In ancient Greece, people welcomed the spring through a custom called "The Swallow Song" celebrated on March 1st. Children would carry images of swallows around the neighborhood singing a song about the return of the swallows and the end of winter. They would ask for treats as they sang. Now school children in Greece continue the tradition by making paper swallows and singing the song as they visit shops and gather sweets in their neighborhood.

1. Since ancient times people in Greece used to say goodbye
to winter and welcome spring through the custom of
THE SWALLOW SONG .
On March 1st children holding an image of a swallow
go around the neighbourhood ,sing the swallow song and
ask people for treats.
The song more or less goes like that:
(both in modern and ancient Greek)
Ήρθε, ήρθε χελιδόνα, Here comes the swallow
Ήρθε κι άλλη μεληδόνα, Sit and speak
Κάθιςε και λάληςε, And sweetly sing.
Και γλυκά κελάηδηςε: My dear March
«Μάρτη , Μάρτη μου καλέ, And February bad
και Φλεβάρη φοβερέ, Whatever you do
κι αν φλεβίςεισ κι αν τςακίςεισ, Spring will bloom
καλοκαίρι θα μυρίςεισ. Ηλθ΄ήλθε η χελιδών
Κι αν χιονίςεισ, κι αν κακίςεισ, καλάσ ώρασ άγουςα
πάλιν άνοιξη θ’ ανθίςεισ» καλούσ ενιαυτούσ
επί γαςτέρι λευκά
επί νώτα μέλαινα…...

2. Our students made their own swallows

16. They gathered in the schoolyard and went out in the neighbourhood

25. As they were passing outside shops and houses they sang the swallow song and
people gave them sweets.

38. They stopped at Saint Andrew’s Church and at Kalliga Square