"Preserving the Magic: The Importance of Sharing Old Family Photographs and Traditions During Christmas" The holiday season is a time for joy, reflection, and most importantly, connection with our loved ones. As Christmas approaches, many of us find ourselves immersed in the hustle and bustle of preparations, from decorating homes to planning festive meals. In the midst of the holiday chaos, it's crucial to pause and embrace the rich tapestry of our family history by sharing old photographs and cherished traditions. In this blog post, I explore the profound importance of weaving the threads of the past into the present during the Christmas holidays. Nostalgia and Emotional Bonds: Old family photographs have a unique power to evoke nostalgia, transporting us back to cherished moments of the past. Sharing these photographs during Christmas can trigger heartwarming memories and strengthen the emotional bonds that tie generations together. As family members gather around, f...

I really enjoyed this YouTube video of Greek Children Singing Christmas Carols.  It includes many different photographs of children carolling.

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS IN CRETE AND GREECE Christmas in Greece, or "the holidays," are not what they were 40 years ago. Over the years we notice a universal culture developing as the western European customs spread more and more change. In some cases, it caused the elimination of local customs in certain areas - even entire countries. Today Christmas in Greece appears more impressive, glossier and more glamorous. Store windows are decorated almost a month in advance, and in the cities the streets and town squares are lit with colourful lights. Also, many people now travel either abroad or around Greece to places which offer winter holidays. Greeks will party at clubs, at bouzoukia, which have almost disappeared in Crete, or stay at home and watch some impressive holiday show on television. But on Christmas Day, all family members gather at the festively set dinner table. The name days of Manolis or Emanuel or Manos or Emanuela are all celebrated on Christmas Day, an...

"Five Christmas Tradition Unique to Greece" authored by Gabi Ancarola and published by the GreekReporter.com on December 24, 2017 In current days and mostly in big cities, Christmas in Greece very much resembles the holiday celebrations from other areas in the world. Massive travel, easy access to worldwide media, and globalization have standardized and spread many traditions from the Occidental world. On top of the list, it’s Christmas. It’s easier to see artificial lights and decorations rather than candles; Christmas trees over the Greek boat or karavaki, and massive references to Santa in shops and on TV. However, some traditions are unique to the local Christmas experience, let’s take a look at some of them. Kallikantzaroi According to the Greek version of the universal myth of evil spirits, our world connects to the underworld through a tree. The evil spirits, or kallikantzaroi, spend their year beneath that tree, sawing their way into the outer world. They...