In Greece, Christmas traditions include decorating ships rather than trees due to Greece's naval history. On Christmas Eve, children sing carols in the morning outside houses and stores to receive money or candy. Families celebrate Christmas Eve with a rich dinner that may include stuffed turkey, pork, lamb, potatoes, spinach or cheese pie, salads, and wine. On New Year's Eve, children also sing carols to receive money, and families cut and share a special vasilopita cake, where finding a coin inside means good luck for the year.

2.  People
in Greece decorate
Christmas trees but in the past
they were decorating a ship.
This is because Greece has a
long navy tradition that still
lasts.

3. 

In our country
Christmas is a very
special day..
Schools close on 23rd
of December. Houses
and streets are already
decorated. Children of
the age of 6-14 years
become members of
small groups that on
Christmas Eve, early
in the morning, will
sing a special song
(carols) outside of
every house or store.
Every housewife will
offer them money and
maybe some candies.

4. 
Children sing these carols on
Christmas Eve in the morning…

“Χριστός γεννάται σήμερον εν Βηθλεέμ
την πόλη, οι ουρανοί αγάλλονται,
χαίρει η φύσις όλη”
= Christ is born
today in Bethlehem, the sky
celebrates, the whole nature
celebrates…

8. 
At midnight, everybody stays
at home with his family or
visits another family. A rich
dinner waits for all guests:
Stuffed turkey, pork or lamb
with potatoes baked in the
oven, spinach pie or cheese
pie, salads, many sorts of
cheese and good wine. Next
morning, the Christmas
Liturgy begins at 5 o’clock
and it last 3 hours…In some
places after returning from
the church (on Christmas
day) people have a
delicious chicken soup!

9. TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS DISHES
ROAST TURKEY

10. ROAST LAMB WITH POTATOES

11. CABBAGE ROLLS

12. “KOURABIEDES”
made with butter and almonds…

13. “ΜΕLOMAKARONA”
They are cookies made with cinamon, walnuts
and syrup with honey. Everybody loves it!

14. “BAKLAVAS”

15. “VASSILOPITA”
(the New Year’s cake)

16. 
Agios Vasilis(saint
Vasilis) was a bishop in
Caesaria, he was kind
and he was helping
poor people. The
Greek church
celebrates his memory
on January 1st and
he’s a saint. This is why
in Greece Agios Vasilis
brings presents on
New Year’s Eve and
not on Christmas…

17. 

On the eve of the first January, the children sing,
once more, carols out of each house to get some
more pocket-money.
On midnight we all welcome the New Year. It’s the
time to cut into pieces a special cake, called
vassilopita, that is the pie of “Agios Vasilis”(the
Greek Santa). So the New Year’s day is the name
day of “Vasilis”(male) and “Vasiliki”(female).The
lucky person who finds in his piece a coin hidden in
the cake, will be lucky for the whole year.

18. 
Every place in Greece has its own
traditional carols. These carols come
from a Greek island, Rhodes!
Children sing carols like these on
New Year’s Eve to give wishes for a
Happy New Year to friends, family or
neighbors.The actual words of the
carols praise the owner of the
house, so the kids get some more
pocket money!

20. In Greece we cut the “vassilopita”
(right after the year’s change.A man
uses a knife to shape a cross on the
pie before cutting it into pieces. The
first piece is for Christ, the second for
Virgin Mary, the third for “Agios
Vasilis”(Saint Vasilis), the fourth for
the house and then each member of
the family gets their own piece. There
is one last piece for the poor.
Whoever finds the coin in his piece is
the lucky guy of the year and the
family usually gives him a present or
money! If the hidden coin is found in
the piece of Christ, Virgin Mary or
Saint Vassilis, then the money is given
to church. If it is found in the piece of
the poor the family gives the money to
a beggar.