9 Greek Christmas Food Traditions

In almost every home the main symbol of the season is a shallow wooden bowl with a piece of wire is suspended across the rim; from that hangs a sprig of basil wrapped around a wooden cross. A small amount of water is kept in the bowl to keep the basil alive and fresh.

The Greek word for Christmas is Christougena or Christougenna, literally meaning “Christ’s birth.” When Greeks say “Merry Christmas,” they say, “Kala Christougena.” The apparent g sound is pronounced like a y.

• 01 of 09. Baklava Recipe. The Spruce.
• 02 of 09. Egg-Lemon-Chicken-Rice Soup. The Spruce.
• 03 of 09. Yiaprakia Stuffed Cabbage.
• 04 of 09. Christopsomo Bread.
• 05 of 09. Pork Recipes.
• 06 of 09. Melomakarona Cookies.
• 07 of 09. Kourabiethes Cookies.
• 08 of 09. Karythopita Walnut Spice Cake.

Rakomelo (Raki with honey) – A traditional Cretan beverage One very similar beverage to mulled wine that originates from Greece is actually rakomelo from the island of Crete. It is made by combining raki or Tsipouro with honey and several spices, such as cinnamon and consumed during the winter as a warm drink.

An old custom in Crete , which is almost forgotten today, was the preparation of the fotokoliva (boiled wheat with peas) on the eve of Epiphany. The fotokoliva was eaten by the people, but they also fed it to their livestock, which was believed to insure good health and fortune in the homes.

Greek celebration of the Epiphany: The most important ritual on this day is the ‘great blessing of the waters,’ which is performed by a Greek Orthodox priest. The tradition is that a priest throws a special cross into the sea and many brave young men and boys dive into cold water to retrieve the cross.

Epiphany is celebrated around the world, but in Spain it takes on somewhat more importance. Children follow the kings through the streets on Epiphany Eve. There are numerous parades across the country, accompanied by bands and people in medieval dress banging drums and dancing puppets and clowns.

How Do They Celebrate Epiphany in Spain? During the late evening, in many towns and cities, the Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos, or “Magic Kings Parade,” makes its way through the streets. These are made up of carriages where both children and adults in costumes participate.

January 5th

For breakfast, people typically eat a special Kings’ Day cake or bread called the Roscón de Reyes. It’s a sweet bread filled with dried candy fruits, topped with more fruits and sticky sugar, and decorated with a gold paper crown.

Feast of the Epiphany

There are legends, stories. One legend says the thieves crucified with Jesus had stolen the gold given him at birth. Another says that Judas was made custodian of the gifts and he sold them and pocketed the money. There is a story that the myrrh given to Jesus as a child was used in his burial.

It is called Epiphany and is celebrated on 6th January. In Spanish, Epiphany is called ‘Fiesta de Los tres Reyes Magos’: in English this means ‘The festival of the three Magic Kings’. Children believe that the Kings bring presents to them at Epiphany. They write letters to the Kings asking for toys and presents.

Their names were Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar, and they came with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The Three Wise Men have been honored in various European countries since the Middle Ages.

Today, children celebrate Three Kings’ Day by receiving gifts of their own. Many families also leave gifts of salt or grass for the camels that the Three Kings are said to ride in on, similar to the milk and cookies kids leave for Santa Clause during Christmas.

Freebase. Mırra. Mırra is a traditional type of bitter coffee prepared in the Hatay, Urfa and Mardin provinces of Turkey, as well as in some Arab countries, which is also sometimes correctly referred to as Arabic coffee because the name is derived from Arabic; mur meaning bitter.