Temperatures are expected to drop during the last two days of the year in Greece, raising hopes that some mountainous and northern regions might enjoy some snow.

Greece has experienced an exceptionally mild winter so far, with clear blue skies and temperatures reaching 15 degrees during the day, including Christmas day.

Clouds and rain are expected on Wednesday (Dec. 30) throughout Greece while snow is forecast for the mountainous area in central and northern parts of the country. Temperatures will drop as low as 2 degrees Celcius.

On New Year’s Eve, sleet is forecast for many regions of the country. Mountainous areas as well as in the lowlands of central and northern Greece will have winds reaching 7 Beaufort. Temperatures will drop to -1 in many regions. Temperatures will drop another degree on New Year’s day with sleet, rain and clouds expected for most of the country.

Source: ANA-MPA

Vasilopita is a traditional Greek cake or bread served on New Year's to celebrate the life of Saint Basil. After baking the cake, a coin is inserted though the base and when cut, the person who finds the coin is said to be granted luck for the rest of the year.  

Vasilopita is made of a variety of doughs, depending on the region of Greece and almost every family has its own recipe. The most popular vasilopita recipes are made either with tsoureki dough or like a cake. Here, My Greek Dish shares with us their family's recipe which has been enjoyed for over 30 years.

 

To find out important tips on how to prepare the Vasilopita, please visit: My Greek Dish

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History Behind The Tradition

The Vasilopita is made in honor of St. Basil (Agios Vasilios) and a heavy tax burden. It is said that one year, during a time of famine, the emperor levied an excessive tax on the people of Caesarea. The tax was such a heavy burden on the already poverty-stricken people that to avoid debtors’ prison, each family had to give up its few remaining coins and pieces of jewelry, including precious family heirlooms.

Learning of this injustice, St. Basil, who was the archbishop of Caesarea, took up his bishop’s staff and the book of the Gospels and came to his people’s defense by calling the emperor to repentance. The emperor listened! He canceled the tax and instructed his tax collectors to turn over to St. Basil all of the chests containing the coins and jewelry which had been paid as taxes by the people of Caesarea.

St. Basil was then faced with the daunting and impossible task of returning the thousands of coins and pieces of jewelry to their rightful owners. After praying for a long time, St. Basil had the idea to bake the treasures into one huge pita (bread). He then called all the townspeople to prayer at the cathedral. After the church service, he blessed and cut the pita, giving a piece to each person.

The people all joyfully returned home, giving thanks to the bishop St. Basil the Great! In remembrance of this act, Orthodox Christians observe the tradition of the Vasilopita each year on January 1st.

Main image: @polikalablog

Walking the cobblestone pathway of Europe's largest archaeological park in Athens is a rewarding history lesson in the world's grandest open-air university.

There are no fees, no professors, no homework. You don't even have to attend everyday, just as and when there's an itch of intrigue.

Like Rome, Athens surrounds you with the ancient: the Acropolis, the Theatre of Dionysus, Herodes Atticus, Arch of Hadrian and the Athennian Trilogy.  It's the crumbling Meccano kit of empires built and empires destroyed.

No other country can boast such a hard-bastard dynasty of athletes, Titans and Gigantes.  And it's the Greek history and landscapes, even more than empirical brick-and-mortar that jointly built the modern Greece we know today.

Here is a country routed in our consciousness, whether we've visited it or not.  The names of ancient Gods and Goddesses are taught to us at an early age, and the epistemology of their philosophers still widely referenced in society today.

Those of you with a loathsome memory of school Maths will recall Pythagoras's Theorem, the Trigonometry thorn that created hatred ina ll exam-sitters for Greek mathematicians.  Then, there are the philosopheres and the poets - the scholars.  Greek mythology and Greek tragedies.  We think of the Olympics, we think of Greece.  Even their yoghurts are famous.

To read more, please visit: Daily Mail Online

by

David Constable

In a modern high-tech office, two software engineers are busy directing an army of young engineers as they work on upgrades for their three-year-old cloud-based recruiting software company, Workable.com, which already has 3,500 customers in 50 countries and has attracted more than $34 million in venture capital. 

It would be just another Silicon Valley success story if it weren't for the company's home base: Greece, a country that is the basket case in the euro zone because of economic mismanagement, public sector corruption and a youth unemployment rate that's a staggering 60 percent. The situation is so dire, suicide rates are on the rise, and there is an exodus of talent looking for opportunities abroad.

Despite the bleak outlook, there is a growing cadre of Greek entrepreneurs determined to defy the odds and build high-tech businesses that can thrive, providing a glimmer of hope for the economy. These trailblazers are patriots. As the most highly educated generation in the nation's history, they are determined to grow their ideas on home soil even as Greece grapples with budget austerity, and regulatory changes that are undermining the middle class and threatening national sovereignty.

"The crisis has pushed people into survival mode, and they are looking for opportunities," according to Stavros Messinis, CEO and founder of The Cube, a start-up incubator in Athens.  "At this point, there isn't much for them to lose."

Most are tired of an unstable political system unable to put the country back on its feet. Since the start of the economic crisis in 2009, Greece has lost more than 25 percent of its GDP, and thousands of enterprises have gone bust under the pressure of a deepening recession. This summer the country defaulted on more than $280 billion of debt, and capital controls were issued to prevent a run on the banks. 


As Messinis explained, "Up until now, 70 percent of Greeks were employed by the public sector. But that is now crumbling. Now we need to develop a high-tech sector that can produce value-added products and services to turn the economy around." 

To read more, please visit: CNBC

Christmas is the most important – and perhaps the most treasured – celebration of Christianity filled with joy and love. Countries around the world celebrate with different customs that have deep roots within history and tradition. In Greek tradition, there are a variety of similarities in the commemoration of the birth of Christ and Dionysus, thus between ancient and contemporary Greece.

In December, the ancient Greeks celebrated the birth of Dionysus, calling him “savior” and “divine infant.” According to Greek mythology, his mother, Semele, was a mortal woman and his father was Zeus, the king of all Gods. The priest of Dionysus held a pastoral staff as did the Good Shepherd. On December 30, ancient Greeks commemorated his rebirth.

The most well-known custom throughout the Christian world are the Christmas carols, songs dedicated to the occasion. Also in ancient Greece there were specific “carols” for the rebirth of Dionysus. Specifically, Homer — during his stay on the island of Samos, along with a group of children, composed carols. In ancient Greece, carols symbolized joy, wealth and peace, and the children sang the carols only in the homes of the rich. Children would go from house to house, holding an olive or a laurel branch adorned with wool (a symbol of health and beauty) and different kinds of fruits. The children brought the olive branch to their homes and hung it on the doors where it remained for the rest of the year.

A New Year’s cake, which since early Christian times has been called Vasilopita, or St. Basil’s cake, also resembles an ancient Greek custom, as ancient Greeks used to offer Gods a “festive bread” during rural festivals, such as the Thalysia or the Thesmophoria.

 

To learn more and view this article in full, please visit: Greek Reporter

Located in the heart of the National Gardens next to the stately neoclassical Zappeio landmark, you’ll find Aegli Cafe. There are dozens of tables both inside and outside. I think it’s really much nicer to sit outside in the open café space where you can have a view of the park or Mt. Lycabettus hill. There are also some outdoor heated spaces. However, if the weather is too cold for you, the inside space is wonderfully smoke free! There’s a large menu of snacks, sweets and all the typical coffees and teas you desire. Take a walk around the beautiful park afterwards. The outdoor cinema is a favorite in the summer months.

 

The Parnassos Ski Center, Greece’s largest located in Central Greece, is up and running and ready to welcome snow and ski lovers to its slopes.

The popular ski resort officially launched for operation on Christmas Eve, with its Aeolus and Pericles trails ready for action and its Venus, Baccus, Aeolus and Dias lifts in place.

Ski and snowboard lovers will have the chance to enjoy their favorite sport as the first snowfall officially marks the beginning of the season.

To read more, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

The city of Trikala in Central Greece has become known as a winter destination because of an innovative idea to turn an old mill into the largest Christmas theme park in Greece. Four years after its inception the project has evolved from a small Christmas fair to a large theme park that last year welcomed more than 850.000 visitors.

“It wasn’t easy in the beginning to convince the city’s council to spend a million euros to make a seasonal theme park that operates only for 38 days per year and then it is deconstructed, while visitors pay nothing to enter” said Odysseas Raptis, the CEO of eTrikala S.A. who runs the project. “Our goal wasn’t to make money from the project itself, but to find a way to stimulate the local economy.”

Within four years, they are almost breaking even, while the “The Mills of Elves” brings in about 15 million euros to local businesses and the surrounding villages.

“Greece didn’t have a big Christmas theme park and we thought that this would be an excellent idea for people to come to our city,” added Raptis.

To read more, please visit: Greek Reporter
by Anastasios Papapostolou

 

 

Over the past years, the South African Embassy has pursued educational and cultural projects as they are of vital importance in promoting South Africa's culture and diversity abroad.

In this respect, The Embasy initiated a school project called 'bring a child to work.'  The project serves as a career guide, providing motivation for students to better identify themselves with careers in the public sector or related fields.

Othisis School had the opportunity to visit the South African Embassy premises and learn more about how an Embassy functions on a daily basis.  The Head of Mission and Embassy's diplomats welcomed the students, provided a brief background about South Africa and answered questions asked by students.  By the end of the visit, students had a clear picture of South Africa and its presence in the Hellenic Republic.

A recent leisure activity to enjoy during winter in Greece is ice skating! Ice skating is great for all ages and can be found at various spots around the city. Here we provide you with information on where to find ice rinks - either permanent or mobile - in Athens.

 

Ice Rink in the Heart of Athens
The largest, permanent ice rink in Greece is ready to welcome everyone this winter.  Operating from 19th September 2015 to the end of April 2016, the ice rink is over 1,000 square meters.  Located next to the Athens Heart Shopping Mall, the rink is covered by a specially designed tent, making it possible to skate in all weather and is perfect for families.

Price: €10 for an unlimited session

Opening hours:
Mon-Fri: 15:00 - 23:00 
Weekends: 11:00 - 23:00
Address: Piraeus St 186, Athens,

Ice Arena at Megaron Concert Hall
Ice Arena, for the first time in the history of Megaron, operates at its premises one of the most elegant and unique ice rink in Athens throughout the winter season.

In the special and original area of ​​the "Atrium", the new ice rink of ICE ARENA with a size of ​​375 square meters, completely covered by a beautiful and original tent so guests can skate in all weather conditions.

The service of our customers begins at the modern and picturesque houses of the ice rink, where our staff will help you rent skates and gives you the first necessary advice. Then you are ready to enjoy the top quality of ice for unlimited time, always accompanied by the specialized staff Ice Arena for your safety.

Price: €10 for an unlimited session

Opening hours: 

Mon-Fri: 16:00 to 23:00
Weekends & holidays: 11:00 to 23:00
Address: Athens Concert Hall, Vas. Sofias Ave. & Kokkali St., 115 21 Athens

Ice Arena at Village Shopping
In the open space of "VILLAGE shopping and more…," next to the cafeterias, the restaurants and all the playgrounds, a new ice rink of ​​400 m² is created, which is fully covered by a beautiful and practical tent for skating under all weather conditions.