Although the modern approach to Christmas is celebrated across Greece, there are also many old traditions that are still followed in many parts of the country. Below are a few of the best-known.

Kallikantzaroi

According to the Greek version of the universal myth of evil spirits, our world connects to the underworld through a tree. The evil spirits, or kallikantzaroi, spend their year beneath that tree, sawing their way into the outer world. They succeed during the Twelve Days of Christmas, a period stretching from December 25 to January 6.

During this time, the kallikantzaroi rise to our world because Christ, not yet baptised, cannot protect humanity from evil. When households are not ready to protect themselves, the evil spirits wander freely in and out, bringing distress and frustration. People keep them away by burning logs, incense, and even old shoes.

In the UK, shoes are often found hidden in old buildings, many near to the fireplace, again, it is thought, to ward off evil spirits. Northampton Museum maintains a ‘Concealed Shoe Index’, which by 2012 contained 1900 reports of discoveries, mostly from Britain and almost half from the 19th century.

Feeding the Fountain

This quirky tradition is to be found in different parts of mainland Greece. During the twelve days of Christmas, the young women of a village carry empty pitchers to nearby fountains and fill them with water. However, they are required to walk towards the fountain in complete silence. They carry with them butter, cereals, or honey as gifts to the fountain. The first woman to arrive at the fountain is blessed with lots of good luck for the rest of the year.

Keeping the Fire Alive

They say that one of the methods to keep the kallikantzaroi away is to keep a fire always lit. This tradition is referred to as marrying fire or burning the Christokoutsouro.

Marrying the fire requires two branches, one from a tree with a feminine name and one from a tree with a masculine name. Both logs are arranged in the shape of a cross, and sometimes the man of the house pronounces a marriage oath before lighting the fire. A fire that, as long as it’s kept burning, will keep the evil spirits away.

Skeletoura

The squill (skeletoura in Greek) is a rather common wild bulb very similar to an onion and quite difficult to eradicate from the ground, since the skeletoura returns, however much of the plant you dig up. Because of this, the Skeletoura is a traditional symbol of eternity.

Families in Greece hang the plant at the front door on New Year’s Eve and then move it into the house for the rest of the year to bring longevity, health and good luck to all in the house.

Agios Vasilis

In Greece, Santa Claus is not Saint Nicholas, but Saint Basil (Agios Vasilis), and he does not visit the Greek houses on the 25th of December; he arrives a week later, on New Year’s Day, when the Greeks traditionally exchange their Christmas gifts.

Vasilopita, the cake the Greeks share on the first day of the year, is closely related to the saint. According to one traditional story, when the Emperor imposed a heavy tax during a time of great hardship, people were forced to give their jewellery in order to pay the tax. However, the saint demanded that the Emperor repeal the tax, which he did.

The Emperor gave all the jewellery back, but no one knew who owned what, so Basil decided to bake the jewellery into bread and cut pieces for each person. Miraculously, everyone received back their own belongings.