Greek Christouyenna

  Greek Xmas then and now

Christouyenna ....

  In greek

Χριστούγεννα 

My first Christmas here, in 1976, living in Piraeus was dark and cold. There were no decorations in Piraeus, no lights, no Xmas tree, no bright shops, music or happy shoppers. The western type celebrations didn't come for almost another ten years.

K was on leave from the Greek Navy and went back to Poros for the holiday to be with his family. I was not accepted back then, a foreigner who they hoped would just go away. I had a few English friends. It wasn't bleak but Christmas was not the huge festival it is now.

 Christmas day was simply a name day for those named Christos and Christina. The greek family ate together and visited their relatives named for Christ. The men were served whisky and the women a sweet liqueur. They were accompanied by pistachio nuts or a syrupy sweet. 

If you were lucky there were plates of roast pig, potatoes and jars of retsina, the local pine infused wine. 

Once enough wine and whisky was consumed the dancing began. Still does

New Years day was a more important celebration. Godparents brought presents, of new clothes or shoes. That was the tradition. 

 Saint Nick had nothing to do with Christmas or New Year. He was the protector of sailors and was celebrated on December 6th.

Saint Basil (Vasili) brings in the New Year on January 1st. It's another big name day. Vasili or female Vasiliki, Vaso or Kiki. 

Times have changed though. Name day gatherings are smaller. K spends all morning on the phone going through his phone list, calling those celebrating and wishing them 'Chronia Polla', Many Happy Returns. 

Back then the whole neighbourhood was likely to turn up in your yard to help you celebrate. For the men in the family. Female name days were far more sedate. 

Traditional Xmas Sweets

K makes the Greek Christmas cookies nowadays

Melimakarouna, honey cakes

And

Kourabiethes, almond and butter biscuits covered in icing sugar.

There's a plate of Xmas mince pies too. I make a few every year plus a few boozy boiled fruit cakes I baptise Xmas cakes

Xmas Trees

 Xmas trees this year

My daughter's Christmas Decor

I've tried to enlarge this photo but can't

In the middle of that red circle are two green legs and red Elfin boots of an exotiko who has dived head first into her tree

A stormy Poros waterfront and its boat of lights

We need to do a tour of the Poros Christmas lights.  

Last year we had hardly any decorations.  This year the new Mayor has lit up every corner

Our own, shorter,  Christmas tree up on the bench.

I have since arranged gnomes and presents underneath it too

The coffee shop, La Frianderie, just across the strait

They have the best coffee in the county and always have wonderful decorations, inside and out.

I had coffee with my English friend Jan there last weekend.  It was warm and cosy inside and a little wet outside.

We drank our cappuccinos and caught up on the news.

They also  have an excellent selection of handmade chocolates and biscuits.  I bought a few to fill in empty corners in Christmas parcels.

It's My Life

Rain, rain's gone away

We  got the rainfall we needed.  The fields are greening, the olives are swelling.  The islands that prayed for rain got their prayers answered. Rhodes got washed out and the island shut down for 2 days while they dealt with the flood.

And here on Poros there was heavy rain which woke me suddenly at 2am as  heavy splashes of rain shattered my dreams and spattered my face.  A leak in the damn roof.  K had already moved out into the spare room as he couldn't sleep.  Rain coming in over the bed has happened once before many years ago.  This time it was heavier, more splash than spatter.  I moved all the bedding away, put a big bowl under the worst and covered the mattress with a  heavy towel.  Duvet and pillow under arm I moved out onto the couch and left the drips to drop.  The next day it rained again but there was no water leaking in.  It just depends on how heavy the rain is and which way the wind is blowing. The other leak behind the fridge appears to have been fixed. 

Giving Blood 

We had our annual bodily fluid tests. Took the results to our cardio doctor who told us we were perfectly healthy. He took our blood pressure, gave us a cardiogram and charged us 100 euros. 

One thing less to worry about. 

6 December

Saint Nik's Day. He's the patron saint of the Greek navy. K put on his Sunday best and went to the service at the church dedicated to Saint Nikolas at the Navy Base. He met up with past and present officers for a glass of wine afterwards .

He was back at the base again yesterday, invited to the changeover ceremony for the new Navy Commander.

I don't go to these occasions. There's too much old-tar talk for me 

NZ calendars for 2025

We received our annual NZ calendars from brother and sister in law. They're wall calendars with colourful NZ scenes and big spaces for noting name days, birthdays, national days, baptisms and weddings. Mine hangs above the big desk computer so I can be reminded of each days important celebrations. The girls have theirs hanging on the kitchen wall. Thanks R and J

Book sale, raffles and a white elelphant stall to provide medicine and treatment for the strays of Poros.

2 lovely days. 

Cecile offered mulled wine 

Or coffee

I made a ginger cake

Jan who runs the show

And does the hands-on work for the strays 

Raffle prizes

Bottles of alcohol with nice glasses and dishes

I won a bottle of raki. K will be pleased when he sees it. 

The best part of the day

Sitting in the sun and chatting with other local aliens. 

I found  a few bargains too. Clothes, books and little pastry presses. 

Rudi, and Sotirakis, who have special needs will be looked after for a few more months.

Happy Birthday

The 4 days of Celebrations.

Me and my grandson George share the same birthday.  Poppi had her 18th a week or so ago, son in law Kyriakos, captain of the water taxi Socrates had his 50th and next weekend it is Grandson Jamie's 18th.  There are a lot of Saggitarians in the family, more in the extended family.

First day. Family gathering on Sunday. 

                                     

A birthday cake for us all. I blew the candle out and everyone sang 'happy birthday'. The song in Greek is about getting older and wiser with white hair. That's me 😄 

Then Poppi blew her candle out via WhatsApp. 

George was asleep. In Athens. He got a photo of the cake. 

Oh look! Another birthday cake. Thanks Yianni. He calls me Nana but as he learnt the word from me with my kiwi accent the 'a' sounds like an 'e'. I'm Nena and very happy to be so. 

These two cakes were caramel, so sweet, luscious. 

Even I enjoyed a slice, and a half, of both. 

Kyriakos about to blow that candle.  Again!! 

A much smaller crowd. No grandkids  🤔

Kids in the kitchen 

Thanks, once again. 

They sliced, served, cleaned, washed dishes and filled tupperware bowls to take home 😁

No grandkids

But here's Junior

And Boem

2 days later it was my actual birthday. And George's too. He went to work and had his blow-out the next day. 

His fridge full of alcohol and mixers . Not much food in there 😅

I went down to the harbour for a cold damp coffee. 

But, on day No 4....... 

K, Jan and I went for a wonderful meal at a restaurant across on the mainland. It's a few kilometres out. Not too far for driving home afterwards

It's a restaurant, not a common taverna. 

There was a roaring fire, cheerful and tasteful Christmas decorations, good service, excellent food, a very drinkable house rosé and great prices. 

A place that was missing in this area. 

I had a most enjoyable day with the best company. 

Me and my friend Jan

Or should I say 'my friend and I'.

And to finish the day we went for a quick shop at the big-ger supermarket on the mainland. Alpha-Veta. Or alpha beta if you're not Greek.

I was hoping to find some festive chocolate and alcohol for presents.

I found a little but the native was getting restless by then.

And the rain held off till we all got home.

72 and loving it.

Till next year..

Prep for Christmas

It's getting closer and closer to decoration time.  K has already put up a string of coloured lights along the perimeter wall which light up automatically at 7pm.  I must say I like them.  They're jolly and bright, especially when we have had a wet grey day.  The 5 boats have been lighting up inside the house for a lot longer.  I like their cheeriness too.  I may tell him to leave them for another month or so.

This Christmas liqueur was made a few weeks ago and is slowly maturing, flavours mellowing, ready for the 25th.  It's red wine, sugar, a cinnamon stick and as many rose geranium leaves as I could stuff into the jar.

For the last few years we have found xmas crackers for a very reasonable price at the big toy store here called Jumbo.  We ordered 3 packets of 4 crackers.  Unfortunately the order wasn't checked and the 3rd box were 6 mini crackers.  We will  have just enough for pulling at the table.  

This years pickled onions should be ready for eating right now.  This time I used white vinegar so they're much paler in the jar.  The jar on the left has red onions cut into pieces.  They've made the vinegar turn red.  Very festive

My collection of Christmas earrings.  Thanks Jan and the girls.

I shall start wearing them today so I can enjoy wearing all of them over Christmas and New Year

2 of our decorated boats keeping the house cheery and bright 

 

The Christmas doormat has been out for a while.  Thanks Jan.  She has gifted us a second one too.  Love them

And my xmas socks.  I've been wearing these for a while.  I've got 3 pairs, presents from Christmasses past.

In the car we have the radio tuned to Easy FM. They play Christmas music from November 1 to New Year.

In a few days we will be putting up our shortened Christmas tree.  K is chomping at the bit.  A bit early but I do have more of the Christmas spirit this year, so why not.

Around our House

 Odds and ends.

Pasca (Easter) and Christmas always on show

a few guardian angels, a chicken, the essential blue eye and a red egg in Marmite egg cup.  

And a container of old Easter candles ready for power cuts. 

A NZ Pohutukawa tree mug. The Pohutukawa with its red flowers is the NZ Christmas tree.  It blooms around Xmas time

 A set of mugs came all the way from NZ a few years ago without chipping or breaking.  3 months later one fell into the sink and broke.  I didn't throw it away though.  How could I.  K glued it together and now its good side is on display.  The papermaché doll behind it was made by granddaughter Nels.  

Red peppers hanging to dry with a string of giant worry beads. K bought the peppers thinking they were the normal sweet kind sold by our grocer. He accidentally rubbed his eyes after cleaning them and the stinging made him run for soap and water. They were the hottest peppers I've ever tried. All I did was take a bite without actually putting it in my mouth and the burning sensation lasted for hours. 

No meat and peppers for lunch. 

He's hung them up to dry and grind up later on 

Santa Claus hangs on the wall all year round.  He has a few handy hooks for ribbons, hairbands and the like

Red wine from 3 years ago.

That was the last time we ventured up a Corinth mountain to collect 300 litres of wine from a family vineyard.

This bottle was given to me by the cousin who looks after the vines and makes the wine.  I found it a bit strong and it has stayed in the fridge these 3 years.  Surprise when I found it and tasted it.  It has matured into a very drinkable red.  So drinkable it is almost finished

Bringing home the wine

2021

Grandson George

Filler'uper

Our House

 Our house is a very, very, very fine house....

Our neighbourhood

The wee house from another angle

Swinging the camera to the left...

The flat and fertile valley of Fousa with its  olive groves and vineyards

The sea beyond.  Those hills in the distance are the mainland

Swing the camera to the right and we have a view of Vagiona Bay below us

That's where we go swimming in the summer

The cypress trees show where an old monastery (nunnery) once stood.  There's nothing left now but a few stones and an old well.

The bay below is supposed to have underwater remains from an ancient city but those who live and fish down there say it's an old wives tale. 

Though 5,000 years ago it was a bustling harbour serving the Temple to Poseidon on the hilltop above.