What is most interesting is that Christmas is a very religious holiday in Greece, but rarely would the famous Greek composers and lyric writers create typical Christmas songs. The Christmas Carols are totally different than the ones sung on the Eve of New Year. Slices are then served to each family member from the eldest to the youngest. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. You're signed out. This is regularly arranged at midnight on New Year’s Eve all over Greece. The sentiments are also, I think, ones we should get behind! The cake is made to bless the house and to bring good luck for the next year. As you are continuing mixing add 4 eggs, milk, baking powder, vanilla, orange zest and mix until absorbed. Καλή Χρονιά! Happy New Year. Copy link. During this time carols are heard all over the public areas and in the houses. Bulgarian translation. Typically the Christmas season in Greece starts on December 6th, the day of St Nicholas. They go to houses and shops and ask “na ta poume” which means “shall we say them”? FIND OUT MORE. Explore a different word each day—like obedience, faith, and trust—in 12 devotions designed deepen your relationship with Jesus. Leicester Greek Dancing Group is feeling nostalgic. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. To allow us to provide a better and more tailored experience please click "OK". 明けましておめでとうございます! Happy New Year to You. And just like anywhere else, Greeks celebrate the occasion with traditional customs that have endured throughout the years. ACCORDING TO Ethnologue, the world currently has 7099 living languages. The Spanish ritual on New Year's eve is to eat twelve grapes at midnight. ΛΟΒ ΜΑΚΕR is a series of mixes with tracks i love, based in House music. Orthodox New Year celebrations include social gatherings and dinners featuring traditional activities and dis… Families would sing calanda to welcome the new month. They also exchange gifts to celebrate the occasion. Photo: Melinda Nagy /Shutterstock. Vasilopita is another important tradition on New Year’s Day, as the cake is only made for New Year with a trinket or coin hidden inside it. Contrary to what some may believe, celebrating the advent of the New Year on January 1st amidst the cold bleakness of winter is actually among the most universal pagan traditions. Your last challenge in this turbulent year is to set your new year intentions for 2021. We have missed you all and we hope 2021 will brings us back together for more dancing! The tradition is meant to secure twelve happy months in the coming year. You made it through the holidays without causing any irreparable damage to your relationships and now you are into the final stretch of 2020. I am so thankful to all of you who read my blog, and I hope you will continue to find reasons to keep coming back in the new year. On Christmas eve, early in the morning, children go out to sing the Christmas Carols. Remove a fistful of dough so you can make dough ropes and write out the year on the surface of each bread. 明けましておめでとうございます! D.J. As the New Year rolls over, Greek families all over the world will share the tradition of cutting the Vasilopita, our Greek New Year’s cake.January 1st is the name day (saint’s day) of Aghios Vassilis (St. Kafenia and taverna also organize game sessions, and a lot of people also buy State lottery tickets in the hopes of getting lucky. And each new year holds great treasure: the opportunity to experience, love, know, and serve God better! How to say “Happy New Year” in 40 languages. Here’s how to wish someone a happy new year in French, a happy new year in Portuguese, a happy new year … Watch the ball drop, four, three, two, one. From New Year’s Eve morning, children of the neighborhood go from house to house and ask permission to sing the kalanta, or carols, accompanied by a triangle. One person, considered good or lucky, is chosen to reenter the house with their right foot first. Once it is announced, you have to text the special code word to 888222. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled – about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The tradition is held not only in households, but also within companies and organizations. The tradition is that families gather around and play cards for hours. “Happy New Year. Keto Vasilopita – Happy New Year Ketonia. Vasilopita is a traditional Greek bread-like cake made every New Year. On New Year’s Day, another tradition is to exchange gifts as the Greeks believe that you are more likely to have a prosperous year ahead if you receive gifts on the first day of the year. The day also coincides with the Agios Vasilis (the Greek equivalent of Saint Nicolas) celebrations, so it is customary for adults to give gifts of money to their children or their youngest relatives. They sing the carols – or just a few verses – and wish Merry Christmas, waiting for their small reward. Each holiday throughout the year is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience and love God to the fullest! Let me just write and express a few things that have been wandering the rooms of my mind all year long. It is said that the more seeds on the floor, the better and luckier the year will be. Another tradition is the Kalo Podariko, or Good Footing. As a symbol of growth and rebirth, the onion is also the center of another Greek New Year tradition. Although Greek music covers a wide range of genres, Greek music for Christmas and the New Year is not as popular as expected. Greek song ... - YouTube The Celebration of Akitu in Babylon. The image, shot by Petros Giannakouris of the Associated Press, was one of four depicting New Year’s celebrations around the world. Most of the times these carols would represent the arrival of the God of wine and feast, Dionysus and his tribe. With that as the backdrop, let 2021 be the year Children would draw a ship, or would hold a small replica of a ship that would mark the coming of the God. says that it's a caterpillar, and soon it will become a butterfly. We count down the old year. The Netherlands The largest online trading platform of Greek Products in UK. Happy New Year cowardly New World. She explains that the process is similar to what happens in "The Frog Prince", where the princess kisses the frog and he becomes a handsome prince (see Trivia). Scholars and historians have found that ancient Greeks were also singing carols, which of course did not refer to the Christian religion and Christmas, but to their own celebrations and feasts. Happy New Year Everyone!!! People therefore head to nearby rivers or lakes to collect the fluffy stones and place them in the threshold of their houses before the New Year. The whole household follows suit, entering also with their right foot first. Glaze with well-beaten egg and arrange blanched almonds in numbers to denote the New Year, pressing in lightly. Share. Although most of the Greek carols are folk songs that have been passing from generation to generation were born during the medieval era, ancient Greeks also had their carols. Lucky charm (usually a foil-wrapped coin) Add in the mixer the butter and sugar and mix for two minutes. Languages. Tap to unmute. The video is from his concert at the Herodion in Athens almost twenty years ago. 58 likes. Greek food products of Superb quality and High Nutritional Value on "Greek Prices" Most of the songs heard during the Christmas period – including the New Year and other smaller festive days are Greek translations of famous English songs such as “Silent Night”, ” O Tannenbaum”, “Jingle Bells”, “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” and more. This is meant to bring good wishes for the new year ahead. Happy New Year to You. Outside in the backyard, Michelle looks at what she calls a "hairy worm", and asks D.J. Then a midnight kiss for you! If there is anything 2020 taught us, it is that there are many things in life we can’t control. We and our partners use cookies to better understand your needs, improve performance and provide you with personalised content and advertisements. People are expected to listen to the carols and then give money and pastries. The world has benefitted from four great years of America First. Christmas Season in Greece ends on St John day, on the 7th of January. E-Greece UK Club. The big squares of the cities also communicate the message of the Christmas Season, with the large tree, the lights on the shop windows showing that it’s time for the festivities. what it is. New Year's Eve in Ancient Times. Let rise, covered with a kitchen towel. There are common carols as well that are sung on the Christmas Eve, the New Year’s Eve and the Epiphany day. After the first person reenters the house, someone else with a good heart has the honor of smashing a pomegranate (a sign of prosperity, fertility and regeneration) at the door. Kali Chronia 2020. You will hear different carols in Thrace, Macedonia, Epirus and the islands. Therefore, Greeks honor him by making donations to charities and by setting an extra place at their table. Caroling, on the other hand is very common in Greece, and Christmas or New Year’s Carols are sung all over the country during the festive days of Christmas. In most cases people tend to decorate their homes, lighting up the Christmas tree on that day. If you have regular contact with Greeks, you have certainly heard Greeks expressing their wishes. Spain. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a155274f6918ac306e9f7bcf10aed9c9" );document.getElementById("de161aaf19").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Agios Vasilis (or Saint Basil), is one of the most important New Year’s figures in all of Greece, as he is considered one of the forefathers of the Greek Orthodox Church and a beacon of hope to those in poverty. This is probably the main reason why the Greek tradition of Christmas dictates the decoration of a small boat or ship instead of a tree. If you’re at all interested in Greek music, or any music really, I recommend this song by George Dalaras. Being able to say a typical wish would make you feel part of Greek society. Although Greek music covers a wide range of genres, Greek music for Christmas and the New Year is not as popular as expected. It’s a new year, and what better time to refocus your heart toward your Savior? As we ring in the new. I wish you all a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2009. Καλή Χρονιά! Right before midnight on New Year’s Eve, families turn off all the lights in the house and go outside. Traditionally, children are chosen for this honor as they are considered to be innocent and have a good heart. On New Year’s Eve an onion is hung on the front door to make sure the following year will be one of happiness and prosperity but also new growth. It is a way to express love, joy, sympathy, and much more. By Stella Tsolakidou. The tradition of the decorated tree is Western and was imported to Greece the last 30 years. Bake in a moderately hot oven (350 degrees F.) for 45 minutes until golden brown and cooked when tested. Whether you’re celebrating with fireworks, confetti, or a toast to new beginnings, sending a New Year’s ecard is the perfect pair to all the festivities. Celebrating the start of 2021 all around the world. Challenge questions at the end of each devotion will help you apply what you are reading so that this year, you can make Jesus your entire life—not just a part of it. Happy New Year! The earliest recorded New Year’s festivity dates back some 4,000 years to ancient Babylon, and was deeply intertwined with religion and mythology. Happy New Year! Here is a small list of the New Year traditions and customs in Greece. The cake is ceremonially cut with a slice for each member of the household in the addition of three symbolic slices, one for Jesus, one for the Virgin Mary and the last one for Agios Vasilios. By Roberta Kapsalis December 31, 2020 December 31, 2020. May the New Year will bring good health, happiness, laughter and lots of dancing to all of you. Carols – called Calanda (κάλαντα, kalanta) in Greece – are an old custom which has remained untouched and unchanged since the medieval era. Happy New Year! Happy New Years Ecards. Even the carols haven’t changed much either; the only difference when it comes to Greek carols of Christmas and New Year is that there are regional variations and even different dialects. However, there are also Orthodox Christians who observe New Year’s Day (January 1) based on the revised Julian calendar, which correlates with the Gregorian calendar. Shopping. Watch this space,” Pompeo tweeted. OUR ULTIMATE COVID BOOKING GUARANTEE. With - Popi Charitaki and Nikos Tirilis. Many Orthodox Christians in Canada observe the New Year based on January 1 in the Julian calendar, which is on or near to January 14 in the Gregorian calendar. This gesture is meant to bring the whole family luck for the new year ahead. Children gather and go from a house to house singing the carols of the day, accompanying their singing with a triangle. December 29, 2018. Help your friends and family ring in the new year with a 2021 New Year’s ecard greeting! Sung also in the days leading up to Christmas, kalanta is the native word for Greek carols. CHINESE New Year will soon be celebrated across the world, marking the start of the Year of the Rat. Happy New Year! Games often start in the early evening and last until midnight. Stepping on mossy stones is another custom said to bid for a prosperous and happy year. Watch later. Happy New Year, Happy New Year. Considered as one of the most auspicious times ever, New Year’s Eve is a marathon day for many Greeks. Info. A belated Happy New Year to everyone and health and happiness in 2014! As the world looks forward to the promises of new beginnings come the 31st of December, Greeks also enjoy the New Year in their own way. Place the cake mix in an oiled-up baking pan. In order to win, you have watch the YouTube New Year’s Eve event live stream and listen for the code word. Insert a coin inside the dough, from the bottom, and place on an oiled or buttered baking sheet or in a round bread or cake pan. Basil), the Greek Santa Claus, and the cake is named in his honor. Allow me on the last day of 2020 to forget the rules of the blog writing. Interestingly, this tradition includes a special coin which is hidden in the cake. The lucky person that finds the hidden coin receives a small gift or money. Sending New Year's cards is a popular tradition—if postmarked by a certain date, the Japanese post office guarantees delivery of all New Year's cards on Jan. 1. Vasilopita cake, as an old Greek tradition, is cut by families on New Year’s day to bless the home and deliver prosperity in the next year. Happy New Year . Just like anywhere else around the world, fireworks are part of the New Year festivities. The first day of the Chinese New Year, meanwhile, occurred with the second new moon after the winter solstice. Christmas Carols are all about the birth of Jesus and the well being of the home owners, while New Year’s carols refer to the wishes for the New Year that is starting. On New Year’s Day, another tradition is to exchange gifts as the Greeks believe that you are more likely to have a prosperous year ahead if you receive gifts on the first day of the year. As in, a card-playing marathon. This tradition remained unchanged during the medieval years and also during the Turkish occupation. Shape each ball into a round loaf. Allow me not to focus on keywords, SEO optimisation and all other wing cutters. Happy New Year. The word calanda originates from the Latin word calenda, which means the first day of the month. Every circumstance is an occasion for a wish, a good word. I love the singing and the atmosphere is great. Add the flour and mix for three minutes. Submitted by Martinholland on Wed, 10/12/2014 - 22:09. Whether people gather around in their garden, on their balconies, in public squares, on the beach or on a hill, the rule is to welcome the New Year with a good firework, then head out to the clubs and bars to celebrate in good company. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.