3. Caroling is part of
the Greek
Christmas
tradition. A carol is
called Kalanta or
Kalanda in Greek.
4. Christmas signals the advent of 12
holidays also known as
Dodecameron, which ends on
Epiphany Day. On the eve of the most
noted holidays such as Christmas,
and Epiphany, children sing special
carols for each holiday. What are
these carols and how they have
evolved into their present form?
5. On Christmas Eve morning, the bell rings,
and the atmosphere is filled with familiar
melodies: Christmas Carols.
7. Kids go out caroling on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and Epiphany Eve
(January 5th). They go door to door singing carols, often bring along
triangles to play while singing. The playing is different than playing the
triangle as an instrument. They bang the triangle making a repeated sound
– not necessarily to the beat of the song.
8. The sound of the flute, or the
melodica and sometimes only a
simple triangle accompany the
children’s caroling.
9. The lady of the house
offers small amounts
of money for the
children’s piggy bank.
In the country, kids
are offered
traditional sweets of
the season, almonds
and fruits.
10. The Greek word Kalanda
(carols), derives from the
Latin calendae, which
means the first day of the
month. In Ancient Greece,
there were various texts
comparable to the
contemporary Kalanda,
which contained praises
for the landlord and good
wishes for the prosperity
of the household.
11. At the end of every carol the kids add this
verse to wish the landlord prosperity:
Σ’ αστό το σπίτι ποσ ‘ρθαμε,
πέτρα να μη ραγίσει
κι ο νοικοκύρης τοσ σπιτιού
τρόνια πολλά να ζήσει.
In this house we have come
No stone may ever crack
And the landlord
May live for many years.
12. At that time, children sang carols while carrying boat
models in honor of the God Dionyssos. Sometimes they
carried branches of olive or laurel upon which they hung
their tips and gratuities.
13. How wonderful that this
tradition dates back so far yet
kids still partake in it today!
14. Christmas carols are sung all over the country and are distinguished by
several regional versions such as carols from Aigina, Thrace, Crete, Samos,
Cyprus, Cycladic islands, Byzantium and the carols of Pontos. With
individual wordings and melodies, they offer their own viewpoint of Christ’s
Birth, which is their central theme. Invariably Christmas carols praise the
home, and the family with good wishes for the household and its prosperity.
15. Identically to the Christmas carols the children start
early in the New Year’s Eve morning to sing the
carols.
The New Year’s Eve
carols sing the passing
from the Winter to the
Spring equinox and the
coming of Saint Basil of
Caesaria (the Santa Claus
in the Catholic church)
16. Like with the
Christmas carols, the
New Year’s carols
differ in some cities.
These are the
common carols for
the New Year.
Arhiminia ki arhihronia
psili mou dentrolivania,
ki arhi – ki arhi kalos mas hronos,
ekklisia – ekklisia me t’ agio
throno.Arhi pou vgike o Hristos
agios kai pnevmatikos,
sti gi – sti gi na perpatisei
kai na mas – kai na mas
kalokardisei.Agios Vasilis erhetai
kai den mas katadehetai
apo – apo tin Kaisareia
eisai arho – eisai arhontissa,
kiria.Vastaei eikona kai harti
me to Hristo to litroti,
harti – harti kai kalamari,
des kai me – des kai me to palikari.
18. On Epiphany, the 6th of January
we celebrate the baptism of
Jesus Christ. The first
Christians stayed sleepless all
night long holding lighted
candles and waiting for the
coming Illuminance.
In the morning hours, the Greek
tradition is that young children
go out to sing Epiphany carols
too.
19. Sιmera ta fοta kai oi fοtismoi
Kai hares megales ki agiasmoi
Kato ston Iordani ton potamo
Kathet' i kira mas i Panagia
Kalimera!
Kalispera!
Kali sou mera afenti me tin
kira!
Organo vastaei, keri kratei
Kai ton Ai-Gianni parakalei
Ai-Gianni afenti kai vaptisti
vaptise ki emena Theou paidi
N'anevo epano stous
ouranous
va mazepso roda kai livanous
Kalimera!
Kalispera!
Kali sou mera afenti me tin
kira!