Local Customs
|
Christmas Carols Poor people, farmers and shepherds, loyal to their traditions and full of inspiration, record the miracle of the savior’s coming to earth in the traditional Mandamados’ carols. Heavens, the earth, the cave, the shepherds, the angels, everything is shines because of the divine light. The angels’ song is heard throughout the world, and so do carols that summon believers to attend the Mass and to celebrate this joyous event with a festive dinner. That way, people will have the chance to approach their neighbors, to exchange wishes, to offer food and love to the poor. In other words, to return to the path of kindness and compassion. To feel the message, Jesus brought to this world, a world that lived in the darkness of ignorance and deception before His coming. Christmas and New Year’s Mores On Christmas Eve, people would throw ashes around their houses, while the bells were ringing, in order to prevent trolls from coming in. (Mandamados). In Pelopi, in the past years, on Christmas Eve, people would not leave their fireplaces to die out. Throughout the night, women with the help of children, prepared cakes so that the fire would keep on burning, since the tradition said that Mother Mary used the fireplace to dry out Baby Jesus “clothes”. Other would go out in their yards in midnight to look up to the sky. They believed that one could be lucky enough to see the great star that showed the way to Bethlehem. Should one saw it, he should make a wish and everyone believed this wish could come true. “Bounamas” or “Baxisi”, namely the reward given to children for singing the carols was an orange or a few “woodhorns” (“kountaridia”, small candies shaped like sticks). Those who could afford it also gave money to children. On New Year’s Eve, people decorated their houses and left traditional candies on the fireplaces. They whitened the fireplaces and placed a thick piece of wood in them so that Aghios Vassilis (Santa Claus) would come down the chimney to bring presents and bless the house. In the morning, the custom of “podariko” (take the first step in the house on New Year’s Day), was performed from the first visitor. Housewives would fill a pot with water from Aghios Vassilis’ (Santa Claus) spring and next to the pot, they would leave a pomegranate, an olive tree branch and garlic. Whoever performed “podariko” would have to throw water from the pot at one of the houses’ corners and tell a wish. After “podariko”, the housewife would offer candies to the visitor and wish him a Happy New Year. (Mandamados’ New Year’s Day Customs). In Klio, even today, people invite the youngest child to do the “podariko”. The child has to say: “Good morning to Aghios Vassilis, may the wallet of the master of the house be as heavy as I am, and may your joys be as many as the pomegranate seeds”. Then the housewife, gives the child money and many sweets and in particular the traditional “baklavas”. Bourets (boureki) Ingredients ½ kg minced meat 1 medium sized onion Some olive oil 1 bunch of chopped dill 1 bunch of chopped parsley Salt, pepper, spice 1 cup of rice 2 parts of pastry Preparation Braise the meat with onion, oil, dill, parsley, salt, pepper, spice and add the rice. Stir for a few minutes. Place one part of pastry in the pan, add the stuffing and cover with the other pastry. Spread some oil and put the pan in the oven. Let roast at 200Co until the pastry turns brown. (In the beginning of the century, but even earlier, “bourets” was roasted in the fireplace, on the embers. When the pastry was brown on its one size it was turned over.) Melomakarona or finikia or psathouria Ingredients 2 glasses of olive oil 1 glass of sugar Orange juice 1 cup of semolina ½ teaspoon of soda A teaspoon tip of ammonia Lemon gratings 1 baking powder Flour For the stuffing: 1 glass of nutmeat 1 teaspoon of cinnamon ¼ teaspoon of clove 1 spoon of sugar For the syrup: 4 glasses of sugar 3 glasses of water Preparation Sift the flour with the baking powder. Stir all other ingredients for 4-5 minutes. Through them in the flour and knead to make soft pastry. Split pastry into little parts. Shape each part in the shape of little leafs and put in its centre one teaspoon of stuffing. Make small pockets by closing with your fingers the endings. Decorate their surfaces with a fork. Place them on a buttered pan and roast in the over at 175Co for about half an hour. Prepare the syrup, place “psathouria” in a big plate and sprinkle with the syrup and grinded nutmeat. Platsentis or dimblis Ingredients 1 cup of water Some oil Some salt A teaspoon tip of soda Flour For the syrup 1 glass of water 1 glass of honey Preparation Knead the dough, roll the pastry and cut in different little shapes (bows, round shapes etc.) Fry them in burning oil and sprinkle with the syrup. (Either the syrup or “platsentis” must be cold). Place platsentis in a big plate and add grinded nutmeat and cinnamon. Grandmother’s kourampiedes 300 drams of butter 3 cups of sugar 2 cups of “raki” 2 cups scented water Flour (2 eggs optionally) Preparation Stir the butter until it becomes white and add the sugar. Stir well. Add the “raki” and the scented water and the flour little by little and kneed until the dough gets soft. Form the shapes you like. Grandmother’s Christmas Pie 10 drams of yeast, 40 drams of lukewarm milk, some flour. Knead and cover the mixture. When the leaven rises, add 1kg. flour, 2 eggs, 50 drams of butter, ½ kg. milk, vanilla, 100 drams of sugar and a..coin. Knead, butter the pan, put the pastry in and roast. Christmas Pie from Smyrna Ingredients 650 grams of flour 160 grams of butter 820 grams of sugar 1 glass of orange juice Lemon gratings Juice from half a lemon 7 eggs 1 teaspoon of baking soda Preparation Stir butter with sugar and add yolks one by one. Mix for 10 minutes, add orange juice, lemon gratings and stirred glairs. Butter a small pan and put in the dough, cover the surface with egg and roast in the oven. Other desserts housewives used to prepare during Christmas were the traditional “baklava” and scented “trigona” filled with nuts. Palm Sunday- “Vagia” On Palm Sunday, after the Mass, children would split in groups and would go around the village singing about the day Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem, fulfilled the prophecies, challenged the religious authorities and ended up dying to save the world. Children holding “vagia” (palm branches), the “symbols of victory” in their hands, would sing out loud and would shake “vagia” so that the bells hanging on them would sound. Today, the song of “Vagia” is performed by primary school children, who elaborately decorate a palm branch and keep the tradition alive. At noon, according to tradition, people should have fish and more specifically dry salted fish for lunch. In the evening, in church, everyone sings the Psalm and worship the image of Christ that is placed in the middle of the temple. |
