Anastasia

16 Days to Christmas - Christmas in Cyprus

When I was a child, people in Cyprus celebrated Christmas quite differently from the way they celebrate today.  In my family, just like in most Cypriot families, we'd put up our tree on Christmas Eve. Soon after lunch, on December 24, Dad would bring THE Christmas Tree - a pine tree. In those days, there were hardly any artificial Christmas trees in Cyprus or, if there were any, they were terribly expensive. In those days, fir trees were protected and no one had the right to cut them down for Christmas! There was a severe fine of  15 €, which was a lot of money then!

Now people and shops decorate for Christmas as  early as October!  Most working girls, including myself, don't have the time to spend on baking kourabiedes and melomakarona and I do envy the women who will bake our traditional sweets as well as our traditional Christmas Cake!.  A couple of years ago, I made time to bake my own kourabiedes and melomakarona When Alkis came  back from work, he said: " I can smell...Christmas!"

What does Christmas smell like  in your part of the world?

Epiphany or The Twelve Days of Christmas

Photo Credit

On the stroke of January 6th, the "twelve days of Christmas" officially come to an end. This day takes on a special meaning in Greece and Cyprus. All over the world, the Greek orthodox observe the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist, in the river Jordan. The Greek word for Epiphany is Theophania meaning the "appearance of God" referring to the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

In coastal areas, after church, on the morning of January 6, the priest goes to the nearest port or marina. Having blessed  the waters, he throws a large cross into the sea. As you can see in the picture above, a group of young men brave the cold waters and dive into the sea trying to retrieve the cross. The one who gets it is the "winner" and is considered to be the lucky person of the year. You may think that Greece and Cyprus are warm countries but the sea can be really chilly even on a sunny day. After the diving, many fishermen bring their boats to the port to be blessed by the priest. Theophania (Epiphany) is also called Fota meaning light and relating to the day being a Feast of Light since Jesus Christ for the Greek Orthodox is the only true light. 

Many wicked spirits, elves or goblins called kalikantzaroi are said to be active during the twelve days of Christmas and haunt people's homes. Tradition has it that some xerotiana (doughnuts) or sausages are thrown to the roof of houses to banish these spirits for the rest of the year. In many villages children go from door to door singing the Epiphany Jingles and asking for a last holiday gift which is invariably some money - called pouloustrina in Cyprus - and , of course some loukoumades - traditional Greek doughnuts. In Cyprus, Larnaca boasts the best loukoumades and siamishi on the island and everyone must have some after the festive lunch.

January 6th also marks the end of the holiday season and, yes, school starts tomorrow!

 

Christmas in Vienna

Saint Stephen's Cathedral

If you asked me to describe Vienna in one single word, I'd hesitate a lot. It's hard to find one word to describe the city where Europe's heart beats fast. Vienna is definitely a multi-faceted city: romantic, cultural, modern, musical, magical, surprising, light-hearted, tranquil, safe, peaceful, sophisticated, warm and friendly, awe-inspiring. This was my first impression of possibly the most seductive city in Europe.

Day 1 - Wednesday, December 22, 2010

I spent most of the morning packing while Alkis was at work - yes, it was his own choice to go to work. I made a mental note while packing: google "workaholic and cure!" Alkis came back at 1:00 pm, we had a snack for lunch and then called a taxi to drive us to the airport. I hadn't flown Austrian Airlines before and, I must admit, that was the best flight I've ever had in years! I completely forgot all about my fear of flying during the 3-hour flight to Vienna, Austria. Must be this delicious Viennese coffee they served after a light lunch!

Just arrived - Vienna International Airport

We arrived on time - 7:30 pm local time - and couldn't wait to meet the...snow! I don't usually like snow but when you live on a sunsplashed Mediterranean island, you sometimes long for  white Christmas. Once out of  Vienna International Airport, I could only feel the ...cold.  Minus 2 C. And NO SNOW! The taxi driver said there had been a lot of snow the previous week but it hadn't snowed for the last four days! When most of Europe was literally frozen - covered with snow to such an extent that most European airports closed, causing havoc, Vienna was spared! During the taxi ride to our hotel, Alkis asked me not to complain too much about not having snow. We were lucky to be in Vienna when other airports such as Heathrow in London and Roissy -Charles De Gaulle in France - not to mention Germany - had closed because of the snow.

Twenty minutes later, we were shown to one of the best rooms of Vienna Marriott Hotel situated near Saint Stephen's Square. We unpacked and soon afterwards we went for a walk in the city centre where Alkis kept taking photos of the fabulous Christmas tree and the Christmas decorations at Saint Stephen's Square.

I guess Alkis did his....best as a photographer! We ended our first night in Vienna at Huth's - a Viennese restaurant where I tried the boiled beef roll! I can't say I loved it but I do like trying the local cuisine when I travel.

Day 2 - Thursday, December 23 2010

After breakfast, we walked to the city centre, did some window shopping and had coffee and Sacher Torte at Sacher Cafe.

Vienna Marriot Hotel

Day 3 -  Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve. We decided to spend yet another day exploring the city centre in Vienna. We also did some Christmas shopping and bought each other presents. In the evening , we enjoyed one of the most beautiful Christmas Eves I've ever had - filled with Christmas Carols, Mozart, and Strauss Waltzes. The food was delicious! I loved the parfait of smoked trout with crayfish and...honey cucumbers, the Christmas goose with caramelized chestnuts and red cabbage and all the desserts!

The Christmas Eve Buffet at Vienna Marriott Hotel

Christmas in Vienna - Vienna Marriott Hotel

Christmas Eve 2010

Day 4 - Saturday, December 25 2010

Christmas Day. Having attended the Christmas Mass at Saint Stephen's Cathedral, we had a coffee at Sacher Cafe and then went on to see the Vienna Boys' Choir sing Christmas Carols. They were beautiful!.Then we had lunch at Huth Da Moritz - one of the best Italian restaurants in Vienna.

In the evening , we enjoyed a good Igler ( red austrian wine) and candlelit dinner at the hotel.

Day 5 - Sunday, December 26 2010

Bratislava, Slovakia is only a one hour train ride from Vienna. So, being adveturous, Alkis and I caught the train to Bratislava and then all ...the wrong buses to the city centre! After having toured Bratislava on various bus rides, we got off a bus at the airport and asked the bus driver how to get to the city centre. He didn't speak English or German or French or Greek but he was so helpful! He told us in his language the bus number .... osso sometihing. I thought osso could be eight and said so to Alkis. Then Alkis drew in the air  83. The slovakian bus driver smiled and said YES! Well, it was the only English word he knew. And he showed us which bus to take in order to get the 83 to the city centre. At the bus stop, a young lady whose English was almost perfect clearly explained how to get to the city centre. And so we did. But it was freezing cold! Minus 4, pretty much like in Vienna but there was a cold wind that made things worse. So, that's all we saw in Bratislava.

Bratislava, Slovakia

Bratislava, Slovakia

Day 6 - Monday, December 27, 2010

Salzburg. Being a great Mozart lover and a great Sound of Music freak, I couldn't leave Austria without visiting Salzburg. We set off at 7:00 am on a day trip tour. We were 6 people  - 5 Greeks and an Australian! AND Peter - our Austrian driver and guide. We had a stop at Linz for a coffee break. Peter explained that not far from there was Hitler's birthplace - Braunau-am Inn (Upper Austria). He went on to say that Adolph Hitler went to school in Linz before leaving Austria for Germany. And YES! Snow at last !

Linz, Austria

Next stop: Mondsee - The Moonlight Lake - the lake where part of The Sound of Music was filmed.  I couldn't believe I was looking at that very lake where Maria and the children fell into the water! We had a brief stop to take pictures. But I think that even the best photographer will be unable to capture so much beauty!

Next stop: Wolfgang Lake and Saint Gilgen - the village where Mozart's mother was born.

And finally, the beautiful town of Salzburg. We visited Mozart's birth house and the castle. I only wish we had some more time to visit the house of The Sound of Music located at about 25 km outside Salzburg.

Salzburg Castle

Salzburg Cemetery

That was the place where the Von Trapp family escaped from the Nazis in The Sound of Music. Fox wasn't allowed to film in the cemetery, so they made an exact copy of it in the studios.

Day 7 - Tuesday 28 December 2010

On our last day in Vienna we visited the Hofburg Palace. What was for 700 years the residence of the Habsburg Dynasty - to be more accurate from the 13th century to 1918 -is in fact a cluster of buildings erected at different times and in different styles. What I loved most was the Sisi Museum. Photos were strictly prohibited in both the palace and the museum but here's the main entrance.

Vienna, the Austrian capital, sits on the banks of the Danube, right at the foot of the last slopes of the Alps and is surrounded by that large green belt made up by the Vienna woods. Life in what was once the capital of one of the most powerful 19th century empires  unfurls at the pace of a slow waltz. At the same time, it is the city of lively flea markets and modern fashion stores, of Sachertorte, appfel strudel, schnitzel, the unique viennese coffee and select pastry shops, of the Habsburgs and the headquarters of different international organizations. Now you see why it is impossible to describe Vienna in one single word.

Christmas Past

Trying to ...flame the Christmas Pudding

Christmas has always been my favourite time of year after the summer. As a little girl, I would help mum decorate the Christmas tree and make the traditional Christmas sweets - melomakarona and kourabiedes. On Christmas day all the family would gather together at mum's. I can still picture me sitting on grandma's lap , asking for yet another Christmas story....Mum would then serve champagne and canapés in the shape of Christmas stars or Christmas bells which prepared the palate for the festive lunch.

What mum named "Christmas Village" - made of chocolate, sugar and fresh cream inside the little houses.

A Christmas starter: king prawns decorating an edible Christmas tree. 

After lunch, the Christmas cake was served in the living-room with coffee and liqueurs while we'd open up our presents which had been placed under the Christmas tree a couple of weeks before Christmas - all bearing the label "Don't open before Christmas". I remember how anxious I was to open them before Christmas but mum said that if I did, Santa would never again bring me any presents at all. Terrified at the thought of Santa's wrath, I would sit on the floor by the Christmas tree contemplating the nicely wrapped boxes..trying to guess or imagine what was in them.

 

Nothing much has changed through time as I still anticipate Christmas with the wonderment of a little girl. 

May the beauty of Christmas bring you all special happiness and a special time to keep in touch and say how much we care.

Merry Christmas!   

Christmas Shopping 2010

Although I decided to do most of my Christmas shopping online this year, I honestly couldn't resist a stroll in the city centre early on Sunday morning. For the first time this year, all shops are open on Wednesdays afternoon and weekends throughout December. In the past, this only happened two weeks before Christmas. Only a year ago, while shopping for Christmas, I felt I was literally ripped off. This year, I was very glad to see that many shops had special offers. Just imagine! I got two pairs of leather boots for 209 euros.  Is it the financial crisis that has also affected Cyprus to a certain degree?

Beyond the tinsels and the sparkling decorations, apart from the shopping and all that commercial aspect of the season, Christmas is above all a representation of the love we universally feel for mankind.  

 

 

All I Want for Christmas

I was complaining the other day about our sunny weather, which is very unlike me because I love our blue skies and all the sunshine we're blessed with for the greatest part of the year. But when Christmas is round the corner, I really don't mind rainy days and colder nights.  Yesterday, all of a sudden, a storm broke out and the temperature dropped considerably. Despite my fear of storms - thunder, lightning, thunderbolt - I enjoyed reading Faulkner by the fireplace while listening to my favourite Christmas Carols.

Christmas is that time of year when we are all looking forward to spending time with family and getting presents. Although I look forward to getting many presents, all I really want for Christmas is spending some more time with Alkis and friends I haven't seen in a long time.

What do you want for Christmas?   

The Whims of the Weather and the Christmas Spirit

The Christmas Tree In My Office

I admit to being a Christmas freak. I love everything about Christmas: the sparkling decorations, the presents, the carols, the food.... So, by the end of October, I start making plans about my Christmas decorations both at the school and at home. December 1st is normally   the official decorating day. It's the only day of the year I enjoy listening to the rain and singing Christmas Carols during the whole decorating process. I decorate every single room at home including bathrooms. Christmas decorating usually takes me the whole day. But at the end of the day, I sit back - happy and content- I light a fire and all my Christmas candles. This is also the only time of year I don't mind stormy nights. On the contrary, I love them as being part of Christmas weather!

The Christmas Tree in my Classroom

Weatherwise, this year  feels Spring in December. When we have about 27*C (80F) at midday and 16*C (60F) at midnight, when we can still enjoy a meal outdoors, when we are still practically in summer clothes , I can't feel the Christmas spirit. Yet, Christmas is round the corner - whether the weather says so or not! So, I eventually got over my disappointment and decorated the school and home with.... a slight delay.  I am now enjoying a glass of Chablis at the vernada but I am determined not to allow the weather to spoil my Christmas!

The Christmas Tree at Home

 

Christmas 2009

Christmas Eve - Thursday, December 24th 2009

I had been looking forward to this first day of the Christmas break since early December which is invariably the busiest month of the first school term: piles of homework to mark, last tests of the term, prepare the Christmas activities and organise the Christmas party for the kids. Having finished all my Christmas shopping since Sunday, I got up later than usual and enjoyed a festive breakfast  - hot croissants, eggs and bacon, cereals with fruit and yoghurt and freshly ground coffee. I didn't do much the rest of the day other than email or call friends and family to wish them a happy Christmas.

Alkis came back from work around 6:00pm, had a short rest and then we got ready for the Christmas Eve Gala Dinner at the hotel where we celebrated with some good friends. Everything was absolutely perfect: the elegant decorations, the candles on the tables, the food, the music and above all great company.

Christmas Day - Friday, December 25th 2009

After almost three weeks of stormy weather, low temperatures and heavy rain, we woke to a bright and sunny Christmas with the temperature rising to 23*C. We had spent the night at the hotel, so in the morning I enjoyed my breakfast in the sun gazing at an incredibly calm sea and reading Laurie Lee's Cider with Rosie. Some people were jogging on the beach in their swimming costumes while some children were playing happily on the lawn. Alkis had already gone to work since early in the morning and despite the late night we had had. I sometimes admire his energy and his stamina. In his shoes, I'd be dead!

A couple of hours later, I joined him at the lobby for a pre-lunch champagne cocktail party. During the sumptuous Christmas lunch at the Yacht Restaurant, Santa came to visit with lots of presents for everyone. The children, of course, joyfully ran to welcome him. On a sunny Christmas like this one, all he wanted was a glass of cold beer! Late in the afternoon, we went back home and opened up our presents. Santa was really extra good with me this Christmas!

Here are some photos of yet another memorable Christmas. 

Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas!

I wish our great TypePad Team and Six Apart a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year. Thank you all for everything you have done so far to make blogging a unique experience.

 
I wish you all  a Merry Christmas and would like to thank you for stopping by. May this festival bring abundant joy and happiness in your life!
May this Christmas be so special that you never ever feel lonely again and be surrounded by loved ones throughout!
You are special, you are unique; may your Christmas be also as special and unique as you are! Merry Christmas!
Here's wishing you all the joys of the season. Wish you and your family a Merry Christmas!
May joy and happiness snow on you, may the bells jingle for you and may Santa be extra good to you! Merry Christmas!
May this Christmas be bright and cheerful and may the New Year begin on a prosperous note!
Love, Peace and Joy came down on earth on Christmas day to make you happy and cheerful. May Christmas spread cheer in your lives!
Sending the warmest Christmas wishes to you and your family. May God shower his greatest blessings on you and your family this Christmas.
May all your days be merry and bright and may your Christmas be white! Ah well! Mine is bright and sunny! Merry Christmas!

 

Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht

 

In 1818, a roving band of actors was performing in towns throughout the Austrian Alps. On December 23 they arrived at Oberndorf, a village near Salzburg where they were to perform the story of Christ's birth in the small Church of St. Nicholas.
 Unfortunately, the St. Nicholas' church organ wasn't working and would not be repaired before Christmas. (Note: some versions of the story point to mice as the problem; others say rust was the culprit) Because the church organ was out of commission, the actors presented their Christmas drama in a private home. Even so, that Christmas presentation put assistant pastor Josef Mohr in a meditative mood. Instead of walking straight to his house that night, Mohr took a longer way home. The longer path took him up over a hill overlooking the village.
 From that hilltop, Mohr looked down on the peaceful snow-covered village. Reveling in majestic silence of the wintry night, Mohr gazed down at the glowing scene. His thoughts about the Christmas play suddenly made him to remember a poem he had written a couple of years before. It was a poem about the night when angels announced the birth of the long-awaited Messiah to shepherds on a hillside.
 Mohr decided those words would make a good carol for his congregation the following evening at their Christmas eve service. However, he didn't have any music to which that poem could be sung. So, the next day Mohr went to see the church organist, Franz Xaver Gruber. Gruber only had a few hours to come up with a melody which could be sung with a guitar. However, by that evening, Gruber had managed to compose a musical setting for the poem. It no longer mattered that their church organ was broken. They now had a Christmas carol they could sing without it.
 On Christmas Eve, the little Oberndorf congregation heard Gruber and Mohr sing their new composition to the accompaniment of Gruber's guitar.
 Weeks later, well-known organ builder Karl Mauracher arrived to fix the St. Nicholas church organ. When he finished, Mauracher stepped back to let Gruber test the instrument. When Gruber sat down, his fingers began playing the simple melody he had written for Mohr's Christmas poem. Deeply impressed, Mauracher took the music and words of "Silent Night" back to his own Alpine village, Kapfing. There, two well-known families of singers -- the Rainers and the Strassers -- heard it. Captivated by "Silent Night," both groups put the new song into their Christmas season repertoire.

 

The world´s most famous Christmas Carol: “Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht” (Joseph Moor, Franz X. Gruber):

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht! Alles schläft, einsam wacht Nur das traute hochheilige Paar, Holder Knabe mit lockigem Haar, Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh, Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh. Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht! Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht Lieb’ aus deinem holdseligen Mund, Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund’, Christ, in deiner Geburt, Christ, in deiner Geburt! Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht! Die der Welt Heil gebracht, Aus des Himmels goldenen Höhn, Uns der Gnaden Fülle läßt sehn, Jesum in Menschengestalt, Jesum in Menschengestalt! Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht! Wo sich heut alle Macht Väterlicher Liebe ergoß, Und als Bruder huldvoll umschloß Jesus die Völker der Welt, Jesus die Völker der Welt! Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht! Lange schon uns bedacht, Als der Herr vom Grimme befreit In der Väter urgrauer Zeit Aller Welt Schonung verhieß, Aller Welt Schonung verhieß! Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht! Hirten erst kund gemacht; Durch der Engel Halleluja Tönt es laut von fern und nah’; Christ der Retter ist da, Christ der Retter ist da!

Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin mother and Child. Holy Infant, so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night, holy night, Shepherds quake at the sight; Glories stream from heaven afar, Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia! Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born! Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love’s pure light; Radiant beams from Thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth. Silent night, holy night Wondrous star, lend thy light; With the angels let us sing, Alleluia to our King; Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born