Athens and the rest of Greece is decorated with lights, Christmas carols and “Wham” songs are everywhere lifting spirits. Melomakarona cookies are very popular in Greece during the Christmas holiday season. Traditional Christmas food can be found throughout the country on Greek family tables from the mainland to right here in Mykonos. Christmas Food in Greece . Christmas, like many other holidays in Greece, is a time for feasting. In any Greek home, over the Christmas season, kourabides, melomakarona and dipples, can be found, piled high on plates, ready to be offered to any visitor that might drop by. The traditional Greek Christmas food mainly consists of roast lamb or pork served with a spinach and cheese pie and salads/vegetables on the side. Here’s a recipe for Baked Pork Loin and another for Roasted Pork with Celery. What do they eat for Christmas in Greece? For Greek Orthodox Christians, it is the period of Christmas, New Year and Epiphany. However, Christmas celebrations have become alike those in the Western world and now all those turn out in any Greek house at Christmas time. As a result, people are in the mood to celebrate, and for Greeks, this means bringing out all their favorite foods! Christmas food in Greece could not miss the sweets. Usually, families come together around the table to share a Christmas dinner with cheese or meat filo pastry triangles, feta cheese, pistachio nuts, a Greek … Turkey is a relatively new Christmas food in Greece. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou visited the volunteer kitchen of "The Other Man" on Christmas Eve and distributed food to people in need.With a mask Making Christopsomo is a tradition that dates back thousands of years and is considered sacred in Greece. Written by GreekBoston.com in Greek Christmas Traditions In some areas, the holiday is preceded by a time of fasting. It is a popular fixture in Orthodox homes in Greece during Christmas. Christmas foods are often available in plenty when Christians are celebrating Christmas all over Greece. People who raise and slaughter their own hogs usually prepare their tasty dishes for Christmas around hearths and open fires. Made from powdered sugar, they also seem to melt in the mouth with every bite! Greek Christmas Recipes. The broth has a bright yellow color due to the eggs. Here are some of the most common foods found on the Christmas … Chicken is also a popular poultry choice for both Christmas and New Year tables. Only the purest and most expensive ingredients are used. At the four edges of the cross, they put walnuts or olives. Christmas is a very important festival in Greece and traditionally food plays a major role. Christmas was always a religious holiday and Christmas trees, candles and presents were not a sign of Christmas in Greece. Here are the typical Greek Christmas foods you can find on every table around Greece. Greek meals are accompanied by local olives, some cured in a hearty sea salt brine, others like wrinkly throubes, eaten uncured from the tree. This is used to emulate Christ’s bread. But the Greek version that is special is the avgolemono- the Greek name of their traditional egg and lemon soup. Growing up, my mom ate traditional things for Christmas. There is always a cross on the top of the bread that represents the cross of Christ (after putting it in the oven mine does not […] It is believed that this bread has to be made well for a family to enjoy peace and prosperity in the next year. These cookies are usually dipped in a spiced syrup before sprinkled nut are added on top. As a result, people are in the mood to celebrate, and for Greeks, this means bringing out all their favorite foods! When you think Christmas cookies, you probably don’t think about Greece. “The holidays” in Greece is a longer period than just Christmas Day. The festive table is laid with food prepared according to age-old traditions and culinary customs associated with the most cheerful time of the year. I also share what Greeks typically eat for breakfast, Christmas and Easter as well as some famous Greek liquours that you should try. Melomakarona (honey cookies) and kourabiedes (sugar-coated butter cookies) are the most popular traditional Christmas desserts in Greece. There are many other traditional Christmas foods in Greece. Greece is known for her wide array of spices that are cultivated throughout the year, and their Christmas foods are no different. Christopsomo, or Christ's Bread, is considered a sacred tradition in many Greek Orthodox homes and the care with which it is made is said to ensure the well-being of the home in the year to come. When there is a celebration, there is festive food. Over the years, Greeks have included turkey in their Christmas meal. Kourabiedes are actually buttered almond cookies with powdered sugar, while melomakarona is honey cookies with walnuts. The traditional Christmas celebration lasts for 13 days, from Christmas Eve until Epiphany on January 6th, the day when the baptism of Jesus Christ is … Here are 35 Traditional Greek Dishes and Desserts you should eat in Greece! The most traditional recipes include pomegranate, almonds, raisins, while most modern recipes may even include yogurt or ginger. In this time period, there are many chances for eating together in the Greek families, such as on Christmas Eve, on Christmas Day, on New Year’s Eve and on New Year’s Day. Learn how to make your favourite Christmas savory and sweet dishes with the instructions of the Greek chef. Made solely of ingredients sourced locally, these scrumptious delicacies have, according to Karamanes, been part of … In many families, recipes are often passed down from one generation to another. Essentially, yiaprakia is a type of stuffed cabbage that is primarily served at Christmas in certain regions. Christmas is a very important festival in Greece and traditionally food plays a major role. Not only that, but there are those who consider this bread to be sacred. Traditional Christmas recipes by Akis Petretzikis. Foods and drinks hampers are a must when it comes to annual business gifts. Christmas in Greece, as anywhere else in the world, involves large quantities of food. In Greece, the Christmas season is in full swing by December 6th, the Feast of St. Nicholas , when presents are exchanged, and lasts through January 6th, the Feast of Epiphany . Melomakarona is a typical cookie sweet served in Greece during Christmas. This is a cake that is cut right after the coming of the New Year, which actually means a little after midnight, or at the lunch of New Year’s Day. Here’s a recipe for Greek style braised turkey. The special thing about vasilopita is that it is baked with a coin inside. Kourabiethes Cookies are always dusted with, rolled in or buried under confectioner’s sugar. The people preparing these foods laws put their best foot forward to impress their loved ones and visitors. A cross is shaped on the bread in its simplest form, while housewives also create other nice designs, such as the sun, the moon or sheep. ). While not exactly a Greek Christmas food, vasilopita is a cake that is made and eaten on New Year’s Day. Traditional Greek Recipes for Christmas Feast. Other nuts such as hazelnuts and walnuts can also be used. For Merry Christmas in Greece, people decorate their homes with beautiful Christmas trees and decoration items. Until a couple of decades ago, Christmas meat was usually lamb or pork, but today most housewives cook a turkey, probably affected by western cultures. This is a good chance for families to come together over the decorated table and try Christmas food prepared by the housewife. Diples, get their name from the Greek word for “fold”, and are a traditional festive dessert, that is very popular around Christmas time throughout Greece. Christmas holidays in Greece like any other country is all about feasting with the loved ones. They are often made using toasted almonds. There are also some versions  that have nut centers. In many families, recipes are often passed down from one generation to another. This means that it is often a primary source of meat for the Christmas feast in Greece! The reason for this is that turkeys aren’t all that common in Greece, and those that are in Greece are also relatively new. Since it contains no dairy products and eggs (forbidden during Advent), it can be enjoyed the night before the fast ends on Christmas Day. Although it arrived in the 1800s, it has become one of the popular foods in Christmas tables. Chicken soup is a very popular dish that brings solace and good cheer to the sick and weary all over the world. There are many variations to this dish, depending on the family and also the region of Greece. There are many recipes to bake a vasilopita. All houses are decorated with Christmas tree and other decorations, while Christmas food in Greece includes very special recipes. If you come to Greece during the Christmas period, you will see these two Christmas sweets in all pastries, cafeterias, and houses. It is cooked in the oven, on Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve. In most places in Greece, these cookies are referred t as the Christmas cookies. Comments Off on Traditional Food Served on Christmas in Greece. While Greece is widely known for its fascinating history, enchanting islands, and magnificent weather, it is also known to have some of the tastiest food in the world! The top of all Christmas food in Greece is Saint Basil’s Cake, called Vasilopita. In Greece, Christmas is a time when families bring out their favorite meat dishes, particular pork, but other types of meats are also served. When the clock strikes midnight and the New Year has begun, the cake is cut. They also make lots of sweet dishes, cakes, pastries, and cookies as per Christmas tradition in Greece. The Christmas turkey is stuffed with rice, walnuts, raisins, chestnuts and mincemeat or giblets. The bread is often decorated with pieces of dough formed into representations of the family's life (boats, animals, etc. Kourabiethes are considered to be a cookie that is served during happy celebrations, of which Christmas is one of them. Categorized in: Greek Christmas Traditions, on Traditional Food Served on Christmas in Greece, Recipe for Christopsomo – Greek Christmas Bread, Greek Christmas Eve Tradition of Singing Carols (Kalanda). There is a special Greek tradition that happens in Greece around this time. Christmas is one of the most important days not only to Christians in Greece, but to Christians all over the world. Being first generation Greek, our holidays represented very non traditional foods. Buy online a range of Greek foods and drinks gifts and hampers, perfect gifts for Greek food lovers, ... We will create love, birthday or anniversary hampers, congratulations, thank you, or seasonal Christmas, Valentine’s and Mother's day or other occasion hampers. They also cook the traditional food of Greece on the occasion of Christmas. The traditional Christmas celebration lasts for 13 days, from Christmas Eve until Epiphany on January 6th, the day when the baptism of Jesus Christ is symbolically celebrated. In fact, the traditional Melomakarona cookies, meaning Christmas cookies, tend to be created using a number of popular Greek spices, such as cinnamon, cloves, and orange. One of the most characteristic traditions in Greece is actually the naming tradition. Traditionally families and friends get together to celebrate the Christmas period, which lasts for 12 days. It is an unfortunate thing to say that the Greek breakfast is actually non-existent in the... Centrally located in the Cyclades, Mykonos is not only the second top destination in Greece but... Christmas food in Greece: taste and tradition. Maybe the most celebrated holiday of the year in Greece, it cannot get more festive. In fact, the term Christopsomo (picture above) means Christ’s bread. Cinnamon, orange and cloves are often used to give these cookies a unique and attractive taste. Blog > Greece > Christmas food in Greece: taste and tradition. In the northernmost Greek prefecture of Evron in the region of Thrace, a special sesame baklava is made on Christmas Eve. It is prepared on Christmas Eve and it is eaten at the lunch of Christmas day. It’s Christmas time once again and the Greek cuisine boasts some delicious savoury and sweet dishes. The Greek breakfast: time to make it a new trend? Here are some of the most common foods found on the Christmas table in Greece: This dish is a traditional food, especially in Northern Greece. The Christmas tree tradition arrived later from Europe. Turkey is a big part of Greek Christmas food customs, and it is common to find this bird on most Greek Christmas tables. With age-old recipes, Greek cuisine has been influenced by Middle Eastern, Italian, and Ottoman cultures. This is a round bread made with more special ingredients, such as raisins, aniseed, walnuts or almonds, etc. These cookies can be made in different shapes. Whoever finds the coin in their piece of cake is expected to have much luck for the entire coming year. Want to know more about Greek Food & Cuisine? Unlike many of the foods that are served on the Greek Christmas table, turkey is somewhat new on the scene. Of course, very popular Christmas sweets are kourabiedes and melomakarona. The Main Christmas Dish The most typical Greek Christmas sweets are the syrup sweets, including baklava, kataifi, galaktoboureko and walnut pie (karydopita). Christmas is one of the most important days not only to Christians in Greece, but to Christians all over the world. Christmas sweets and food . Slaughtering hogs  usually takes place during winter. Christmas preparations, however, include more than Christmas trees, ornaments and lights; getting ready for the festive season is also about preparing lots of sweets! Traditionally, the main course of Christmas dinner in Greece is roast pork, with a variety of side delicacies. I didn’t know anything different and grew to love all of the favorites my mom and dad loved as a child! Apart from the known and traditional dishes and desserts such as turkey and pork, pies and classic melomakarona pastries, buns, folds,baklava, kantaifi and cake every place has its own culinary tradition! The traditional Kozani version consist of ground pork and cabbage soaked in in brine for a period of 6 weeks. In the past years, Christmas turkey has become very popular as the main dish of the holiday. Continue Reading. Similarly, olive oil, the elixir of Greece, is used liberally in cooking and salads, and drizzled over most dips … This is a good chance for families to come together over the decorated table and try Christmas food prepared by the housewife. Christopsomo literally means “Christ’s Bread”, which we make a few days before Christmas. A traditional Christmas food in Greece is Christ’s Bread, or else “christopsomo”. Christmas is here! Avgolemono Soup (Egg-Lemon Chicken Soup) Avgolemono is a very common dish enjoyed throughout the year – not only on Christmas. Christmas on a platter, drizzled with honey syrup and topped with chopped walnuts! This bread is lovingly prepared by people in the household, but bakeries also sell it for those who don’t want to make their own. 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