24/12/2022
Kalanta, a lovely Greek tradition for the children of Greece, we’ve had them in our village and at our house today, delightful!
‘One of the most beautiful Christmas Traditions in Greece are the traditional Christmas Carol rounds that are performed and sung usually by children. Tradition calls for the children to go from house to house on the eve of the three main Christmas holidays, Christmas, New Years and Epiphany, and sing carols or calanda by their Greek name. At sun up they begin ringing door bells and sleepy folk from all corners of Greece are greeted by rosy cheeked young ones bearing triangles, guitars, accordions or harmonicas and singing their hearts out and asking the master of the house “Na ta poume?” which means in Greek “Shall we say them?”. If the homeowner says yes then the children begin to sing and play their carols always finishing in the end with a wish “And for the next year, many happy returns.”
