Mainland Weather: Cold and wet; snow in the mountains.
Island/Coastal Weather: Cold, wet (sometimes even snowy), and windy. Sunny, pleasant days are usually very limited.
Prices: Low
Events: Many events, mainly aimed at Greek aficionados of the arts. There are New Year's celebrations, then Epiphany on Jan 6th. Plays, concerts, etc. are on in Athens and Thessaloniki, as well as many other locations.
Facilities: Hotels and restaurants on many islands will be closed. The ski season is in full swing, though bad weather may interfere. Port visits by tender from cruise ships may be cancelled due to rough water.
New Year's Eve is celebrated more and more vigorously in Athens and elsewhere, and larger hotels usually host a party. On the island of Chios, ship models are created and carried around by groups of fishermen singing songs. January First is the Feast of St. Basil, when many Greeks practice the old custom of slicing a piece of the Vassilopita (Basil Cake) in hopes of finding a lucky coin concealed by the baker. Though St. Nikolaos may seem to be a more obvious inspiration for Santa Claus, it's St. Basil who visits with gifts on this day. Playing cards on a table covered with lucky green felt is also supposed to assure abundance the whole year through.
Epiphany celebrations in towns by the sea or by rivers will include the local priest throwing a cross into the waters, where it is retrieved by intrepid young men who dive for it in the frigid waters, a blessing of the waters which dates back to ancient times. As the day of the baptism of Jesus, many Greek Orthodox families arrange children's baptisms for this day. If you're in the Athens area, Piraeus has a particularly lavish ceremony.
On January 8th, a few remote villages practice role-reversal, with the women pursuing male activities (mainly consisting of drinking coffee at the kafeneions and playing cards) while the men attempt to fulfill the women's roles at home. An evening celebration follows as things return to "normal" for another year - and possibly some new understanding lingers, at least for a few months!
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Some of The Best Greek Islands
Temple-crowned Aegina - Natural Alonissos - Traditional Carpathos - Chewy Chios - Cos, The Doctors' Island - Queenly Crete - Dignified Delos - Do it all on Donoussa - Hydra, Artist's Island - Odysseus' Ithaca - Kalokairi "Mamma Mia" Island - Spongy Kalymnos - Aphrodite's Kythira - Lesvos, More than Sappho - Lovely Leros - Mighty Mykonos - Paros Paradise - Pirate Islands - Pastoral Patmos - Volcanic Santorini - Sexy Skopelos - The Dreamy Small Cyclades - Easy Spetses - Symi Summers - Very Greek Syros - Honeyed Thassos - Tilos, Island of Elephants
