Christmas on the greek islands

December is the most festive month of the year as everyone, young and old, jumps into the spirit of Christmas. Boat trips become more frequent, as families and friends come together to say farewell to the old year and welcome the new. The Christmas customs in Greece are plenty, and they have been around for centuries carrying the scent of cinnamon and wood in warm and cozy, decorated houses. Travel to the islands this year and book your ferry tickets through Let’s Ferry. Search all available ferry itineraries and experience unique Christmas customs on the islands.

Christmas eating on the islands
If you find yourself on an Aegean island on Christmas day, from Santorini to Rhodes, try some giaprakia, also known as dolmadas, a popular recipe that you will even find in the Kozani region. In addition to the traditional turkey, you will also try pork in various recipes, such as in sausages and the traditional cured siglino meat. In Poros you will enjoy a lovely pork and celery dish. Diples is a treat that is found everywhere during the holidays, powdered sugar kourabiedes are prepared on most islands on December 12, and Christmas bread is another favorite that stars on the island tables, filled with nuts and honey.

The very peculiar Cretan cuisine is at its best during Christmas. Among the delicacies that appear on the festive Cretan menu are piglet with lemon leaves and also fried liver, a dish that you will find in Lassithi. Two more pork specialties that you will find in Sfakia are the fried pork pieces and ‘omates’.
A traditional Christmas dish in Kalymnos is rooster with leeks. On Christmas morning, after the church service is over, the islanders use the same rooster to make soup with its broth.

If you pass by the villages of Kos at Christmas, you will realise there is a strong wood oven smell in the air. You see, on Christmas Eve the villagers prepare the ksismata, a bread kneaded with grated mizithra cheese and herbs. Another delicacy is afrena, a type of bread made with sourdough derived from the foam of boiled chickpeas, together with bay leaves. To sweeten the table, Kos people make sarmousades, a dessert that has its roots in Kefalos and is very similar to baklava.

The noumboulo of Corfu is one of the most famous cold cut meats of the island, it looks like prosciutto and it’s one of the island’s traditional Venetian dishes. The secret of its taste is that it is marinated in red wine, spices and herbs. It is served with botsoni, a jug of red wine, creating an especially tasty combination. Butino is the traditional Christmas sweet of Corfu that you will also find on islands such as Kefalonia and Kythira. It is the Greek version of pudding, made with stale bread and semolina.

The best things to do on the islands during Christmas
If you are in Rhodes and in the company of locals, Christmas night will be a long affair. They visit their grandparents for exchanging wishes and then go by every friend’s and relative’s house to celebrate.

In Chania, in the area of ​​Spilia, you will find the Cave of Agios Ioannis the Hermit. Here, during Christmas Eve you will watch the service, together with a unique representation of the Christmas Manger. Sheep, a fire, shepherds and a mystical lighting, create an unforgettable setting.

In Kefalonia, the elderly relatives host the rest of the family at home. Here you will also experience the most fragrant New Year's Eve! Custom has it that the residents take to the streets minutes before the new year comes and sprinkle each other with cologne!

Many islands have kept the custom of decorating a boat (instead of a tree), and in some island squares you will get to enjoy seeing large boats with ornaments and lights. Chios continues to follow this old custom to this day, reviving it on New Year's. Groups from various districts of the island's capital create small scaled ships of different styles.

In the island of Symi, tradition requires that married women create a basket filled with sweets, wine and meats for their mothers-in-law, in order to show them their appreciation and respect. Some of the sweets included are the panierakia, which are small tarts with walnut filling, kourabiedes with ash water, baklava and classic pastries.

If you haven’t yet experienced Easter in Corfu, Christmas on the island will more than make it up to you! On Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve the island’s cantons are filled with philharmonic orchestra groups playing the day’s carols. Do not be surprised if the lyrics are slightly different, as they are based on the Ionian dialect.

A boat trip around Christmas will put you into a festive mood and create the distance you need from everyday life. This is the time when the islands unfold their fascinating customs and winter beauties, and the inhabitants are extra happy to welcome visitors. Book your ferry tickets for Christmas on an island with Let’s Ferry and experience an unforgettable holiday season!