Wednesday 7 December 2016

St Nick


6th December.  Feast day of Agios Nikolaos.

The Patron Saint of
- sailors
- archers
- repentant thieves
- children
- brewers
- students
- pawnbrokers

The name day of  Nikos, Nikolas, Nikoleta, Niki.

Happy name day to our very own Nik and Niki back home in New Zealand and to Yiannis-Nikos here on Poros.

In Greece St Nikolaos is Patron Saint of the Navy.  He has nothing to do with shoes and coins or Christmas.  St Basil is our bringer of gifts and he arrives on New Years Day.



Agios Vassilis (St Basil)

- 30 November  St Andrew (Andreas)
- 4 December St Barbara  (Varvara)
- 5 December St Savvas
- 6 December St Nikolas
9 December St Anna

These days are called the 'Nikolo-varvara'.  Now is the true beginning of our winter. This year I have to agree. November was mild.  We prepared for the chill, laid  carpets over the ice cold tiles, got in a ton of olive wood for the fire and dug out slippers and heavy coats. By 4th December and St Barbara the weather had changed and the nip in the air had moved inside to chill our house.  

By four in the afternoon the sun has gone down and it is time to close the shutters and light the fire.

 Whatever weather we have now we supposedly have at Christmas. I hope that's wrong.

Christmas dinner will be eaten inside for sure but a bit of sunshine would be nice so kids and dogs can get out and let off steam, spy on Vaso, taunt the neighbour's dog (behind a wall), swing off the lemon trees and dig up a few boskas for our front door at New Year.





10 comments:

  1. Only once have we eaten outdoors at Christmas, and that must have been about 40 years ago.

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    1. It's a long time since we've had a warm Xmas but I do remember one when it was 22o.

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  2. It is so nice to have saints for every day, i think it makes you feel more protected, i wish we had some too:)

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    1. So many saints, so many small churches which are often only used on their fiesta day. We have 10 in our area. Great for the social life of the lonely or elderly. They go from one celebration to another.....in between funerals lol

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  3. The idea of eating your Christmas dinner and looking outside to beautiful weather sounds amazing. It's a mizzle day here in Ireland. Nothing new.

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    1. Sometimes the midday sun can be quite strong...need to sit under an umbrella. But when the sun goes down its damn cold. Have a friend with a house in Ireland. She comes here for three months every year to get some sunshine. But Ireland is so green!!! And you have great beer and i definitely prefer your music!!!

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  4. I can't imagine being able to eat Christmas dinner outside, though today has been quite mild here for the time of year. Swinging on lemon trees sounds fun xx

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    1. Sitting in the winter sunshine and having a coffee with friends is surely the best way to spend a morning.

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  5. It's cold and wet here as well. Not summery at all
    So I hope it's not like this Christmas Day.
    I even have the heater on!

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    1. Crazy weather for you! You'll probably get a heatwave next

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