New Year in Greece called - Day of St. Basil. This legendary man was known for his unusual character and original disposition. In Greece, the children decided to leave at the threshold of the shoe to St. Basil filled it with a variety of sweets and gifts. Chapter Greek family on New Year's must perform a kind of ritual. Namely take the fruit juicy pomegranate and beat it on a stone wall. If this grain good scatter in different directions, then believe that the coming New Year to all members of the family will be wonderful.

In Greece, there is an interesting Christmas tradition before the New Year to give each other weighty baskets filled with a variety of fine wines, and a new deck of cards.

New Year in Greece begins with the Greeks, take the stone which is placed on the threshold of a house. By the way it is curious that if it is a heavy stone, the master of the house should not wish for more wealth in the coming year, but if the stone is small and light, you need to wish to the size of his points was as small as this stone.

By New Year's table on the Greek mainland necessarily serves traditional - decorated with roast pig, to which was attached a baked potato. The Aegean islands, however, the islanders traditionally baked turkey in wine. None New Year menu in Greece is complete without dessert.

Especially popular at this time spiced cookies that previously impregnated with honey or syrup. But the main New Year's sweet dish in Greece is " vasilopita " pie dough ornaments, currants and nuts inside which traditionally baked coin symbol of happiness in the New Year.

Cutting the cake, look who it will fall. When the first section of the pie slice of cake is given to St. Basil, the second piece of the house, the next most senior member of the family and so on to the youngest, who will be given the last piece.

On New Year's tradition in Greece by guessing. For example, the girls decided to put their piece of cake under the pillow to see the dream of the groom. For the Greeks, there are many Christmas beliefs, superstitions and taboos.

So, you can not scream, grind or drinking coffee, is prohibited from entering the house black dogs as the dog is a demonic beast, is considered bad luck to beat up on the New Year and many others.

Vardan Stepanyan New School