A MEANINGFUL CHRISTMAS
Christmas can be a meaningful and spiritual experience to many on the island and it is usually celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy every year. Festivities start in late November and continue through till early January and most family and friends tend to come together during this time. There are many things to do and places to visit during the festive period. Cyprus is predominantly a Greek Orthodox Christian country, and attending a church service during Christmas is common.
A TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS DINNER
Food and drink also make up a huge part of the festive celebrations, and there are many traditional dishes that are served along with the turkey Christmas dinner. Cypriot households often barbeque at Christmas and special, often homemade sweet cookies and short breads are given to neighbouring households as gifts, representing goodwill within the local community.
CHRISTMAS PROCESSIONSÂ
Some villages hold a traditional Christmas procession on Christmas day, where people dress up in costumes and parade through the streets. Several villages and towns host Christmas markets on various dates during the festive season. There are also a number of Christmas concerts and performances staged in local theatres, and there are usually numerous children’s Christmas workshops and shows.
NEW YEAR’S EVE
New Year’s Eve is celebrated much in the same way as Christmas and fireworks are often used to welcome the New Year. A coin is hidden in a special homemade sponge cake and the person who finds the coin in their slice is said to have good luck for the coming year. Many villages and towns host public celebrations with live music and other entertainment on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
EPIPHANY CELEBRATIONS
The festive season is brought to a close by Epiphany, which is celebrated on January 6th. It is a significant religious holiday in the Orthodox calendar and commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ. On this day, the Greek Orthodox Church holds special services and some coastal areas conduct a ceremony by the sea that symbolises the baptism of Jesus. The ceremony involves a priest throwing a cross into the sea and then volunteers diving into the water to retrieve the cross.
