Christmas in Greece
Christmas holidays are an indispensable part of the Greek Traditions. Generally when referring to holidays in Greece we refer to the Christmas days and the New Year. In Greece holidays last 12 days, a number not randomly chosen as it has many symbolisms for the Greeks.
The Greek Christmas traditions are now a mixture of modern Western customs and older Eastern traditions as Greece is the only Orthodox Country in Europe that celebrates Christmas officially on December 25th. In fact the Christmas traditions in Greece vary significantly based on the region and the customs of each area or even village.
ExploreCrete, the Guide for Crete is an invaluable source of information about the traditions in Greece and Crete; it offers an insight on the preparations for Christmas, as well as the several different customs that exist and are followed and adhered in Greece and Crete.
You will find information on the famous and popular Christmas sweets and cookies, the New Year Vasilopita (Feast sweet bread) and of course the very distinctive custom of Christmas Carols, and the Christmas tree, which was recently incorporated to the Greek Christmas Tradition.
You can find a very articulate and informative article on Epiphany in Greece and the touching custom of the blessing of the waters. Explore Crete also presents the various traditions in Crete, along with particular customs of the island regarding dishes and special preparations for the holidays and feasts.
Explore Crete offers a very interesting insight to the Greek Christmas traditions, recipes for several dishes and even funny and bizarre stories of Christmas and New Year holidays.
If you are interested in different customs and traditions, check the Explore Crete tribute to Christmas traditions in Greece at http://www.explorecrete.com/
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http://www.prlog.org/
