Greek Christmas and New Year's traditions: The legend of the Greek Santa Clause

Most of us have the image of Santa as chubby, rosy-cheeked, white-bearded, dressed in red, traveling the world Christmas Eve led by his reindeer-drawn sleigh full of presents.

But in Greece, Orthodox Christians celebrate Saint Basil (or Agios Vassilis) on New Year’s Eve.

This dark, rather lean, angular faced man, with thick eyebrow and a brown beard is dressed like a Byzantine pilgrim.

With cane in hand, he visits towns and villages, carrying toys and gifts, while helping the poor.

Animals are also part of his journey, as are mills, fountains and boats which are all blessed.

For this reason gifts in Greece are usually exchanged on New Year’s instead of Christmas

Born in Caesarea, (modern day Turkey) in 330, Agios Vassilis, was known to be one of the greatest Fathers of the Church, but in 356 he gave up his career as a rhetorician and opted for a monastic life. During this time, he gave away his family inheritance and devoted himself to those who were poor and suffering. He died on January 1, 379. Many say that this is the reason we celebrate him on New Year’s Day.

To greet the New Year which coincides with the celebration of his feast, the children, very early in the morning the children, sing carols (kalanda) from house to house announcing the news of his arrival while playing a little instrument called a “triangle”.

Children singing the “Kalanda” with a triangle

All over Greece, the tables are abundantly prepared the day before with an extra setting for Saint Basil in order to honor and encourage him to visit their homes and bring gifts. In some areas people even place a big log in the hearth as a stepping stone so that he could come down the chimney way.

At midnight, when the New Year arrives, we slice the Vasilopita, the New Year’s cake. The history of this custom goes back many centuries.

It is said that the governor of Cappodocia decided to collect all unpaid taxes, thus showing his displeasure and anger to his subjects. Frightened, the population asked for the protection of their beloved bishop St. Basil. He recommended that all the inhabitants offer an object of value to the governor and thus appease his anger. Effectively this gesture soothed the wrath of the governor who, moved by the eloquence of St. Basil defending the cause of his people, declined the presents offered.

Everyone was relieved to be able to keep their property, but it was impossible to return each object to its rightful owner.

Once again, St. Basil found the solution. He asked each family to make a large cake inside which they would hide a precious object. St Basil distributed the cakes and miraculously everyone was able to find their property.

Since then, in memory of this beautiful story, we have been celebrating St Basil by preparing a sweet cake (Vasilopita) that bears his name. A gold coin hidden inside this cake becomes an omen of happiness for the whole year to whoever finds it.

This is adapted from an article written by Anastassia Rossi, for the monthly newsletter “Echo de la Grece” Mrs. Rossi was the Cultural advisor of the Consulate of Greece in Grenoble, France in which I was the Editor in Chief of said newsletter. You will see more articles of this kind in which either I or my colleagues had written together.

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