Our Cretan Christmas Star

In Greece, Christmas is a less important festivity and celebration than Easter, but this does not mean that it is ignored. Tourist souvenir shops have suddenly been into shops wholly devoted to selling Christmas decorations in abundance. Fortunately, the cities are not drowned in the commercialism of Christmas as in the UK, though there is still a strong feeling of yuletide (probably more relevant here with all the wood-burning stoves keeping homes warm). Schools have finished and youngsters can be seen in the streets with their red Santa hats, and carols are played in the supermarkets (in English and Greek) just to make you really homesick.

However, everything is much more relaxed and our expeditions for Christmas cards to send to friends and family at home have proved successful, even if the wording is in Greek! Our only problem is that the local post office does not seem to be geared up for the onslaught of Xmas cards (there have even been mutterings at the kafenion) and we have had to collect our parcels from the PO rather than receiving them in the village.

Our town of Vrysses has its Xmas street lights ablaze and most of the shop windows have some colourful decorations. Most impressive is centre piece of the nativity, about half life-size!. However, I came home yesterday to find that a wonderful illuminated star had been attached to the street light outside our house … how about that for a sign that WE have arrived, though if three kings arrive (we already have the shepherds) I will be concerned.

Turkeys wander the local roads looking decidedly worried, and the pigs below our garden bought it yesterday. But hey, that’s what Xmas is about, though I’m used to dealing with things that are wrapped in cellophane, don’t move and sit prettily on Waitrose’s shelves.

So we are ready for our quiet Christmas …I think? At least the mountains will give us a white Christmas to look at. Merry Christmas everyone, Kala Xristoyenna. Hronia Polla