| As Christmas approaches the mad rush to buy | | | | 12 days of Christmas. |
| presents, prepare food, send cards and be jolly can | | | | In the past, children used to get their gifts on New |
| make anyone exhausted even in the slower paced | | | | Years Day since Father Christmas is "Agios Vasilis" or |
| life of Cyprus. In Cyprus, Christmas has become | | | | St. Basil whom was celebrated on New Years Day |
| more commercialized with shops well decorated, | | | | with the special cake "Vasilopita." Mothers would |
| stocked and extending their shopping hours. The | | | | leave the cake with a candle on it and a goblet of |
| towns are also well decorated with Father Christmas | | | | wine for him - he would drink the wine, bless the |
| statues, snowmen, angels and lights in town and | | | | cake then leave the gifts. Most people now |
| throughout the villages. And, even though Easter is | | | | exchange and receive presents on Christmas Day. |
| the bigger of the two events Christmas and New | | | | The New Year's cake is still widely sold in bakeries or |
| Years is not to be downplayed with many unique and | | | | made in homes to be cut on New Years Day or Eve. |
| customs, foods and traditions. | | | | The cake is not very sweet but has one gold coin in |
| For many Cypriots, Christmas is preceded by fasting. | | | | it - whomever gets the piece of cake with the coin |
| The season begins in December 6th, the Feast of St. | | | | in it is said to have good luck all year. |
| Nicholas and ends on January 6th, the Feast of the | | | | Some other popular foods at Christmas in Cyprus are |
| Epihany. Christmas is celebrated as a religious holiday | | | | Stuffed turkey which has become more popular in |
| and on Christmas Eve people go to church and many | | | | recent years or the tradional souvla made with lamb |
| children go from house to house singing carols or | | | | or pork cooked on the traditional Cypriot BBQ over |
| "kalanda" which have been passed down from | | | | charcoals. For sweets there are the delicious |
| Byzantine times. | | | | Kourabiedes - small almond cakes coated in icing |
| Goblin-like and mischievious little sprites known as | | | | sugar, melomakarona - honey cakes and Finikia - |
| "kalikantzari" are said to prey upon people causing | | | | walnut cakes. |
| mischief during the 12 days of Xmas. Although not | | | | Whatever you choose to do in Cyprus over your |
| done as much as in the past, some people "protect | | | | Christmas holidays, stay safe, enjoy and have a very |
| themselves" by wrapping a sprig of basil around a | | | | Merry Christmas and a prosperous, healthy and |
| cross and then sprinkling it with holy water. The | | | | Happy New Year 2010!! |
| water is then sprinkled in each room throughout the | | | | |