Lizette Pappas and the Philoptochos Ladies Society baked bread to sell for fundraising purposes. | Photo courtesy of Lizette Pappas
Unlike North American Christmas traditions, Greek Christmas traditions are rooted in religion, and it continues to be a heavily religious holiday today.
Christougena, which translates to “time of Christ,” is the second most important religious holiday in Greece after Easter. The holiday is a month-long celebration and starts on Dec. 6 (St. Nicholas Day) and ends on Jan. 6 (Epiphany Day).
Lizette Pappas immigrated to Penticton from Greece with her family in 1956 when she was seven years old. At the time, few Greek immigrants resided in Penticton and as a result, the immigrant families bonded closely, seeking a sense of belonging with others similar to themselves. Pappas explains that the church was a place to get together and speak your language with others.
Celebrating with food, songs and gifts
Lizette Pappas with her husband and four grandchildren. | Photo courtesy of Lizette Pappas
As with any holiday, Chistougena is celebrated with great amounts of food as families near and far gather together. Pappas explains that some Orthodox Christians may fast for 40 days before the holiday and give up meat, eggs and/or butter. One of the must-have food items for Christougena is the Christopsomo – the bread of Christmas. It is a sweet bread and the first thing that is cut on Christmas day.
“The top of the bread is usually decorated with pieces of dough. Greeks are traditional and
superstitious; there is always a cross on the bread,” says Pappas. “Some families whose lives depend on the sea may form a boat on top of the bread or an animal because they want Christ to bless and protect their livelihood.”
For dessert, melomakarona (an oval-shaped honey cookie rolled in walnuts) and kourambiethes (shortbread rolled in icing sugar and topped with
almonds) are popular throughout Greece.
Another tradition is for children to sing kalanda, or Christmas hymns, that usually have a religious meaning.
“The children will gather together and go from house to house singing kalanda and the neighbours will come out and listen,” says Pappas, who has four grandchildren of her own. “Then the children will be given sweets and some money.”
Pappas, who is a retired teacher,
says that this tradition is still carried on in small towns and villages in Greece.
The Greeks did not have Santa Claus and therefore no presents were given on Christmas day. However, presents were given on Jan. 1, New Year’s Day, also known as St. Basil Day (Vasilis Day). Pappas says that Greeks make vasilopita, a circular sweet bread decorated with almonds, and this bread is always cut on New Year’s Day.
“The first piece that is cut is always for Christ, and then the rest of the pieces are distributed starting from the eldest member of the family,” says Pappas. “Whoever gets the piece with the coin would have good luck for the rest of the year.”
Epiphany Day on Jan. 6 is the last day of the holiday and serves to commemorate Jesus’ baptism. According to Pappas, the Greek people will gather at the nearest seaside or lake, and a priest will bless a cross and throw it into the water. Then people will dive into the water to retrieve the cross and whoever finds it will be blessed by the priest. Pappas says that this ceremony still continues today and a similar ceremony will be happening locally at Jericho Beach in the new year.
Pappas is a member of the St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church Philoptochos Ladies Society, a non-profit organization. She has started Back to Our Roots, a program in hopes of engaging the adult-children of Greek immigrants from her generation.
“We show them how to make Christmas desserts, talk about Greek customs and things that we do around Christmas so that they begin to see their heritage,” says Pappas. “Now that they’re older, we are hoping they can in turn do these things in their home as well and become more involved in the Greek community and the church.”
