Traditions from

Macedonia

At the villages in north Greece, the housewife tries to find the strongest and the most beautiful piece of wood in the forest. On Christmas Eve all the family sit in front of the fireplace!!! The housewife puts the wood in the fireplace. They try to hold the wood light until Epiphany.

Traditions from the central Greece

At Christmas Eve the girls go to the fountain of the village. They put honey and butter to the fountain, they let water to run wishing the new year to be better and sweeter than the previous one.

During the Christmas holidays we decorate the Christmas tree. Some people decorate a boat instead. We exchange gifts and most of the housekeepers bake courabiedes and melomakaronies. These are traditional sweets that we make only at Christmas and they are very delicious. All the children sing the Christmas carols. Some of them are dresses up like Sanda Clause. On Christmas day people go to church early in the morning to take priest’s blessing. Then all the family is gathered and have lunch. They usually eat stuffed turkey.

CHRISTMAS TRADIRIONAL RECIPES

Kourabiethes

Materials:

450gr floour,1 teaspoon full of vanilia,1tablespoon full of ouzo,450gr unsalted butter,2 egg yolks,170gr sugar,

1 teaspoon baking powder,½ cup ground almonds or walnuts, icing sugar and clover

To Prepare:

1) Sift flour with baking powder twice. 2) Cream butter and sugar, add ouzo, vanilla and egg yolks, nuts. 3) Blend in flour to make soft but firm dough. For not enough liquid, add another egg yolk. 4) Break off small pieces, put into biscuit shape place on floured baking tray. Insert a clove in each biscuit and bake at 180C for 20 minutes cooked but not browns. 5) While still hot, sprinkle biscuits with icing sugar. 6) Each shortbread should be stuck with one clove to represent the three wire men brought spices to the Christ Child (Jesus).

Greek Christmas Cookies

50 gr grinded almounds

50 gr hazelnuts

280 gr flour 70 gr sugar

Little bit of salt

200 gr unsalted butter

2 yolks of egg

We mix the ingredients together and knead them to make a soft dough. We put the dough in the fridge and leave it there for half an hour. After that we shape the dough in small cookies which we put in a tray and bake in the oven for one hour about 170ο C

The Christmas decoration of Kavala's square!

We decorate a Christmas boat exept of the Christmas tree!

Members of our comenious Greek team!

A Christmas band in our town!

A candy house in Kavala's square!

The Sanda Clause who gives presents to children of our town

Christmas comenius team!!!