Tag Archives: Christmas

Greek Christmas kitsch to the sounds of “All I want for Christmas is you”… Employees at the Migration Ministry made their own tree balls with the picture of minister Notis Mitarakis inside. As if this ridiculous idea wasn’t enough, they also posted a video on the official ministry’s social media …

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The Greek island of Alonissos has chosen to celebrate its connection with the sea and the underwater diving with the symbolic decoration of an underwater Christmas Tree. The event launched the holiday season 2022. The alternative Christmas event took place on Saturday, December 10, with Alonissos Mayor Petros Vafinis doing …

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Retail stores and supermarkets throughout Greece will operate with special working hours during the Christmas and News Year holidays 2022/2023. The operation hours during the holiday season include also two Sundays. According to an announcement by the Business and Retail Association of Greece (SELPE), shops will operate: On weekdays Monday …

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Seeking to have a molecular PCR-test on Christmas Day turned into a small adventure for a young man in Heraklio on the island of Crete. Twice tested positive on self-tests, the young man sought to confirm the illness with a PCR-test. Mission impossible. The 24-year-old man felt ill on Saturday …

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The municipality of Athens cancelled a Christmas Eve event on the city’s main Kotzia square due to the risk of Covid-19 infections. “With sense of responsibility and due to the increase of Covid-19 infections, the municipality of Athens decided the cancellation of the event Christmas Eve-The Night of the Wishes …

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For the past six months, the days have grown shorter and the nights have grown longer in the Northern Hemisphere. But that’s about to reverse itself. Winter solstice 2021, the shortest day and the longest night of the year and the official first day of winter, is on Tuesday, December …

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Six in ten Greeks say that they will spend much less on Christmas shopping than they did last year. Reason are the price hikes and the higher energy cost as well as the insecurity with regards to the pandemic. The changes in the buying habits of consumers in the last …

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Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced an extra Christmas bonus to health workers, low-pensioners and people with disabilities who receive allowance. The extra bonus is aiming to absorb price hikes for the benefit of those combating the pandemic and the vulnerable groups of the society. The bonus is one off payment. …

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Doctors and nurses with music skills sang the Christmas carols to patients in Covid-19 designated hospitals, in a small but heart-warming action to bring a little joy to those isolated in wards, away from their beloved ones. In Papanikolaou hospital in Thessaloniki interns and nurses sang outside the wards’ windows …

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A mansion on the island of Chios is most probably the house with the most Christmas lights across Greece. some 300,000 lights decorate the house, the garden and the impressive Christmas tree. The sparking lights form bit starts and other Christmas motives, reindeer and fawns and every else the the …

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No bell ring early morning, no children at your door step singing carols on the Eve of Christmas and New Year, no groups of people signing on the streets. Authorities in Greece have banned the tradition of door to door carols due to the pandemic. This Christmas will be different …

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Government spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Tuesday that that citizens will need to SMS to 13033 the option <6> for “exercise” if they want to celebrate Christmas Eve and Day as well as New Year’s Eve and Day with other families. He warned that the night curfew will not be …

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Hoteliers in Greece reacted to the government decision to close their restaurants on Christmas Eve and Day as well as on New Year’s Eve and Day. “Hotel restaurants operate legally only to serve their guests and with specific, strict rules and conditions,” the Hellenic Hoteliers’ Federation said in an announcement …

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The Metropolis of Mesogaia in Attica announced that it will use the fund for the poor in order to pay the fines of 1,800 euros imposed by police. On Sunday, the gates of a church in Koropi, East Attica, were opened to the faithful although that is forbidden under the …

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Greece’s Government spokesman announced on Monday rules for celebrating Christmas and New Year and also the re-opening of nail-shops as of Tuesday, December 15. Gatherings at home on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as well as on New Year’s Eve and New Year Day will be limited to a maximum …

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Government spokesman Stelios Petsas and Development Minister Adonis Georgiadis will announce the lifting of some restrictions on the retail sector that will apply during the holiday season on Friday morning. The health ministry’s committee of coronavirus experts is considering the operation of retail shops, hairdressers, and also of churches over …

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Greece’s government spokesman said on Tuesday that the final decisions on lockdown restrictions and their partial lifting over the holidays of Christmas and the New Year will be announced on upcoming Friday. Speaking to ANT1 TV Stelios Petsas said refered among other to the opening of retail stores, churches and …

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The Ministry of Development and Investment officially announced the opening of stores selling purely seasonal Christmas item as from Monday, December 7, 2020. Supermarkets will be allowed to sell Christmas items as well. Details for the opening hours and the way of operation of these stores will be reportedly announced …

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Nurses in Mamatsio hospital in Kozani send a message of hope and optimism, full in Christmas spirit. Their message of hope is not only to the Covid-19 patients they take care of but to all of Greeks in a country that struggles to fight the second wave of the pandemic. …

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This is the eternal Christmas question Greeks are challenged with every year: the traditional to-die-for Greek sweets during the festive days: Melomakarona or Kourabiedes? Melomakarona are egg-shaped calory-bombs. They are soft and soaked in sirup made of honey or sugar and water. They are made of  flour, sugar and olive …

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