This December, the Maria Callas Museum brings the magic of the season to life through a rich program of music, storytelling, creativity, and family activities across Athens. From heartfelt performances for children at the “Agia Sofia” Children’s Hospital to winter listening sessions, hands-on art workshops, imaginative theatre, guided tours, and festive educational experiences for all ages, the Museum invites audiences to celebrate Christmas through culture, imagination, and community.

Friday, December 19 | “The Nutcracker’s Dream” at the “Agia Sofia” Children’s Hospital by the Maria Callas Museum

The Maria Callas Museum of the City of Athens, in collaboration with composer Markella Skourti, brings a new Christmas music-theatre experience to the “Agia Sofia” Children’s Hospital for children who are hospitalized or hosted there.

Following the successful cycle of music-education workshops in spring 2025, the Museum presents the immersive storytelling performance “The Nutcracker’s Dream”, a festive experiential journey inspired by the book “The Orchestra Tells the Story – The Nutcracker” (Katy Flint, Patakis Publishers). With piano accompaniment, theatrical narration and the children’s active participation, the world of the Nutcracker comes alive, offering moments of imagination, joy, and Christmas spirit within the hospital setting.

Learn more here.

Sunday, December 21 | Listening Club: Songs for Winter / Christmas in Athens

After the warm reception of last year’s Christmas Listening Club, radio producer of ERT’s Third Programme and Kosmos 93.6, Giorgos Florakis, returns to the Maria Callas Museum for a second year. This time, he invites us on a winter musical journey titled “Songs for Winter.” 

Free admission with complimentary entry ticket – Learn more here.

December 28–30, 2025 & January 2, 2026 | Stencil Art in the City: Create the Most Inspired Christmas Postcards! / Christmas in Athens

The Maria Callas Museum and the Industrial Gas Museum invite children and adults to a unique creative experience at Kotzia Square during the Christmas season! The two museums join forces to offer the most festive artistic event filled with color, light, and imagination. Children aged 3+ and adults will use stencil techniques to create their own Christmas postcards, inspired by the brilliance of Maria Callas and the magic of industrial architecture.

Free participation – Learn more here.

Tuesday, December 30 | Children’s Performance: Zacharias the Wolf’s Christmas / Christmas in Athens

The Maria Callas Museum hosts the children’s theatre performance “Zacharias the Wolf’s Christmas” for ages 4–8 by the theatre group “Anemomyloi.”

Wolf Zacharias does not like Christmas at all! He wanders around grumpy, looking for someone to play snowball with. But everyone is busy with holiday preparations—decorating trees, cooking festive treats, writing letters to Santa… Luckily, his friends help him get into the holiday spirit. And, of course, a wonderful surprise awaits him in the end!

Free admission with complimentary entry ticket – Learn more here.

GUIDED TOURS

Saturday, December 20, 12:00 & 13:30 | Adult & Family Tours

FAMILY PROGRAMS

Sunday, December 14 | MCM KIDS | Opera Becomes Play

A hands-on music-education journey into the magical world of opera and sound awaits children and their caregivers at the Maria Callas Museum, accompanied by a piano! Inspired by the voice and personality of the great diva, children will explore set-like rooms from three iconic operas—Norma, Tosca, La Traviata—play with rhythm, move with imagination, and finally discover Orff instruments and create their own group composition with piano accompaniment.

Opera becomes play—and play becomes expression, collaboration, and creativity!

11:30–12:30

Ages: 5–10
Learn more here.

Sunday, December 14 | MCM BABIES | Museum Goblins, Garlands, and Music

Can goblins really enter a museum? And if they do, do they bring only mischief—or also music? In this festive program, babies and their caregivers meet tiny creatures with pointy hats and playful moods that tangle melodies and twist garlands. Will we manage to untangle them? And if so, which music will guide us? Babies and caregivers will experience the magic of music and Christmas through the goblins’ cheeky antics.

We will sing, explore materials, move, and listen to sounds and melodies that warm the heart.

9:30–10:15

Ages: 8 months – 2.5 years
Learn more here.

Sunday, December 28 | MCM KIDS | Avanti Maestro! Christmas Edition / Christmas in Athens

What could a paintbrush, a piano, and a few Christmas smudges be doing inside a museum? Children and their caregivers will discover the answer through a magical festive music-art game! Guided by the melodies of a live piano and accompanied by brushes and colors, we will explore rhythm and create the most wonderful “musical smudges.” Through these playful creations, festive stories full of shapes and colors will unfold, taking us to bright, imaginary worlds where music becomes painting and the art of opera meets the magic of Christmas.

12:30–13:30

Ages: 3–5
Free participation with complimentary entry ticket
Learn more here.

 

The environment shapes the experience. For this retreat, we wanted to connect deeply with the place that hosts us, and so we will be exploring the idea of taking SPACE.

The villas are arranged to provide privacy while keeping a sense of connection, supporting both me-time and communal time. Sustainability is built into the space itself, encouraging us to live with attention and intention. The island’s openness and wind add another layer: a landscape that asks us to ground ourselves while staying flexible to ever-changing conditions.

Focusing on the concept of SPACE as growth, our sessions create room to pause and recalibrate. Each is complemented by yoga practices that anchor awareness in the body. Together they work as parallel tracks: one for reflection and exchange, the other for movement and release.

The rest of the retreat follows the Euphoria Series rhythm: shared dinners, wine tasting, and quiet moments by the sea. Each becomes a way of practicing how space works in daily life, showing how privacy and connection, stillness and activity, can coexist in a way that feels natural and sustainable.

Who It's For

This retreat is designed for modern professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders who want to prevent burnout and reconnect with their values, as well as wellness seekers, eco-conscious travelers, and food and wine enthusiasts looking for meaningful experiences in a sustainable setting. It’s ideal for individuals or small groups who want both privacy and community, inspiration and rest.

What’s Included

• Three-night stay at Perma Serifos
• Breathwork & intention-setting on arrival day
• Three group workshops on Space as Growth with Penelope Dimitrakopoulou, Psychologist, Professional & Leadership Coach, Mentor
• Three Vinyasa yoga sessions with Christina Exarchou
• All meals included:
  • Daily brunch
  • Two private dinners at Perma with local cooks
  • Wine tasting at Chrysoloras Winery• Dinner at a traditional local tavern
• Free time for beach, rest, and island exploration

What To Expect

• Master stress regulation: Learn practical techniques to move out of pressure-driven reactivity and access clarity under demanding conditions.

Christmas in Athens blends modern sparkle with timeless tradition, filling the city with warmth and cheer. What could be better than rediscovering its streets through dazzling Christmas lights and melting into the magic of the season?

 

Come along as we guide you to our favorite illuminated spots - all of which are best experienced on foot!



Syntagma’s lights, the most iconic


@ranniabcreative

On November 27, not even the rain could stop the crowd from gathering at Syntagma Square for the official start of Athens’ holiday season! Mayor Haris Doukas lit up a spectacular 19‑meter Christmas tree, sparkling with no less than 5 km of lights and 60,000 bulbs! The celebration also switched on the festive glow across central Athens, from Panepistimiou and Stadiou to Ermou and Vassilissis Sofias Avenue. 

Since that joyful kickoff, you can wander through Syntagma Square, the beating heart of Christmas in Athens, and soak up the festive vibe as local musicians keep the spirit alive all December long. 

Christmas Factory’s lights, the most family-friendly

@georgespanosphotography

Once again, the Christmas Factory lights up Technopolis in Athens! The old factory turns into a festive funfair as Santa and his elves open up their magical universe to us. 

This year’s theme, Find Your Star, invites kids of all ages to join unique missions across 10 interactive workshops, from fairy‑tale storytelling and painting to music, not to forget the famous little train and ice rink. Thousands of sparkling lights paint scenes in the sky… and who knows, while strolling through the wonderland, you might just bump into Santa himself!

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center Christmas World, the most artsy 

@karanikolas

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center kicks off a month of artsy, festive events, peaking on New Year’s Eve. Glide across the canal ice rink or wander through the Festival of Lights in the park, with dancing fountains and sparkling trees. This fairytale world, created by international and local artists under the theme BioLumina, hosts a rich program of concerts, performances, DJ sets, workshops, and screenings. From butterflies emerging on the green roof to dandelions floating around the dome, the Light Installations Festival stages a poetic dialogue between nature and festive season.

Pedion Tou Aeros, the most immersive


@athensfrow

Pedion tou Areos, one of Athens’ most frequented parks of the city, has transformed into a glowing Christmas Village with its own illuminated tree and a month‑long celebration of holiday cheer. After the success of 2024, concerts, ice rink and lively shows return to brighten the festive season. Wooden chalets overflow with handmade creations, gift ideas, and Christmas treats but the star attraction is an impressive illuminated trail inspired by the park’s design, inviting you to wander along the glowing river or beneath trees alive with vivid beams of light. Rediscover your favorite park by night, shimmering under the magic of Christmas illuminations!

Little Kook, the most delicious


@karmaclaudia

In the heart of Psyrri, a café goes all‑out with jaw‑dropping seasonal décor that changes every time of year, turning into a daily attraction for both locals and tourists. This Christmas, the theme is Circus, with dazzling festive touches everywhere. And don’t forget to snack while you’re there… after all, it’s still a café!

Karavaki, the most traditional

Before the Christmas tree became a universal symbol, Greeks celebrated with the karavaki, a small wooden boat adorned with lights, a meaning far beyond decoration. They symbolized hope, protection, and the wish for a safe return, for sailors far from their families, especially during this season of gathering with loved ones.

The tradition usually begins on December 6, in honor of Saint Nicholas, protector of seafarers, and fills the season with prayers for safety and togetherness. Stroll through Athens in December and you will surely come across this motif scattered throughout the city, shimmering among the Christmas decorations, for instance, you can spot a large illuminated one in the Gazi district, right across the Christmas Factory!

And if you can’t decide between all these dazzling spots (why choose, really?), head up to Mount Lycabettus for a sweeping view of it all! It’s the perfect spot to catch Athens dressed in Christmas lights or the New Year’s fireworks, while savoring Melomakarona and Kourabiedes.

Nearly new High quality Queen size bed for sale, measuring 200cm x 160cm and fully Manufactured in Greece by Greco Strom. Reluctantly selling due to re-location. Details: High quality solid bedframe with material headboard, Deep semi-firm, hypoallegenic mattress (also nearly new), Duvet, cover and pillows included (also nearly new and manufactured in Greece), Asking price: €685 (new price was €1,485)

Other items for sale: 1950s dining table; Solid wooden bathroom mirror; Wooden garden table.

Make an offer. Must be collected from Kypseli

On Friday, December 19th, the Athens Singers and orchestra, conducted by Roger Tilley, will once again present a joyous and interesting Christmas programme, featuring the Messe de Minuit pour Noël by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, the famous Gloria by Antonio Vivaldi and some beloved sing-along carols.

As in previous years, the festive reception after the concert is included in the ticket price.

The concert will begin at 8:30PM at the War Museum Amphitheatre at Rizari 2, conveniently located near the Evangelismo Metro stop.

Tickets are €15, CASH ONLY.

Position/Role: After-School Arts & Enrichment Instructor/Collaborator

Organization: Sensory Studio

Location: Athens, Vari, Greece

 

Type of Collaboration: Part-Time, Contract, Workshop-Based

We are a new after-school program and morning services for a family [parents,friends,building a calendar of specialized, project-based arts workshops for children aged [6] to [12] and adults in [Your City, Greece]. This is strictly a part-time, non-salaried collaboration focused on delivering pre-scheduled group workshops, ideal for artists seeking flexible work to supplement their professional practice.

We are seeking dynamic, experienced foreign residents of Greece to design and lead engaging group workshops in:

 * Drama/Theatre: Storytelling, art.,craft photography and more improvisation, physical theatre, and puppet making.

 * Music: Instrumental instruction, choir, music appreciation, rhythm, and movement.

 * Visual & Play Arts: Drawing, painting, crafting, clay, and multi-media creation.

 

●Required Qualifications & Experience

 

●Commitment | MUST be available for consistent weekday afternoons (Part-Time). | The collaboration is structured around a flexible calendar of workshops/projects, NOT a full-time position. |

 

● Teaching | Minimum 2 years working with children (ages [6]-[12]). | Must be able to create a structured yet fun learning environment. 

●Castemize workshops for adults in clay therapy & morning art gathering &ceramic skills and more .

 

●Language | Fluency in English is essential. | Knowledge of Greek and/or other foreign languages (e.g., [French, Arabic]) is a significant advantage.

 

●Legal | Must have the legal right to reside and work in Greece. | Verification of legal status will be required. 

 

●Safety | Must provide a clean Criminal Record Check (Ποινικό Μητρώο). | This is mandatory for working with minors.

 

Schedule: Part-Time, Project-Based. Workshop hours are limited to weekday morning &afternoons, typically between [9am ] and [9pm].

Compensation: Competitive hourly rate starting at 25€\40€ per hour workshops delivered.

 
Support: Provision of teaching materials budget and administrative support.

Interested candidates should submit the following documents in a single PDF file via email:

 1. Cover Letter: Briefly explain your teaching philosophy and your ideal subjects for part-time group workshops (maximum 1 page).

 2. Curriculum Vitae (CV): Highlight your artistic and teaching career, focusing on experience with children.

 3. Work Samples / Portfolio (Select : Links to your professional portfolio, teaching videos, or artwork.

 4. Workshop Proposal: A one-page summary for a 4-6 week course you could lead in one of the three subjects (Drama, Music, or Visual Arts mosaic, clay), specifying the age group and total workshop hours.

Deadline for Submissions: December 30, 2025

Short-form video plays a growing role in how students in Athens communicate, relax, and share their experiences. What began as a simple way to capture quick moments has developed into a meaningful part of youth culture. These platforms influence humor, trends, and the rhythm of daily routines, often shaping conversations both online and offline.

Students also use these clips as small breaks in a busy day, giving them a quick moment to unwind before returning to other responsibilities. The steady flow of new trends keeps their feeds fresh. This makes the short videos an easy way to stay connected without committing much time.

This article explores the rise of short-form video culture among students in Athens.

Families and teachers have noticed changes in how students use their devices throughout the day. Quick clips fill the gaps between study sessions, bus rides, and after-school downtime.

An Association for Computing Machinery study states that people are even using short-form videos to share everyday activities such as running, studying, and sketching. Researchers reviewed 420 TikTok clips and found that creators often show details before, during, and after the activity. They also found that people adjust larger personal goals into smaller, video-friendly moments that fit the fast pace of short clips.

However, this growing interest also ties into broader public debates on the addictive use of social media platforms. TikTok, for example, is one of the most used platforms for creating and consuming short-form content.

According to TruLaw, many families of students and young adults have filed lawsuits for the same. They allege that the platform intentionally uses addictive design features. This is leading to mental health harm.

Through the TikTok lawsuit for mental health, families are seeking platform design changes. Discussions of this kind often highlight the mix of entertainment, pressure, and emotional influence.

Athens adds a distinctive backdrop to student-created videos. Teens showcase street corners, murals, cafés, and lively neighborhoods, giving viewers a glimpse of the city through their eyes. These clips combine local character with modern editing styles, helping students build a visual language that feels personal and expressive.

Many videos travel beyond the city through reposts, placing Athens in front of audiences who might never have visited. Students enjoy seeing their surroundings gain attention on a wider stage. This sense of visibility encourages them to experiment even more with their content.

However, there’s a fine line between experimentation and overuse. Athens and Greece are trying to ensure students, especially minors, don’t overstep these boundaries. As reported by The National Herald, Greece is planning strategies to not ban but curb the use of social media. The aim is to protect minors from the negatives of social media, which include harassment, bullying, and internet addiction.

Short-form videos also influence what students do outside regular lessons. Some explore editing as a hobby, while others try storytelling techniques or create simple documentary-style clips. These projects sometimes turn into collaborative efforts among classmates, giving them a chance to build something together and share it with peers.

Such creative experiments help students develop confidence with visual communication. They learn how to pace clips, frame scenes, and combine audio with movement, all while sharing their daily experiences.

This has even allowed many students from Athens and Greece to excel in film festivals. A GreekReporter article states that a Greek student won second prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024. The movie’s name was The Chaos She Left Behind, and it was the country’s first entry into the La Cinef competition in Cannes in 23 years.

Schools and community groups across Athens have started offering spaces where students can talk about digital habits. Workshops often focus on creativity, balance, and thoughtful media use. The aim is to help teens understand what they enjoy while giving them room to think about areas they might want to adjust.

These conversations encourage young people to recognize their own patterns and make choices that feel comfortable. This is done without losing the spontaneity and fun that draw them to video platforms in the first place.

Some educators also mention that students respond well when these discussions feel practical rather than theoretical. Sessions that include examples from their own routines help them think about how digital habits fit into their daily choices. This approach gives young people space to reflect without feeling judged, and it encourages them to shape their online activity in a balanced way.

Short-form video culture continues to grow, and students in Athens remain enthusiastic contributors. Their styles, humor, and creative approaches shape how stories are shared and how local experiences circulate online. As this trend develops, the voices of young people will keep influencing the direction of digital expression throughout the city.

Short clips often act as conversation starters, giving students shared references that help them connect quickly. Many teens bond over trends, inside jokes, and creators they follow. These shared interests can make new social situations feel easier, especially for students who are shy or adjusting to a new environment.

Quite a few students explore academic-focused clips that feature study routines, note-taking styles, or time-management ideas. These videos give them a sense of motivation and help them experiment with techniques that might suit their own habits. While the approach is informal, some students say these clips offer small boosts of inspiration when long study sessions feel heavy.

Some parents take a curious, lighthearted approach by watching clips their children recommend, which can spark fun conversations at home. Others try making simple videos together as a bonding activity. Even if parents do not use the platforms often, many appreciate the chance to understand what their children enjoy.

Short-form video culture continues to grow, and students in Athens remain enthusiastic contributors. Their styles, humor, and creative approaches shape how stories are shared and how local experiences circulate online. As this trend develops, the voices of young people will keep influencing the direction of digital expression throughout the city.

By Maria Ermides

~ It’s 2004, and Athens is alive with the energy of the Olympics. Stadiums are rising, the city is being “cleaned up”, and for Elena, director at XpatAthens, a lifelong dream of making Greece her home is just beginning.

Today, many know XpatAthens as the go-to-place for navigating life in the city and beyond. But its origin story is far from linear, marked by unexpected twists and turns, from the excitement of the early days of the .com buzz to the turbulence of the financial crisis.

Usually working behind the scenes, Elena stepped into the spotlight for this interview to share, in her own words, the challenges and triumphs of building a platform driven by passion and a whole lot of trust. We’ll also delve into the future of XpatAthens and what’s to come!

I grew up in Toronto, Canada. Greek dad, Canadian mom, and coming to Greece in the summer was part of our life.

We grew up culturally very Greek. Even my mom identifies very much as a Greek. And at a young age, as a teenager, I had decided one summer, yeah, I'm gonna live here.

And it became a reality right after university. Literally the day after I graduated, I was on a plane — I said: Okay, see you later, Mom. I'll be in Greece!

Yeah, totally. The decision to move was probably when I was about 15, the feeling of knowing that I was gonna go. It was a very distinct summer—I remember returning to Toronto and spending weeks crying, saying, ‘I just want to go back, I just want to go back.

And then during university, I had done a program in Italy, and I remember there was a distinct moment that I said to myself, okay, I'm doing this. I absolutely remember all of it. I was in Siena, I was in the city and I was alone. I had gone for a walk and it was a moment of...oh man, I just need to live in this. This is how I wanna feel all the time! But I didn't want to live in Italy, I knew that I wanted to live in Greece, but it was Europe. It was that connection with the energy of things, let's say, very different to where I grew up. So yeah, there were distinct moments.

My mom always said she knew that she’d lose one of her three children to Greece. She said she just didn't know which one it would be! And she was always supportive.

Of course, she made sure that I had a degree, that I had something lined up professionally. She created the support network around it so I could fall back on something if I needed to.

My dad—he was supportive. He was always one foot in Canada, one foot in Greece. When he left, he left with the intention of coming back. And so, my dad, he questioned it more so, I think, than my mom did. But generally he was ok with it too.

Greece was always home. Not Athens, but my dad's village, and all of my extended family was here. So it was very comfortable for me.

There wasn't a shock. I came during the summer and I just never left—which was a dream come true. Because every summer I would leave, and be sad to leave, crying on the way back on the airplane. It feels like a lifetime ago. But it was a very distinct time. I was young, so I feel like it was another lifetime ago because I was in my 20s. At the time, I was just feeling high on life—you know, I was so excited to be here. I was so happy that I finally got to live in Greece. Oh, my God!

The thing is, Athens has a very distinct energy, so it always feels alive. It's what makes us love it—love being here. It's what has made us want to move here. In my case, anyway.

Has it changed? Yes. But without teetering. It's still has the same energy at its core. But let's say the dynamic of the collective—what's going on around you, what we see, the people that are here, what's happening—yes, it's definitely different.

It was what I always wanted to be doing, so it just felt really normal. I adjusted right away, and I was happy that I wasn't leaving to go on an airplane back to Toronto.

I was fortunate in that way because I came with a community in place. I had family—and that's huge. And I also had friends. All of my friends from university—we all moved back to Greece! So that wasn't challenging. Like I said, I just slipped right in.

I was kind of winging it for a while—although I wasn’t telling my parents that… 

No, I wasn't spending all my time on the beach—not just floating around. I looked for job opportunities that required English. I spoke Greek, but not to the level of my English.

I grew up in a family business, and I've had an entrepreneurial bug since I was a teenager, maybe even younger than that. In addition to this, my work experience until this point was in luxury retail sales, so I had a really good work experience for my age.

I ended up getting a management position in retail for a British company at the time, at the Athens Airport. And it was a great experience. But life took me back to Toronto, and I stayed until 2006. As of 2006, I was back in Greece permanently.

So then, I applied for a job—totally out of my industry—in travel. It was a startup at the time. It was incoming luxury travel from the U.S., so all of the work was in English. I could speak the language of the luxury world; it was a young startup with a Greek that had studied in the U.S., who had recently repatriated. We jived, and it worked. I was there for close to 10 years. I was head of sales for several years, then I went into product development, and we expanded into a few different markets in the time that I was with the company.


Courtesty of @chromecabrio

XpatAthens came into my life in 2012. I was at the travel company and pregnant with my first child, which is a whole new phase of life. I say that it came in like I was standing at the right corner at the right time. XpatAthens just kinda showed up. There was a “for sale” sign on the website. My brother happened to be following the website. I didn’t really follow it at the time. And he sent it to me and said, “Call them.” And so I did, I called!

The gentleman who started the website was British, and had decided to leave Greece (the early signs of the economic crisis were over the horizon). At the time, it was a really great blog. Maybe even one of the first websites that spoke English in Greece. Imagine many of us were still using dial-up internet. You know, the kind we used to connect the cord to the wall for!? Websites were not very common in Greece, let alone ones that were in English. 

Anyway, three friends picked it up at the time, so we went into a partnership. Within two years, it was just me running the show. I’m still very good friends with the other two, but life just… you know, it unfolds and we go in different directions. 

I was doing XpatAthens alongside my full-time job in travel. There was some knowledge crossover—I knew things from my day-to-day work, and then I would talk about them on XpatAthens; writing content and creating newsletters.

At the time, experiences were a big thing. It was an up and coming trend—walking tours and food tours were really new. Boutique hotels were on the rise, and new restaurants were opening too. It was a very different landscape to what it is now. There were very few resources giving recommendations, especially in English. I remember writing about the first sushi place that opened up, and the first wine bar. Now there are too many to count. It was a very different time.

So this (English) content was very rich and much needed for locals and internationals and travellers alike. It was very valuable information, people loved it as did Google! I always say that XpatAthens was like getting a degree in digital marketing and content, and maybe even a master’s in how to survive the worst of the worst. I learned how to build websites, create digital content; also things like search engine optimization, the importance of keywords, mass content audits, communication channels, branding, all of that sort of thing. And actually XpatAthens has grown today without a marketing budget (we never had the money). This platform has grown totally organically.

Because I really love unfolding vision, I thought—okay, what am I going to do with this really great platform? Step by step I started to turn this great blog into something more. I ended up rebranding (not a name change, but a completely new look and feel); changed the website, and started slowly building some service around it. Soon it was more than just a really great blog—it started to become a community resource that people depended on.

At the time, the most logical place for revenue was advertising. Except that we were just at the beginning of the crisis. And what was the first thing that people cut out of their budgets? Yep, advertising. So XpatAthens quickly went from high potential to hanging on from a thread. Money was the biggest challenge along the way for XpatAthens. Everything was always run on a shoestring, and actually I usually say a thread-string budget. Because really, based on what was happening around us—it was just not the right time. Technically, XpatAthens really shouldn’t have survived. Young mom, full-time job, crisis, and no money—it was a recipe for closure.

Well, it wasn’t just Greece—it was a global financial crisis. Here, it got really messy in 2015. We got the tail end of it, but it hit with a vengeance. The crisis really hit hard.

It was a very different time of life, and it lasted for several years. A lot of unemployment and civil unrest. Every single person was affected. Take the example of capital controls—we all went to the ATMs, and no one could get money—every single person was affected.

XpatAthens was a big part of my life at that time. 

I remember I was on a flight to Toronto on the morning when the capital controls came into effect—we couldn’t access money. Everything was being restricted. Something had also happened with the XpatAthens website, and I was on the phone with my developers. I’ll never forget it—I was checking-in my luggage, couldn’t access money, problems with XpatAthens, and there was a distinct moment of ‘oh boy, are we going to stay here like this?’

I knew I wanted my life here in Greece, there was no question that this is where I wanted to be. I also felt very fortunate about having a choice—we could leave if we wanted (or needed) to. We always had Canada to go to, and this was huge. But aside from that, we also had our villages to go to, too if we needed—and I say “we,” because it was my husband and I, and our young son at the time. (There are now four of us, I had two kids along the way.)

So essentially we were pushed to the point of asking ourselves: Okay, what if we have absolutely nothing? What do we do? Where do we live and raise our family? Both of the companies we were working for had already downsized, we both had our salaries cut; not just us, this was a reality for everyone in Greece. And we were among the lucky ones who still had jobs that were able to pay us.

 

So what's the next step after that? Unemployment. And does the government even have money to pay unemployment? Who knows. So we actually asked ourselves: Where's the best place to be poor - Canada or Greece?

And we decided that it was in one of our villages in Greece, and actually my husband’s village because we could live off the land if it came to not having money for food. Thankfully it never came to this. Thankfully we had options. But we made it work — on threads for a good couple years — but we made it through. Just like all of our friends and family did too. This period of life was really a testament to the resilience of the Greeks and how they somehow pull through in the toughest of times.

For me, XpatAthens was always more than a passion project; I felt the connection with the community, I knew the content touched lives and this meant something for me. My income continued to come from elsewhere, and I’d say that XpatAthens was my creative outlet. Because I could write, it kept me intrigued, and there was always a sense of purpose.

During the crisis, we started to write about very practical things like capital controls, what to do with your money—we created content around the landscape of what was happening. Somewhere around 2019, things got better. 

As we were climbing out of the crisis, COVID hit. We were just starting to see light at the end of the crisis tunnel. Travel was getting back on track, and people were starting to feel like there was a little bit of money moving around again. But we were all still very cautious. 

And just as we were starting to breathe again, news reports of COVID began. And we all know what that meant. Downscale and pull out the ‘budget strategy called threads’ again.

The one thing that has always been consistent with XpatAthens is that I always kept it digitally healthy. It was always very well kept, plus we had great developers.

And so, the money was not always there, but it was always a platform that—I knew, there was always a very deep knowing—there’s a reason why it’s here. I just couldn’t say ‘XpatAthens is no more’. It was such a well followed website, people trusted us, it felt like we were holding each other’s hands in some funny way.

So you can imagine how many times my husband, my family, my friends, and even I would say: Why are you doing this? What’s the point Elena? It’s these ‘why questions’ that send you soul-searching, you really go deep. And so I questioned absolutely everything. 

As you can imagine, it became an emotional journey. I didn’t want to ‘give up’, I wanted to survive. I wanted it to live and grow into its full potential. It was really less about how long it had taken to grow or how many hours of work I’d put in. It was always more of this ‘core feeling’ — this is too important of a resource, we’re a community of people.

Not to mention that the traffic was still good. Like I said, it was digitally healthy. It was a digital garden, it was a home. And it just didn't make sense to just turn off the lights in this home.

Interestingly enough, over the span of 13 years, I’ve tried to sell. I’ve even tried to gift it away. All very interesting experiences. Each one of those times taught me something new (about myself). This all became a very personal story. XpatAthens has been a pivotal part of my personal growth, and professional development. I wouldn’t have the business I have now if it weren’t for XpatAthens.

I learned so much about the digital world. I learned so much about content. I learned so much about me. It was learn-as-you-go. I didn’t know how to upload content. Sure, I was a good editor and copywriter, but XpatAthens taught me how to do everything. It’s been a personal and professional development school.

There’s always been vision—remember I love unfolding vision. But there’s also been so, so much shift and change—for me personally, but also on the collective scale. The landscape of things has really shifted. To be totally honest, I got tired (even exhausted). So I did step away for a little while. I decided, okay, I’ll keep XpatAthens healthy (but quiet for a little bit), and I’ll focus on my other business. I needed to detach. To completely detach my own stories, to completely detach my emotional connection. To see where I was misaligned; to feel exactly what was ‘me’ and what wasn’t.

It was important to do this because XpatAthens always felt larger than me; I always felt a bigger purpose of things. And so I knew this was not my startup. This is not my little side hustle. It’s not my main business. It was all of those at certain stages, plus all of the learnings that came with it all. 

And so, that’s what I did for over a year. I paused and allowed the shift. Get clarity and align with true purpose. And then, somewhere around the end of 2024, I started slowly reconnecting again. I had to cut it off in order to reconnect. To feel it out. I knew there was something there, but I couldn’t see it. I had lost my ‘visionary senses’. It’s important to note here that I had a team member to keep the platform alive, without Angeliki XpatAthens would have died, and I would not have been able to take the time I needed to detach and regroup.

Step by step 2025 has been about slowly reconnecting with the landscape of things. Now, post-COVID, there were things called the digital nomad visas and co-working spaces. These didn’t exist before. And, of course, we’ve all gotten to the point where we have 5G on our phones (we’re no longer dialing up)! It’s a very different landscape now.

We’ve put ourselves back on the map again. For a while, it felt like we were a sailboat just coasting in calm, peaceful waters. And now, we’ve really been active in sharing and telling stories again.

I never felt XpatAthens as a traditional business. It wasn’t a cool new startup or a side hustle. There has always been a strong following (we continue to have 200–500 visitors daily), and we still haven’t paid a cent for marketing (yes we’re still growing organically)! People arrive at the website because they find it useful, because they’re enjoying it. This is what has always been important to me.

Also, it’s always been far more than trying to find money to pay the bills—sure that’s been part of the journey. But the community, meeting people, knowing that someone is actually sitting down with their coffee and reading it. We’re speaking to people and touching their lives in a way. XpatAthens continues to speak to this international community of people, and their needs have really shifted post-COVID. Property needs have shifted, legal needs have shifted, accounting needs have shifted—and of course we all have unique individual needs too.

We’ve created a lot of content in the last months around these very practical needs. And now we’re starting to develop that content into more storytelling—the stuff that we really love!

There’s a new dynamic of energy that’s unfolding. So we’re following, listening and connecting — first with ourselves and then with each other — but really also allowing the unfolding of a new story without pressure, and without ‘you have to do something with this.’ 

What does this mean for the future of XpatAthens? Today we are a Greek non profit organization called ΟΛΟΙ ΜΑΣ ΟΝΕ (meaning we are all one in Greek) and we’re super excited about telling Greek stories, personal stories, cultural stories... all of the stuff that gives you goosebumps. All of the great stuff that we love about living here. All of the great reasons why our international community chooses to make a life here. Because we love this beautiful country wholeheartedly. We’re letting things happen, one step at a time. 

Part of that growth is the arrival of Wellness Hub Greece as part of our non profit organization; it will be ready this December, and we’ve already introduced it on XpatAthens. This new communication and community platform is born from a deep passion for human wellbeing. WHG will be a digital space for Greece's wellness community; serving as a communication tool for the industry overall (who's doing what and where in Greece), while also a place where anyone can explore curated wellness experiences in Greece - from practitioners and retreats to workshops and tools designed to support a more balanced life.

And as we continue to grow and share the best parts of Greece, there are ways support our work, even little gestures help us to keep this community alive. There are also ways to share your offerings on our platforms, and we are most grateful for corporate sponsorships too!

In a span of 20 years—it’s a lifetime—so much has shifted collectively, let alone in my personal world. I went from moving to Greece as a 20-something, super excited about life, and completely carefree. And then once you start to have responsibilities, rent to pay, children—life gets serious, in a sense. And that’s the space I’m in at the moment: I’m learning how to have fun, feel lighter, and truly savour where I am. 

It’s always been fun, but just in a different way. Every phase has been different. Becoming a mom is a whole period of time. At least for me it was. Having infants is very different from having toddlers. And that’s very different from having a teenager. So at every stage, I’m learning a new me. There’s constant adjustment and constant growth. Am I the same person? No—but yes.

Greece is such a special place on Earth. There’s so much that’s wonderful about it. And there’s also so much that’s not exactly ideal, or things that are unexplainable, or simply don't make sense. We joke about this all the time—in the span of one day, you can feel every single emotion there is, just by walking down the street. It’s incredible. But that, in itself, is amazing. It is as it is, real, raw and perfectly human. And this is why we love it.

A Message To Our Readers 

XpatAthens has always grown through real stories and real connections, so we’d love to hear from you too. If you ever feel called to share your own experience or simply reach out, you can get in touch with us here. Conversation has always been part of the heart of this community.

Many of the insights that guided the evolution of XpatAthens — the inner clarity, the purpose-work, the storytelling — are part of Innerbloom. It’s a space dedicated to helping people and brands find their voice, refine their story, and feel more aligned with the work they’re putting into the world. If you’re curious, you can explore more at: www.innerbloom.gr