend Patricia who also runs her own bazaar in Aliki does quite well with
her chutneys and specialty jams.
Karin spent time examining the hand-made jewelry while I checked out the main
"grab bag" booth. For 5 Euro you got two chances at a dazzling array of
prizes--from a new bicycle, used computer, to countless bottles of wine and bags
of cookies. I should have been clued-in by the still large assortment on the
last night, but I thought with so much available surely I will get something for
my fiver. Wrong! I drew two blank pieces of paper. So the universal phrase comes
to mind: Oh, well. It's for a good cause.
We were surprised how similar the lighting of the town Christmas Tree was to
others we have been to, yet pleasantly different in a Greek way.
The manger or crèche contained school children dressed elaborately for their
roles. The carols had familiar tunes with Greek words. The brass band were in
their one and only uniform, that is the same one they wear on
Oxi Day and other formal occasions. The Mayor's speech was
surprisingly short. Santa Claus was a minor figure; the emphasis was on the
birth of Christ.
We were very impressed when two men lifted two of the younger manger characters
to the stage who then spoke out loud and clear with prepared speeches that were
several sentences long. These were pre-schoolers who were not affected by the
crowd or the microphone and knew their parts perfectly.
We were also impressed when the tree lights came on. Before we had only noticed
a string of large bulbs, yet the tree was completely covered with small lights.
The large bulbs were just flashing blue highlights. The amazement was that
coming on all at once they didn't blow a fuse for the whole town!
By the way, most people know that the buildings in the Cyclades are 95% blue and
white. I find it interesting that blue lighting is as popular here as our
English traditional red and green.
The
highlight for Karin and I is all the music programs. Our island of Paros is
blessed with two active art schools that produce programs at the end of each
term. So, for example, the week before Christmas there are three choral concerts
being presented. The venue is usually one of the smaller churches so the beauty
and acoustics lend a lot to the quality of the voices.
We enjoy our quiet, non-commercial Christmas on our small island of Paros. For those who want more excitement and pizazz it is an easy trip to Athens. We did that in 2003 and Karin wrote an evocative article about it. You can read it here.
Athens city centre is very festive at this time of year. Our descriptions and pictures don’t give the full flavour of all the entertainment provided on the streets. There were countless unofficial performers, even a band from the Andes in South America, fun holiday booths, food galore and the tradition we have not seen elsewhere of Santa Clauses with ponies to ride. You have to be there to appreciate the glory and joy that one feels when surrounded by thousands of people all having a fun time.
This is
from the 2005 official press release:
“Our motto this year is ‘Christmas lights, trees and friends, the party in
Athens never ends’ and we invite all to join in the fun - to dance, play and
celebrate! The party begins on December 15, when the Christmas tree at Syntagma
Square will be lit, and continues through to January 8.
On December 17, Kotzia Square will come alive in the form of the Land of Gifts
and Goodies. It will feature 52 miniature log cabins full of Christmas
decorations and gift ideas, a Christmas tree and a second carousel.
At the Zappeion Gardens, one will encounter ‘The Crystal City’ and within this
wonderland is a 450-square metre ice-rink where all are welcome to test their
skills on the ice.
On December 21, Omonia Square will get into the spirit of the season as the
Sparkling Tree, a beautiful white Christmas tree adorned with thousands of
shimmering lights, is illuminated.
And finally, the New Year’s Eve concert at Kotzia Square promises to be a
rousing celebration with an exclusively Greek flavour.”
So from Karin and Michael on our Paros Paradise
ΚΑΛΑ
ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥΓΕΝΝΑ
ΚΑΙ
ΚΑΛΗ ΧΡΟΝΙΑ
If that is Greek to you, then try this:
MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND A
HAPPY NEW YEAR
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