In Greece, Christmas traditions include decorating small boats in honor of St. Nicholas, though decorating trees is becoming more common. Santa Claus, known as Saint Basil, brings gifts on New Year's Eve. During Christmas season, mythical hobgoblins called kallikantzari emerge and play tricks before disappearing on Epiphany. People cut a coin-filled cake called Vasilopita on New Year's Eve, believing the finder will have good luck. Children sing carols from house to house, traditionally rewarded with sweets and dried fruits. Greeks anticipate Christmas feasts after 40 days of fasting and enjoy traditional sweets. Rituals like first footing and breaking a pomegranate symbol

1. Christmas customs in Greece

2. There are many customs associated with the Christmas
holidays, some of which are relatively recent, borrowed
from other parts of the world . In the past, Greeks
decorated small Christmas boats in honour of St. Nicholas
but today, they are increasingly choosing to decorate
trees instead of boats, although there some people who are
trying to revive this age-old Christmas tradition.

3. .Santa Claus brings children presents on New Year's Eve. Santa
Claus is Saint Basil in Greece: gifts are exchanged on St. Basil's Day
(January 1). On this day the "renewal of waters" also takes place, a
ritual in which all water jugs in the house are emptied and refilled
with new "St. Basil's Water’

4. Greece’s hobgoblins are called "kallikántzari”, friendly but
troublesome little creatures . Kallikantzari live deep
down inside the earth and come to surface only during
the 12-day period from Christmas until Epiphany. While
on the earth’s surface, they love to hide in houses,
frightening people. There are different rituals performed
to keep hobgoblins away. Kallikantzari disappear on the
day of Epiphany and they return to the earth’s core.

5. People cut a Christmas cake, called Vasilopita on
New Year”s Eve.If you find the lucky coin ,you will
be lucky all year long.

6. ‘Bread of Christ’ or Christopsomo is ia sweet yeast bread,
and is characteristically decorated with the symbol of the
cross . Sometimes symbols arecarved on the surface of the
bread and they are associated with the livelihood of the
family. For instance, if agriculture is the primary activity of a
given family, their Christopsomo might bear symbols that
relate to agrarian activities,.

7. On the day and evening before Christmas and New Year's, children
sing the equivalent of carols (kalanda) from house to house. These
kalandas bless the house. Often the songs are accompanied by
small metal triangles.Nowadays children are frequently rewarded
with money but in the past they were rewarded with sweets and
dried fruits.

8. After 40 days of fasting, the Christmas feast is looked
forward to with great anticipation by adults and
children alike. People have Christmas dinners and
women prepare traditional sweets like
‘’Melomakarona’’ and ‘’Kourabiedes’’

9. There are many rituals for good luck: The so-called “podarikó” (first
footing), and the “breaking of the pomegranate” are the most
characteristic. According to tradition, it is believed that the first person
to enter the house on New Year’s Eve brings either good luck or bad
luck.
The pomegranate carries heavy symbolic meanings representing
prosperity, abundance in the family.On New Year's Day, Greeks break a
pomegranate on the doorstep before entering their houses .