December is the month of Christmas, a month of happiness, goodwill and love for the coming birth of Jesus. It is also a month of festivities as customs and traditions are revived throughout Greece. These customs and traditions have withstood time, and some can be traced back to ancient Greece. They retain the magic of another era and show the respect that the people have for their heritage and for what these customs symbolize.
Many of the traditions that take us on a journey into the past and rekindle the memories of the people, are related to the celebration of the various religious feast days connected with the Greek Orthodox Church. From the very beginning of December, three important Saint Days are celebrated: Saint Barbara on 4th December, Saint Savvas on 5th December and Saint Nicholas on 6th December. This three-day period has become known as “Nicholobarbara”. This first group of religious celebrations relates to and coincides with an increase in the dire weather conditions and the dangers that are associated with this as it influences the agricultural activities of the farmers, the livelihood of the shepherds and the safe return of the seafarers to their homes for Christmas after months at sea.
In the month of December, the weather becomes colder, and the snow is part of the weather pattern in such a way that there is the saying: “Saint Barbara brings the cold, Saint Savvas wraps it up, and Saint Nicholas buries it.” It is a traditional phrase symbolizing the deepening of winter as these days pass. The cold intensifies, becoming “harsh,” as it already begins to “grow strong” from St. Andrew’s Day (November 30th). It brings snow, and everything is dressed in a white “
shroud” as the name ‘Savvas’ implies. Then St. Nicholas “buries” everything under heavy snow, so much so that the people remark, “St. Nicholas whitens his beard.” Tradition refers to a close relationship between the three saints in that “St. Barbara gave birth to St Nicholas and St. Savvas.”
According to tradition, certain offerings are given to the Saints. In Thrace, the offering to Saint Barbara is connected with the wheat cultivated in the area. The sweet is called ‘koliva’ (Greek: κόλλυβα) made up of boiled wheat, seseme seeds, sultanas, dried figs, walnuts, almonds, cinnamon, pomegranate, flour, parsley and icing sugar served in a bowl. It is offered to all the neighbours so that the children of the house have good health. It is a connection between death and life, between what is planted into the ground and what emerges. The origins of koliva predate Christianity. The word ‘koliva’ stems from the Ancient Greek word ‘κολλυβος’ (kollyvos), originally meaning ‘a small coin’ and was later used to refer to ‘small pies made of boiled wheat’. Such a mixture of cooked grains and nuts were offered during the festival of the Anthesteria (Greek: Ανθεστήρια), one of the four Athenian festivals in honour of the god Dionysus. The three-day festival was held annually from the 11th to the 13th of the month of Anthesterion, which was around the time of the January or February full moon. This practice was passed on to early Christianity in Byzantine and later spread to the entire Orthodox world.
St Savvas was an ascetic and lived in the time of Justinian the Great (he was born in 439). For a period of ten years, he lived as ascetic life in the Jordan desert. He was known for his restraint in eating and drinking from an early age. His name is compatible to the word ‘shroud’, as with the cold and snow, the people wrap themselves in a 
cloak to keep warm as depicted in the iconography of the Saint. He is also shown holding a scroll which reads: “He who loves God disdains from corruptible things and prefers the knowledge of Him.” It is said that on this day, fava or split peas is eaten to absolve the sins of the dead.
December coincides with the month of Poseidon in the Ancient Greek calendar, the month of the rough and stormy seas, during which the sailors would avoid sea travel if possible and return to their homes. Therefore, the god of the Sea, Poseidon, has been replaced by the equally important Saint Nicholas of Christianity, the protector of sailors and sea travel.
St Nicholas, the Saint of the seafarers, is continuously running in wet clothes to save those shipwrecked in the big storms. The sailors leave offerings in the form of ships and other amulets in front of his icon as they believe that St Nicholas is ‘at the helm of the ship’ and will lead them to safety. However, the great popularity of St Nicholas is the presents that he brings to the children on the eve of his festive day. This custom relates to the fact that St Nicholas is also the patron and protector of children. In many seaside areas, fishermen cook pots of pasta with octopus and calamari.
The wisdom of the people is in the saying: Saint Barbara spoke, St Savvas replied, and Saint Nicholas ran to perform the service.
Saint Barbara is the protector of the artillery, Saint Savvas is the protector of the seriously ill, and Saint Nicholas the protector of the Merchant Marine, the Hellenic Navy and the Coast Guard.
