Participation of the 4th Primary School of Pefki in the project.

European Christmas Tree Decoration Exchange 

4th Primary School of Pefki

Best wishes for a happy and peaceful Christmas. From the students of the first, second and third grades of our school and from the teachers Anastasia, Myrsini, Eleni, Mary, Matina, Irini.

The Vasilopita, according to the Greek custom

Vasilopita, according to Greek custom, is put on the table and cut at home as soon as the New Year arrives. The householder of the house, after crossing it with the knife three times, begins to cut it into pieces, offering one to each member of the family or friends and relatives present, with the first piece of the house (or of Christ the Virgin and Saint Basil ), of the landlord, the landlady and the other participants, by order of kinship and age, with the last being the part of the poor or again of the house. In Greece, no one forgets those who are absent for work, a leisure trip, those who are away from home because they are sick and other family members who for various reasons are not present.

What do Greeks eat on Christmas Day?

Since ancient times, Greeks that were engaged with agriculture used to feed a pig all year round in order to do a ritual and sacrifice it to honor the Greek goddess, Diana. The reason they did that, was to ask the Goddess for good crop all year. Later on, pork was the main food at the Christmas meal, just as it is today. They also made sausages from the pig, which were hung to dry, while the pig's fat was stored in containers and used in cooking. Nowadays, in many parts of Greece, people traditionally still eat pork on Christmas day.

In the "European Christmas Tree Decoration Exchange" project, the first grade, second grade and third grade students of our school participate.

The 3rd class (C1) of our school chose to make impressive Christmas decorations with pine cones as there is a great abundance of them since not only our neighbourhood but the entire area is rich in pine trees. Besides, the name of our suburb Pefki is the greek term for pine tree.

Greece is a country in southeastern Europe and is located at the southernmost tip of the Balkan peninsula.

The population of the country amounts to 10,432,481 inhabitants. Its capital and largest city is Athens and second largest city is Thessaloniki.

It borders Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Turkey. To the east, west and south it is washed by the sea, the Aegean, the Ionian and the Libyan sea.

Greece ranks 11th among the countries with the longest coastline: 13,676 kilometers. It has a number of islands estimated at 2,500, with 165 to 227 being habitable.

Greece has a rich historical heritage, (18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites). During its history it has interacted culturally mainly with peoples of the Middle East and Europe.

The ancient Greeks are the cornerstone of world civilization since democracy and philosophy, the Olympic Games, drama, tragedy and comedy were born in ancient Greece.

Around 370 AD the prefect (commander) of Cappadocia, who was the Roman ruler of the region, imposed unjust taxation on the inhabitants of Cappadocia. The taxes were so high that the residents of Caesarea begged Basil to help them, and he did! Bishop Basil asked the faithful to give him all the gold they had and he collected it and took it to the prefect. With calmness and courage he managed to move him and cancel the unjust taxes he was imposing. Thus, Basil could return them back to the people of Cappadocia. However, not knowing who owned what, Vasilios asked for small pies to be made for him and put a piece of jewelry inside each one. After the end of the New Year service, he distributed the pies to the faithful and they were surprised to find their contents! All the inhabitants of Cappadocia felt happy with all the gold they received and pleased with the fair way of distribution chosen by their bishop. Since then, the Christians, in order to honor the bishop Vasilios, established as a New Year's custom to make pies, the "king pies" and put a symbolic piece of gold or flour or a golden pound inside. People believe that whoever gets lucky will be healthy and happy throughout the year.

4th Primary School of Pefki

"European Christmas Tree Decoration Exchange" Group 14

In Athens, we usually cook pork with celery and egg sauce. However, some choose to cook stuffed turkey which is considered a festive food as well that has its roots in the traditions of the west. Apart from the food Greeks eat on Christmas Day, there are also lots of sweets that Greek housewives prepare. Here is a famous recipe from a famous Greek Chef that you can try to make. Press the link to read it and even watch a video how to make it.

Saint Basil's pie recipe

Greek New Year’s Snowflake Cake | Akis Petretzikis

From the post-colonization of 1974-75 until today, the state's polity is the presiding parliamentary democracy.

Greece became a member of the European Union in 1981.

The terrain of Greece is mainly mountainous or hilly. It has several lakes and many rivers, none of which are navigable.

Greece is a popular destination around the world mainly for summer holidays, where it is shown much more  than its winter and alternative  destinations.

An important factor of the Greek economy and development is its tourism. 

The flag of Greece. Blue and white symbolize the colors of the Greek sky and sea.

The second grade (B2) of the 4th primary school of Pefki decided to make these stars and bells from felt and send them to you. The star symbolizes the star of Bethlehem that led the magicians to the manger where The little Christ was born. The bells are reminiscent of a church. Both the stars and the bells are closely associated with the Christian religion which is the official religion of our country.

Η βασιλόπιτα-Saint Basil's pie

Παραδοσιακό έθιμο της Πρωτοχρονιάς Traditional New Year's custom

The traditional custom of Saint Basil's pie in the Orthodox religious tradition has its roots in the 4th century AD. According to folklorists, it dates back to ancient times. But let's look at the religious tradition. Saint Basil was a great hierarch and writer of the Orthodox Church. He was born in 330 AD in Caesarea, Cappadocia from a noble family. When Basil was bishop of Caesarea (370 AD) all the faithful of the region loved him, because as a man he was very just. He had proven it in many ways, such as when he distributed all his father's property to the poor and in addition created a whole city of hospitals, schools, clinics, poorhouses, old people's homes and orphanages, where monks worked and the faithful called it Vasiliada.

Our Christmas creations

The reason we all decided to make a pomegranate is because here in Greece it is considered to bring good luck for the New Year. From old times, in some areas of Greece, people used to save a good pomegranate, after it was blessed at the church, from September 14, when we celebrate the Christian day of the Cross, till New Year’s Eve. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

PAMEGRANATE - Ρόδι

Hello from Greece, We are first grade students from the 4th Primary School of Pefki, which is north of Athens, Greece. With lots of joy and love we created a Christmas decoration for you! First, our teachers helped us and drew the outline of a pomegranate on a red cardboard. We cut it and then we decorated with glitter and small ornaments. We used gold rope to make a loop so you can hang it on your Christmas Tree.

European Christmas Tree Decoration Exchange Preparing the postal packages

Hello from Greece-Athens-Pefki, We are second grade students (Β1) from the 4th Primary School of Pefki, which is one of the northern suburbs of Athens. We decided to create christmas ornaments by simply upcycling stuff, cardboard and fabric. The fabrics were donated to us by a fabric factory, instead of being thrown away. We decided to give them a second life (Reuse). Also, we reused the cardboard instead of recycling it. We forgot to tell you that our school belongs to the Ecological Schools network.

Greek Christmas Honey Cookies - Melomakarona | Akis Petretzikis

Also, we wanted to send you another ornament made by flour, salt and water. Simple, cheap and environmentally friendly materials. Our teacher made the dough and we made wreaths with the leaves and fruits of the forest. We used the marker cap for the fruits and the scissors for the leaves. We are looking forward to receiving your ornament! We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Love Second graders and their teacher

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We are looking forward to receiving your ornament! We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!&nbsp; Love First graders and their teachers

The Municipality of Lykovrysis-Pefkis is located in the Northern Sector of Athens of the Region of Attica.

It was originally inhabited in 1922 by the first Asia Minor refugees who built the first brick houses in the forest.

The inhabitants make use of the fertile soil of the area and engage in agriculture.

The peaceful Attic village is covered by beautiful orchards, rich in cherries, vines, figs, pistachios and other cultivated species.

It has large groves and many green spaces, while the model Solar Village built in 1989 and handed over to beneficiaries of the Worker's Housing Organization is located on its borders.

Our favorite movie "The boy and the tree" based on the children's book "One Tree Once" by Evgenios Trivizas.

THE BOY AND THE TREE - ΕΝΑ ΔΕΝΤΡΟ ΜΙΑ ΦΟΡΑ

On New Year’s Day, the first person who entered the house had to walk in with his right foot and break the pomegranate in the entrance. Then he used to say a wish: “May the New Year come with health, happiness and joy and as the pomegranate is full of seeds, your pockets too may be full with money all year round!”

The Greek painter Nikiforos Lytras is called "Painter of Christmas". "The carols" is one of the most famous paintings in the history of Greek painting. It depicts five children of different origins and nationalities. In this way, the painter recalls the genuine spirit of the Christmas holidays. The song and its purpose are common. It does not know discrimination and color. His message is timeless.

The word carols comes from the Latin word calenda which means the beginning of the month.&nbsp;The custom is greek and still going strong today.&nbsp; On Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, children in groups go from house to house and sing carols while holding&nbsp;an iron triangle that they tap rhythmically to make a sound&nbsp;or other musical instruments.&nbsp;In the old days they used to hold a decorated boat. The children knock on the door and ask, "Shall we sing?" If the answer from the landlord is affirmative, then they sing carols for a few minutes ending with wishes.&nbsp;&nbsp;The landlord rewards them with money or sweets.

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