Greek Carols: Christmas carols come from the Latin word “calenda”, which means the beginning of the new month. This is a very important tradition to all Greeks and mainly children, who plan their performance days before Christmas in order to be prepared for their “mission” to begin.
The ritual: Every year children form small groups of friends or family members and start to walk around streets and alleys. They visit every house and shop nearby and sing the carols, accompanied with a piano or a harmonica and a music triangle. In the end of each “performance” their audience rewards them with candies and money, giving them energy to continue until mid-day.
Carols in every corner of Greece: And what is truly very special about Greece is that every area has its own version of Christmas carols, which has been passed on from generation to generation from many years ago. That’s why we love Christmas in Greece!
For you: If you want to feel a bit closer to Greece this year, here is your chance. Let’s sing out loud the Greek carols!
Watch the video and have fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzYyS2EhcEI