In 354 a.d. it was arranged for the birth of Jesus Christ to be celebrated at the same time as the birth of Mirtha (the invincible sun god) on December 25th. As people started turning to other gods the popularity of Mirtha decreased. Now the day is celebrated in the name of Jesus Christ.
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| Picture of ship |
Why is Christmas celebrated in Greece? I learned that on Christmas day the Greeks celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and St. Nicholas " the patron saint of the sailors." According to Greek tradition he comes in with his beard dripping with seawater, his clothes are drenched in brine, and he has sweat on his face from working so hard by helping sailors against the angry sea. The Greek ships never ever left the port without some sort of St. Nicholas icon on board.
How is Christmas in Greece celebrated? In Greece Christmas is a 12 day period. This period of time starts on December 25 and ends on January 6th. On January 6th the Greek have a feast commemorating St. Nicholas day. The Greek serve the traditional meal on December 24th this meal is stuffed turkey. They also go a caroling on Christmas eve, New Years, and January 5th. Like most countries some Greek people decorate Christmas trees!
Do you know all their is to know about Greek Christmas? Here are some interesting facts about Greek Christmas:
- Shallow wooden bowls are the major symbols of Christmas celebrations.
- Usually people in Greece don't buy Christmas trees.
- While caroling, if children sang well they were sometimes given money, dried fruit, nuts and sweets to eat.
- Over 8 million tourists go to Greece every year.
- Some people believe that during the 12 days of Christmas goblins appear and do mischievous things.
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| Merry Christmas |
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