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New
Year's Day
On New
Year's Eve many Greek families play cards and other
games of luck, until after midnight. Many go to parties
that are called "reveyion". When the New Year comes at
midnight, they wish each other "Happy New Year" and
"Many Happy Returns".
Another New Year's tradition is the cutting of the "Vasilopita".
The "Vasilopita" is a cake or "tsoureki" (the shape must
be round). A coin wrapped in tin foil is placed inside
the "Vasilopita" before it is baked. Our mother always
uses almonds on top to write "XΠ" for "Χρόνια Πολλά"
(many happy returns). On New Year's Eve, as soon as the
clock strikes midnight, the head of the household cuts
the "Vasilopita". The first piece is for Jesus, the
second for the Virgin Mary, the third piece is usually
for the Church, the fourth for the poor and the rest of
the pieces, from the fifth on, are for each member of
the family starting with the oldest member. Whoever
finds the coin wins money (the amount is determined by
the head of the household before the cake is cut) and it
is said that he/she will have good luck all year. If the
coin falls in any one of the pieces for Jesus, Mary, or
the Church, the money must be given to the Church. If
the coin falls in the piece for the poor, the money is
given to a poor person or to the Philoptohos.
For New Year's we sing the following carols:
Archiminia ki archichronia
Psili mou dendrolivania
Ki archi ki archi kalos mas chronos
Ekklisia, ekklisia me t' Agio Thronos...
January First is the celebration of St. Basil the Great.
In Greece, they believe that St. Basil brings the gifts
on New Year's Eve. So, gifts are exchanged on New Year's
Day and not Christmas.
Another tradition for New Year's is baking "Baklava",
maybe because it is such a sweet pastry that it will
make the whole year sweet. On the island of Kos, another
tradition is the "boulistrina" which is money that
relatives give to children instead of gifts.
In addition, Greeks believe that that first day of the
year is indicative of how the rest of the year will go.
We say "kalo podariko" (good luck) to the first person
that enters the house that day. If you are the first
person to enter the house on New Years, you must enter
right foot first.
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