Greece of the Hellenes

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1914. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XIII FESTAL LIFE The observances connected with the numerous festivals of the Greek Church play an important part in the social life of the country. Utilitarians may rHoHdays exclaim against their frequency and the consequent interruptions to business occasioned by them. Seekers after the picturesque, on the other hand, would regret to see them fall into desuetude, consecrated as these festivals are by traditions extending in some cases over 2,000 years. And among the peasant population, at least, these time-honoured customs are likely long to endure. For religion, in its outward forms, at any rate, still possesses as firm a hold as ever on the nation generally, and a Greek would as soon think of feasting on a fast day as of failing to honour by abstinence from labour any of the Saints' Days of the Calendar. If requested by a foreign employer to perform any pressing service on such a festival, the workman's reply is, We dare not, Afendi, the Saint would strike us! Though Christmas is, with the Orthodox, a much less important festival than Easter or the New Year, it is everywhere in Greece celebrated with various Christmas observances, some of which are peculiar to the season, and others similar to those attending all the greater Church festivals. Carollers pervade the streets on Christmas Eve singing their odes descriptive of the incidents which attended the wondrous events of the Christ-births,1 carrying little boat-shaped collectingboxes for the coins expected in return for the good wishes to the archontes with which these odes invariably terminate. Among the peasants of Albanian origin Christmas is, however, observed with ceremonies that recall those of more northern countries as well as with others similar to'those 1 T& xptff'ro'iryfvva. ...