Christmas in Greece

 (Greek News Agenda) Xmas: A Word Of Greek Origin

Where did “Xmas” come from? Some transliterations of Greek spell Christos as Xristos.
The “X” stood in for the first letter of the word Christ (ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ). “Xmas” has been used for hundreds of years in religious writing, where the X represents the Greek letter X (chi).

While in modern times Xmas is regarded as a kind of slang, it was originally considered to be a perfectly respectful abbreviation, especially as it included a form of the cross in the shape of the “X”.

Christmas (“Χριστούγεννα”), the Feast of the Nativity of Jesus is one of the most joyful days of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Christmas Elves

Kallikantzari are little creatures that live deep down inside the earth and together with the legends of Greece, play an important part in the customs and traditions of this holiday.
From Christmas until the Feast of the Epiphany, residents in Epirus place twelve spindles in front of the fireplace so that the kalikantzari see them and do not climb down the chimney.
On Christmas Eve, in the town of Grevena, the followers place a large log in the corner of the house and set it alight.
As the fire burns, lasting until the Feast of the Epiphany, it protects the family from the kalikantzari.

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