Christmas Customs
In Corfu, the season is in full swing by December 6th, the Feast of St. Nicholas and will last through January 6th, the Feast of Epiphany.
Christmas in Greece is a traditionally a solemn, religious holiday. However, although Corfu enjoys more "westernised" celebrations, throughout the festivities, there is never any question about whether Greece is remembering the Christ in Christmas. Beautiful carols called kalandas have been handed down from Byzantine times and add to the reverent quality of the celebration.
On Christmas Eve, families eat dried figs, nuts, honey, and Christopsomo bread. These large sweet loaves are decorated with a frosted ornament symbolizing the type of work the family does. Nowadays most Greek families trim an evergreen tree with tinsel and top it off with a star.
Christmas morning begins with an early Mass at the Greek Orthodox Church. It is traditional for the Christmas Day feast to include four generations. Greeks feast on roast turkey stuffed with chestnuts, rice, pine nuts, and a nut cookie called kourambiethes.
While other cultures have Christmas elves, the Greek equivalent is not so benign. Mischievous and even dangerous sprites called the Kallikantzari prey upon people only during the twelve days of Christmas, between Christmas itself and Epiphany on January 6th. Descriptions of them vary, and in one area they are believed to wear wooden or iron boots, the better to kick people, while other areas insist that they are hoofed, not booted. Almost invariably male, other regions see in them the forms of wolves or even monkeys. In folktales, the twelve days of their power figure in a "wicked stepmother" story where a young girl is forced to walk alone to a mill through the twelve days, because her stepmother is hoping that the Kallikantzari will snatch her away.
Some households keep fires burning through the twelve days, to keep the spirits from entering by the chimney, a curious inversion of the visit of Santa Claus in other countries! The "Yule log" in this case used to be a massive log set on end in the chimney, burning or at least smouldering for the entire period. Protective herbs such as hyssop, thistle, and asparagus were suspended by the fireplace, to keep the Kallicantzari away. Other households, perhaps less devout, were reduced to simple bribery and would put meat out for the Kallikantzari - again, this seems to be a more substantial snack than the milk and cookies put out for Santa.
Gifts are exchanged on January 1st, St. Basil's Day. St. Basil is the Greek version of Santa Claus; some families leave a log in the fireplace for St. Basil to step on as he slips down the chimney with a bag of toys. 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."
Christmas celebrations end on Epiphany, January 6. On this day, the priests dip crucifixes in the sea and give them the Blessing of the Waters. In many places, crosses are thrown into the sea or lakes and the local youths race to retrieve them.
Cookery Corner
In keeping with our festive theme, we bring you Christopsomo - Greek Christmas Bread. Traditionally on Christmas Eve every household would bake a Christopsomo or "Christ bread". The loaf is often decorated with engravings on the crust that represent aspects of the family's life and profession.
Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast. 1/4 cup warm water. 1/3 cup sugar. 1 tsp ground cardamom seeds (seeds removed from the exterior husk). 1/4 tsp salt. 1 egg. 1/4 cup milk. 1 tsp salt. 1/4 cup melted butter. 1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour. 1 cup all purpose flour. 1/4 cup golden raisins. 1/4 cup chopped walnuts.
Instructions
Grease an 8-inch circular cake pan. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and allow to stand for a few minutes. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, salt, egg, milk, cardamom and butter in a large bowl and mix well. Add the yeast mixture, both types of flour, raisins and the walnuts. Mix well. If the dough is too moist, add a little all purpose flour to make softer dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Shape into a round loaf. Place the dough into the cake pan, cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350. When risen, bake the loaf for 35 to 40 minutes or until brown and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
If you are keen to learn more about Corfu Cooking we can recommend a new book on the market.
As the writer, Alice Padova Anderson says, "The idea for my cookbook began when I discovered four little red notebooks that contained all of my mother's recipes. Some of the recipes are unique and to my knowledge are not found in any other Greek cookbook. Throughout the book, I have included personal stories directly or indirectly related to the various categories. In essence, this cookbook is a tribute to my mother, Maria. She was the motivating force for encouraging me to explore the world of cooking."
You can order the book through Alice's website.
Organic Farming
As a follow up to our Autumn Environmental and Ecological issue we found some good news about organic farming in Greece in a recent edition of Athens News. If you would like to read the article you can do so by following this link.
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Editorial
After a year of conflict, which many would like to forget, we thought it would be a good idea to look forward to some of the pleasures to come in 2004.
Greece, and by implication Corfu, will have a very high profile next year.
Firstly, the 28th modern Olympic Games will be held in their birthplace Athens in the summer. By that time we will know how the Greek national football team have fared in the European Championships.
Both these events will be brought to television screens around the world and are a great opportunity for Greece to present itself in a good light, in terms of both its improved infrastructure and the traditional welcome it extends its guests.
This, in turn, can only increase the number of people who decide to visit Greece, and once again by implication, Corfu.
What we here need to do, is to keep working hard to upgrade and modernise Corfu's tourism infrastructure, while retaining its traditional values and culture, and promoting sustainable and environmental tourism.
All in all, 2004 promises to be a year to enjoy, as well as a golden opportunity to promote all the things that make this island and country such a wonderful place to visit.
Finally, from all of us involved with Pelekas.com and AllCorfu.com, we would like to wish you a Happy Holiday Season, wherever in the world you may be, and most of all, a Peaceful 2004.
The sacred herb of the holidays
No Greek Christmas season would be complete without the supreme herb, Basil.
Although it is rich in associations, basil came late to Greece and it was believed to have been brought back by Alexander the Great.
At Christmas, most Greek houses take a sprig of basil wrapped around a small wooden cross and suspend it over a bowl of water.
Oddly enough, in Greek folklore, the days around Christmas are considered to be very dangerous ones. This is the period when the Kallinkatzari, a kind of devilish sprite, can torment humans. The cross and basil are used to sprinkle the rooms of the house with holy water to prevent these attacks.
Basil is also associated with St. Basil, or Agios Vassilis, a founder of the Greek Orthodox Church, whose feast day in Greece is January first. It is the name day for anyone called Vassilios or Vassiliki.
On St. Basil's day, the Vassilopita is baked. This is a cake which conceals a token. The entire cake is carefully divided up - the Saint gets the first piece, then the eldest member of the household, and so on down through the family, sometimes including those who live far away. A piece may even be set aside for the various kinds of livestock the household raises.
St Basil's day is also when all vessels of water in the household are replaced with fresh water. But here the veil of orthodoxy wears a little thin - this is also the day for offerings to the naiads, spirits of local springs, to ensure the continued flow of the waters and to thank them for the previous year.
A New Booking Service for Independent Travellers
We are pleased to announce a collaboration with "A Ferry To..." which allows passengers to book ferry tickets online and in real time for the first time. This service can be accessed from both pelekas.com & allcorfu.com.
We believe that this is a valuable additional resource for independent travellers coming to Corfu next summer. Check it out!
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