New Year in Greece

Greek children prepare for Santa Claws’s visit penetrating to their houses through chimneys. When they expect presents, they leave their boots for a night, hoping to find presents in them in the morning.
Earlier New Year in Greece was celebrated on the 22 of June because the Greeks led their chronology from the first day of the Olympic games. The 1 of January in Greece coincides with ST. Basil’s plays a role of Santa Claws.

Going to the hosts the Greeks take a stone with them and throw it at the threshold of the hosts’ house. If the stone is heavy, they say: “Let the host’s wealth be as heavy as this stone.” But if the stone is small and light, they say: “Let the thorn in the host’s eyes be as small as this stone.”

After that all members of the family sop fingers into the honey and then lick them.
The most interesting tradition is that, when a host comes into his garden at midnight and beats a pomegranate across the wall. If the grains fly apart the garden the family will be lucky this year.

But the Greeks on the Islands prefer to bake turkey in wine.
The main dish of New Year in continental Greece is a roast piglet with potatoes.

One more important dish is a pie with the ornaments from nuts and currants, where is a coin inside, the symbol of happiness in New Year. When family cuts a pie, they look who has the coin. The first piece of pie is for ST. Basil, the second one is for home, the next one is for the oldest member of the family, and so one. The youngest member gets the last piece of the pie.

There are some New Year superstitions: you mustn’t shout, drink coffee. You mustn’t let black dogs come into the house and you mustn’t break dishes.

On the Eve of the New Year we wish you:

Good health and happiness in your life.

Omnipresent luck and great success.

Faithful and loyal friends and the fulfillment secret desires.