As part of the 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture, in collaboration with the Municipality of Elefsina, the Estoudiantina Neas Ionias, and Martha Frintzila, a festive musical evening will take place on Thursday 19 December, at Cine Eleusis. This special event features Christmas stories and carols, transporting the audience across Greece—from Orestiada to Crete and from Corfu to Chios.
Through narration and song, the audience will embark on a musical journey exploring diverse traditions and multidimensional themes. The event highlights stories and carols of the festive Dodekaimero (Twelve Days of Christmas) from various regions, deeply interwoven with social experiences, human communities, and collective memories passed down from generation to generation.
These stories and songs stretch to every corner of Greece. In Evros, for example, on Christmas Eve morning, groups of children would roam the dark village alleys, holding thick, long wooden sticks, known as “tsoumakia.” In Komotini, on New Year’s Eve, locals would carry lanterns adorned with ribbons and ship motifs. Across Macedonia, the traditional custom of “Momogeri” goes hand-in-hand with Christmas carols. In Pella, the “Kolinta Babo” tradition, connected to Herod’s massacre of the innocents, is still revived each year.
