Jingle all the way to the Cyprus Christmas Village
We invite you to experience the local culture and heartwarming traditions from the island of Cyprus, taste the season’s special dishes, listen to choirs singing Christmas carols, and enjoy this festive atmosphere to the maximum.
Christmas, New Year, and Epiphany (January 6th) are known as the “dodecameron”, the twelve days that include these three feasts. They are very significant as they correspond to the twelve months of the year.
The central event at Christmas is the Birth of Christ, which is looked upon by our people exactly as they would the birth of a child. During the days of Christmas, everything and everyone must renew themselves (new clothes, all kinds of tidying up and putting in order, and white-washing of the house).
It is believed that during Christmas Eve there is a visitation by goblins whose names in the Cypriot dialect are Skalapountari or Kalikangiari. These goblins overrun everything, taking on different shapes, (jet black with long tails and horns or goat-legged), but they love to frequent chimneys, smokestacks and wells, among other places. The most popular traditions place the kalikangiari in deep underground, where they constantly strive with axes and saws to sever and topple the tree that supports the earth, except during the dodecameron. On December 25th, they cease chopping at the tree and rush to the upper world to entertain themselves by frightening people.
New Year’s Eve is all about family and reuniting in front of the fireplace. New Year’s Day is called Saint Basil’s Day or Agios Vasilios day. This is a day of optimism when Cypriots hope for a fruitful year ahead. Each family bakes a special cake called Vasilopita, in which they insert a coin at the bottom. When it is served, the person who finds the coin in his slice is promised luck for the forthcoming year.
For the second consecutive year, Cyprus invites you to discover seven beautiful traditional villages and towns, which will wow you with an array of authentic Christmas experiences to participate in and where you will make memories to last a lifetime! Agros, Derynia, Fikardou, Kalavasos, Kalopanagiotis, Kyperounta and Polis Chrysochous put on their finest festive attire to spread the Christmas spirit, impressing locals, foreigners, and young and old alike.
Cultural events stand with local products and handicrafts, gastronomy and crafting workshops, activities organized in nature, guided village tours, local restaurants and hotels with delicious holiday menus, and many other surprises await discovery for a unique Cypriot Christmas. The program of activities and events will be enriched with many surprises for children and the young at heart. The villages will allow visitors to get into the Christmas spirit and feel the incomparable Cypriot hospitality. The full program is available on the Visit Cyprus website.
We invite you to celebrate this magical holiday period with us, from November 26th, 2022, until January 15th, 2023!
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Christmas in Cyprus
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