Christmas Calendar 2022
Happy ho-ho-holidays with a Christmas fact each day! Do you want to make this season a little merrier? We are here to spread some cheer! Just click on each date box and discover some ideas that will keep the magic spirit of the days alive!
Warm wishes from the whole, wishing you a merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. ☃️🎅🏼
There’s room for everyone on the nice list… Merry Christmas from our team in Chania!
When the Candy Cane was invented in Germany, it was made into a J for Jesus. The red stripes symbolize his blood.
We wish everyone a merry, peaceful and joyful Christmas holiday. 🎄
Leaving cookies and milk for Santa—and perhaps a few carrots for his reindeer—took off as an American holiday tradition in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. In that time of great economic hardship, many parents tried to teach their children that it was important to give to others and to show gratitude for the gifts they were lucky enough to receive on Christmas. Some 80 years later, many children still set out cookies and milk for Santa, whether out of the goodness of their hearts or (in less wholesome cases) as a bribe to receive more gifts from the jolly bearded man in the red suit.
Did you know that in Greece Roast pork is the traditional Christmas meal, during Christmas?
Dried orange & lemon slices:
These dried orange & lemon slices are super-easy to make!
Just bake them in the oven for a couple of hours then package with the garnishes of your choice.
We suggest a fragrant mixture of cinnamon sticks, rosemary sprigs or cardamom pods.
During Epiphany on January 6th, priests bless the waters, and the ships sailing on them. Ships blow their whistles in thanks, and on land church bells are rung.
Merry everything and happy always! ✨ Have a nice time with your friends and family.
Feel the Christmas spirit with us this holiday season. 🎅 🎄
Merry Christmas from our team in Thessaloniki!
Melomakarona is a honey-glazed cookie, normally sprinkled with crushed walnuts, and often found in a version covered in dark chocolate that can be a bit heavy but utterly delicious.
You may have heard about the two traditional Italian Christmas cakes, Panettone and Pandoro. The first is a sweet bread filled with raisins and candied fruit while the other is a tall, star-shaped cake sprinkled with icing sugar.
The festive season is always an opportunity to come together, inspire others, and show that love conquers all. As part of the Christmas spirit, we supported 14 organizations and 157 children this year. We created countless moments of care and kindness that represent our organization’s values: equality and opportunity for all people.
Today is the second day of our Christmas charity bazaar!
We are partnering up with various NGOs, allowing all our employees to join in on the joy of helping others!
In Greek tradition, St. Nicholas is also said to protect sailors. Fishing boats are decorated with blue and white lights, and the Greek navy performs a concert dedicated to Father Christmas.
Singing carols is popular, especially on the three official carol days, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and January 5th.
Children visit homes, singing, playing a triangle and asking for money. There are many different versions of carols in Greece. Almost every region has its own lyrics and its own music. Here, you can enjoy the Ikarian version!
Let’s dream big and make the most of 2023!
We had the pleasure of sharing time with children at the Learning and Education Center of SOS Children’s Villages decorating their Christmas tree celebrating the festive season and spreading holiday cheers. We are grateful for the opportunity to bring them some joy.
One of Europe’s tallest Christmas trees is planted yearly in Syntagma Square in Athens.
The ceremony of lighting the tree is accompanied by music and dancing.
Syntagma square is at the end of Ermou St. which is the most commercial street in Greece.
On January 1st, a popular baked snack is a cake called Vasilopita.
Pieces are cut for the Virgin Mary, Christ and Saint Vasileios and finding the hidden coin in the cake brings good luck.
The Kallikantzaroi: The kallikantzaroi spend the year trying to saw and ax the tree down, but they usually fail. According to this superstitious legend, during these 12 days, evil spirits can rise to our world because in this period Christ wasn’t baptized. That means he can’t protect humanity from evil. These evil goblins roam the earth freely, entering people’s households and usually upsetting and frustrating them.
Gingerbread Cookies:
- In a large bowl, with mixer at slow speed, beat flour, sugar, butter, molasses, egg, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt until well mixed.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- On a lightly floured surface, working with half of the dough this time, roll 1/8 inch thick.
- With floured cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes. Using a metal spatula or pancake turner, place cookies 1/2 inch apart on greased cookie sheets.
- Re-roll trimmings and continue to cut shapes.
- Bake for 8 minutes, or until very lightly browned.
- Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.
In Greece, during New Year, smashing the dried fruit, stamping on it and then entering the house brings good luck!
Warm wishes from the whole, wishing you a merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. Christmas is just around the corner! ☃️🎅🏼
Get started making the Pinecone Gnome:
For this project we are going to need: Pine cones/ Red felt, fabric, or paper for the hat, Buttons, brads, or beads for the nose, some white acrylic paint, a Paint brush scissors and of course some White glue.
1. Paint the pine cones white and set aside to dry.
2. Print the gnome hat template. I included two sizes. Select the one that most closely fits your pine cones. Form the hat into a cone shape and glue the seam.
3. Run a bead of glue around the inside rim of the hat and glue the hat to the pine cone.
4. Glue the nose in place right so it just peeks out from under the rim of the hat.
5. If you’re going to hang the pine cone gnome, use a needle to sew a length of thread to the peak of the hat. It is ready
Greek almond snowballs – Kourabiedes are the Greek shortbread butter cookies with toasted bits of almond, covered in caster sugar.
They were perfect in taste and each bite they melted in your mouth, making you want to eat more and more.
Sweden celebrates Christmas with a giant, straw Yule Goat!
The Christmas season is a yearly reminder of how important it is to spread love and to be generous!
In this spirit, Teleperformance Greece is hosting a Christmas charity bazaar at two of our premises!
In Italy, the exchange of gifts awaits the coming of La Befana on January 5th.
That night, before going to bed, Italian children hang their socks along the chimney so that the Befana can bring presents to the good children…
The naughty ones get lumps of black sugar sweets.
