Καλά Χριστούγεννα! (Kalá Christoúenna) = Merry Christmas in Greece!
As in the rest of the Christian world, Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on December 25th, the day commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. Greeks are predominantly Orthodox and for them, Christmas is a deeply cherished holiday.
The Christmas season in Greece starts on December 6th, with the feast of Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas), and traditionally, people burn twigs around the churches of Agios Nikolaos.
Before the Christmas tree made its appearance in Greek homes, influenced by foreign customs, it was traditional to decorate models of wooden sailing ships, honoring the sea as this land’s main resource.
On Christmas Eve, a strict fast should be observed, traditionally only consuming grains and fruits.
On the morning of December 24th, children are given a sack and a stick: with these, they go from house to house playing the trigona [τρίγωνα], steel triangles struck rhythmically with a steel stick, and singing the kalanda [κάλαντα], traditional songs.
In return, they receive kourabiédes (κουραμπιέδες), cookies made with butter, almonds, and powdered sugar, and metaxa (Greek brandy) shaped like crescents or circles, and small coins.
On December 25th, people go to church in the morning to attend mass, followed by a rich Christmas lunch featuring meat. The head of the household makes the sign of the cross saying chronia polla [χρόνια πολλά] cuts the christopsomo (Christ’s bread: a sweet loaf with a crust decorated with family life scenes) prepared by the women the night before and distributes a slice to all family members as a sign of joy, happiness, and prosperity.
They were featured in a special ViaggiandoMangiando on air Christmas event on DECEMBER 21, 2020, and you can find more Christmas recipes in the collection “Christmas Around the World”.
Similar to other Christmas cookies:
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 25 cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Greek
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients
- 5.3 oz almonds
- 7 oz butter (preferably goat or ghee)
- 3.5 oz sugar
- 10.5 oz all-purpose flour
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsps Metaxa (or other brandy or rose water)
- to taste powdered sugar
Preparation
Chop the almonds into a coarse powder and toast them in a dry pan over medium heat.
Let them cool.
Whip the room temperature butter for at least 10 minutes until it becomes fluffy.
Add the sugar and continue mixing, then add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and baking powder dissolved in Metaxa (or other brandy or rose water).
Ensure everything is well combined and then slowly pour in the flour.
Gently fold in the almonds.
Once you have a compact dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for an hour.
Create a small ball and elongate it with your hands to form a crescent.
Place the kourabiedes on a baking sheet and bake in a static oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Sprinkle a plate with powdered sugar, arrange the kourabiedes on it, and cover them with more powdered sugar.
The Kourabiedes likely originate from similar sweets introduced during the Ottoman period (like the Turkish kurabiye).
Ingredients such as almonds, clarified butter, and flavors like rose water reflect Middle Eastern influences.
If you want to stick to the traditional recipe, you can purchase Metaxa liqueur, the Greek brandy, online at this link.
