The National Herald December 22, 2012 www.thenationalherald.com This insert is sponsored in part by: Angeliki Frangou of Navios Maritime Drs. Miranda and George Kofinas of Kofinas Fertility Institute Jim and Ted Pedas John G. Rangos Sr. Drs. Spiro & Amalia Spireas of Sigmapharm Laboratories Emmanuel Stamatakis Dr. Sotirios Vahaviolos of Mistras Group 2 Christmas Special THE NATIONAL HERALD, DECEMBER 22, 2012 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from The National Herald “Good evening, my lords; if it is your pleasure, I will tell your lordship of Christ’s divine birth. Christ is born today in the city of Bethlehem, and the heavens rejoice.” These are the first lines of the well-loved Christmas Kalanta, or carols, sung by young and old Hellenes for countless generations. No matter where in the world Greeks travel, these favorite lines go with them and are faithfully sung every December. We have a few new twists on some familiar themes in this year’s Christmas issue of The Na - tional Herald. You’ll find a compilation of tradi - tional customs for the holidays, which include not only Christmas and New Year’s Day, but also the Twelve Days of Christmas, which run between Christmas and Epiphany on January 6. It’s not just the title of an old English carol! The twelve days of Christmas is a universal Christian theme, and the Greeks call them the Dodekaimeron, or “Twelve Days.” We’ll take you all around Greece, touching on most of her regions and revealing Icon of the Birth of Christ “Kalanta,” (Carols) painting of caroling children by Nikiforos Lytras, 1872 some of the oldest customs on record – and we do mean old. Christmas is about the birth of run amuck on the earth, slipping into people’s cient pagan belief that the souls of the dead es - say baptized—and used to spread the Gospel mes - Christ, but entrenched habits die hard, and many houses through the chimney, dousing fires, spoil - caped Hades once a year when the gates were sage. of the ancient Greek pagan practices never died, ing food, stealing household items, and generally opened. And for something completely different, you’ll but have taken on new forms. For example, the wreaking havoc. But at the first sign of the Bless - Also this year, we are honored to present an also find a piece of humorous Christmas fiction belief in kalikantzaroi, goblins or spirits who rise ing of the Waters on Epiphany Eve (January 5), essay by the world-renown Byzantine scholar Rev. by our own Constantine Sirigos, which we trust up from their year-round home in the bowels of they scatter, horrified at the priest wielding the Demetrios J. Constantelos, who takes up a similar will bring a chuckle on more than one level. the earth once a year to pester mankind, shows cross like a weapon against evil. Some consider theme by illustrating how ancient Greek feasts So read on, enjoy, and above all: Have a Very no sign of waning. Beginning Christmas Eve, they the kalikantzaroi to be reincarnations of the an - were adopted by the Church—one might even Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! NAPLES FLORIDA REAL ESTATE From Ancient Greek to Christian Holidays By Rev. Demetrios J. peror after 324, he issued various with the celebration of the birth Constantelos, Ph.D. laws by which Christian holidays of "the Sun of Righteousness," Special to The National Herald were designated, such as the Sun - the anticipated Messiah, as writ - day holiday. The conversion of ten by the prophet Malachi The calendar of the Christian Constantine, the new religious (Malachi 3:20, Septuagint; or Church includes feasts whose tolerance after the Edict of Milan 4:2, Hebrew text), namely Jesus dates coincide with the dates of in 313, but also the favorable po - Christ, the truly invincible sun celebrations of the ancient Greco- sition taken by the Church toward and light of the world (John 1:9, Roman world. This article will be the cultural heritage in which it 8:12). limited to only the two major was born and developed, as we From Rome, the capital of the Vicky Lewis holidays of Christmas and see from the writings of the Roman Empire, where the feast Realtor Epiphany (or Theophany). We Church Fathers, did not destroy of Christmas was first celebrated celebrate Christmas on Decem - religious beliefs, traditions and on December 25, it was intro - b ber 25 and the Epiphany on Jan - observances of the ancient Greco- duced to other local churches in uary 6. Roman world. On December 25 the Latin West but also in the The first evidence for the cel - the Romans celebrated, among Greek East. Until then, Christmas a ebration of Christmas on Decem - others (such as Saturnalia, also and Epiphany were celebrated ber 25 is in the chronicles of known as Broumalia) the cele - together. Some great fathers took Merry Christmas Dionysius Filokalos, calligrapher bration of the "invincible sun," a the initiative to make the change and Registrar of Bishop Damasos very popular celebration, partic - Byzantine mosaic of the Em - and divided the two holidays, and of Rome (366-384). Filokalos in - ularly with the Roman army. It peror Justinian, who decreed Christmas and Epiphany. In the cludes in the list of bishops of was a feast of orgies, drunkenness Christmas to be a national Greek Christian East around 375, a Happy New Year! Rome much important informa - and loose morals. holiday in the 6th century. Basil the Great introduced into tion about the city of Rome and Many Christians who came his diocese the feast of Christmas the Roman Empire in general. He from the same cultural back - flock, replaced pagan festivals as distinct from Epiphany. His bo - includes mention of Christian ground were not excluded and with Christian ones, particularly som friend Gregory the Theolo - 239-777-4904 feasts and the lives of martyrs. isolated from the rest of society. those that had a name and con - gian, Patriarch of Constantinople 8 Thus we learn that the birth of There are many indications and tent that was related to the Chris - fixed Christmas as a special hol - [email protected] 7 1 / Christ was first celebrated on De - reports that religious customs tian teaching. This explains why iday in the year 379. www.VickyLewisNaples.com 6 0 cember 25 in the year 336. and popular festivals of ancient since the time of Constantine the The Church of Antioch fol - 8 1 0 It is known that when Con - Greek or Roman origin were also Great, the feast of the "Invincible lowed, making the distinction be - DOWNING-FRYE REALTY, INC. 2 stantine the Great, the first Chris - celebrated by Christians. The Sun," i.e. the unconquerable, un - Μιλώ Ελληνικά tian emperor, became sole em - Church, in order to protect its defeatable sun, was replaced Continued on page 20 201193/147 THE NATIONAL HERALD, DECEMBER 22, 2012 Christmas Special 3 Drs. Spiro & Amalia Spireas and Sigmapharm Laboratories Wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Innovative Pharmaceutical Formulations, Maximizing Drug Therapy. Sigmapharm Laboratories, LLC 3375 Progress Drive, Bensalem - PA 19020 Tel.: (215) 352-6655 - Fax: (215) 352-6644 www.sigmapharm.com 201520/273 4 Christmas Special THE NATIONAL HERALD, DECEMBER 22, 2012 The National Herald On the First Day of Christmas…Celebrating Hellenic Style A weekly publication of the NATIONAL HERALD, INC. Traditional Customs for the Twelve Days of Christmas in Greece (ΕΘΝΙΚΟΣ ΚΗΡΥΞ), reporting the news and addressing the issues of By Sophia Stratakis Huling paramount interest to the Greek likantzaroi have a frightening to church. The dismissal of the American community of the TNH Staff Writer appearance; their mischief is in - service coincided with the sun - United States of America. With Athanasia Fliou describable, and their greatest rise, and the day was dedicated fear is fire. to the people of the house, to The custom of disguises, the family. As for a Christmas Publisher-Editor You know Dasher and Dancer which may be related to the ka - tree, on Christmas Eve people antonis H. Diamataris and Rudolph and Frosty, mistle - likantzaroi, appears in the re - hung twigs from hazelnut or Assistant to Publisher, Advertising toe and eggnog and a chubby gions of Macedonia, Thrace and walnut trees on the icon stands veta H. Diamataris guy dressed in red. But do you Thessaly. People dressed in dis - in their homes. Papadopoulos recall the kalikantzaroi, Chris - guise are called Momogeroi, or toxylo, gournochara, or silent Rogkatsia Rogatsaria. They EPIRoS- Special Section Editor water? wear hides of animals (wolves, tHE BuRNING HoLLy Sophia Stratakis Huling As Greece moves farther goats, etc.) or they dress up in When Christ was born and Production Manager away from her ancient agricul - uniform and armed with the shepherds went to worship Chrysoula Karametros tural roots and into a 21st-cen - swords. They go about in their Him, it was a dark night. It is tury, industrialized western cul - village or in neighboring vil - said they found a dry holly plant 37-10 30th Street ture, many of the centuries-old lages, singing and collecting and cut twigs from it. Each one LIC, NY 11101-2614 traditions celebrating the birth gifts. When two such disguised took a twig in hand, set it on Tel: (718)784-5255 of Christ and the coming of a groups meet, they play-fight one fire and the dark mountain was Fax: (718)472-0510, new calendar year are getting another until one team wins and filled with joyous sound of e-mail: lost in translation. Thankfully, it the other declares allegiance.