It is the 1st of December and Christmas celebrations are nearby! In Greece on Christmas and on New Year’s Eve, it is not something strange to see children going from door to door, holding a triangle and a handmade boat decorated with colorful flags. This Christmas boat was filled with cookies and sweets, as a reward for telling the Christmas carols. Nowadays we decorate a Christmas tree but still in the Greek islands, the origin of the Christmas boat, you will see Christmas boats decorated with Christmas lights.
The truth is that the sea characterizes and determines Greek’s life; in the past during the Christmas holidays the Greek sailors returned to their country and homes to celebrate with their families and that’s why the children were making small boats in order to welcome them or as a pray to be safe the sailors that couldn’t return for Christmas.
After all it symbolizes human’s new sail to the life after Christ’s birth.
