Christmas and the New Tear

December is a month full of colorful celebrations. In this dark winter month, Greeks believe that kalikantzari— small, ugly creatures from the underworld—come to pester good men. These creatures adore sweets, and so houses are filled with them, hoping that the kalikantzari will eat them, satisfy themselves, and not harm the family. Saint Nicholas’s Day (December 6) is when all sailors celebrate. A popular myth describes the saint—a bishop from Asia Minor—as a sailor whose clothes are always wet, with seawater dripping from his long white beard. On some islands, Kolyva are taken to the churches to be blessed, and then kept in the boats, next to the icon of Saint Nicholas that is present in any Greek ship or boat. The blessed Kolyva are believed to possess the power to appease the sea, if some grains are thrown in when it is rough.