Greek Christmas Customs - Basil

A look at the sacred herb of the holidays

No Greek Christmas season would be complete without the supreme herb, Basil.

Although it is rich in associations, basil came late to Greece and it was believed to have been brought back by Alexander the Great.

Basil Sprigs at Christmas

At Christmas, most Greek houses take a sprig of basil wrapped around a small wooden cross and suspend it over a bowl of water. Oddly enough, in Greek folklore, the days around Christmas are considered to be very dangeorus ones. This is the period when the kallinkatzari, a kind of devilish sprite, can torment humans. The cross and basil are used to sprinkle the rooms of the house with holy water to prevent these attacks.

Saint Basil

Basil is also associated with St. Basil, or Agios Vassilis, a founder of the Greek Orthodox Church, whose feast day in Greece is January first. It is the name day for anyone called Vassilios or Vassiliki.

On St. Basil's day, the Vassilopita is baked. This is a cake which conceals a token. The entire cake is carefully divided up - the Saint gets the first piece, then the eldest member of the household, and so on down through the family, sometimes including those who live far away. A piece may even be set aside for the various kinds of livestock the household raises.

St Basil and the Changing of the Water[/he] St Basil's day is also when all vessels of water in the household are replaced with fresh water. But here the veil of orthodoxy wears a little thin - this is also the day for offerings to the naiads, spirits of local springs, to ensure the continued flow of the waters and to thank them for the previous year.