Christmas holiday traditions

The sweet of funerals past

Melomakarona

The name melomakarona is of Greek origin; it is the combination of the words honey and "macaronia." And we’re not talking Italian spaghetti. Interestingly, the word macaroni stems from the Medieval Greek word ‘μακαρωνία’ a flour-based funeral dinner in honor of the dead. Over time, honey was added to these small pieces of ‘bread’ and they were renamed melomakarona.

Full of honey, these sweet-smelling, crispy, oval-shaped and walnut-sprinkled biscuits are a favorite during the Christmas holidays in Greece. You may get one when you order coffee at a coffee shop, you may be treated to one when walking past a bakery and, of course, if you work at an office or visit a friend’s house, there will likely be a platter of melomakarona offered to you.

The powdered-sugar biscuits

Kourabiedes

These delicious round-shaped biscuits are made with plenty of butter, rosewater and almonds, and are generously sprinkled on top with powdered sugar. This style of making biscuits arose with the intention of preserving bread for more days by baking it twice. The origin of the word bis-cuit in Latin expresses precisely the technique of double baking. In the Middle Ages, the word biscuit was introduced and defines the modern form of biscuits. The most famous kourabiedes [singular – kourabies] are those originating from the Karvali region of Cappadocia, Turkey. In 1924, Greek refugees from this area created the prefecture of Karvali, outside the modern city of Kavala in northern Greece. They brought with them the traditional recipe of the kourabiedes as we know them today.

Always present at weddings and celebrations

Diples

These traditional honey-dipped Greek sweets are crunchy, folded dumplings that can be found throughout Greece in bakeries and homes, and especially at weddings, engagements, and baptisms, depending on the region. This special sweet was first made in the Peloponnese region of Greece - mainly for weddings - and this tradition spread all over Greece, slowly becoming one of the characteristic sweets of the New Year. The diples symbolize the swaddling clothes of Christ. And, covered in honey, they are shared with others to sweeten the past, accompany the present and to make favorable the future.

The golden pie

Vasilopita

The Vasilopita is like a round pound cake. What makes it special is the small coin, wrapped in foil, hidden somewhere within. Each family will make sure to have at least one in their home and can be either store-bought or homemade. On New Year’s Day, the head of the household divides the pie into pieces, like a pizza. The first two pieces are cut out and laid aside, symbolically for Christ, and for the household. The head of the household then cuts out a piece for himself, and then for every other member in the household, usually by descending order of age. For most, a piece of the vasilopita is the first sweet taste of each new year, and has a special spot at every New Year's celebration meal, with each person hoping to find the lucky coin. The coin is said to ensure good luck for the coming year.