Meet my country!

1. March 1st: The March Bracelet - The "Helidonismata"

March has to offer one of the most favourite Greek customs, the wearing of the “March bracelet”. Traditionally, in Greece, March is considered the first month of spring, and, hopefully, will bring lots of nice, hot sunshine. To protect themselves from being burnt by this hot, Greek sun, people, especially children, wear the “March Bracelet”: red and white yarn is woven together (white symbolizes purity, the red is for life and passion) to create a small bracelet, which is worn, from the first day of March.

This has to be worn until you see the first stork or swallow, returning from migration, or the first blossoming tree, all heralding the arrival of spring. Once one of these elements of spring is spotted, the bracelet is removed and hung on a fruit tree, in order to keep the tree healthy and lucky, making sure of a good harvest of fruit.

Nowadays, the “Evil Eye” is being incorporated into these quaint bracelets, another Greek custom, protecting against evil.

On March 1^st, many villages in Greece celebrate the “Helidonismata”, the coming of swallows (“helidoni” is the Greek word for “swallow”) which means that spring has finally arrived. Helidonismata is an ancient Greek custom that has survived till today. A wooden swallow with bells around its neck is attached to a rod carried by children. They sing the “swallow carols”, proclaiming that spring has come and wishing a good, fruitful year. In return for the good news that they bear, they are awarded various gifts: in ancient times it was eggs or money, today it’s usually candies, sweets and sometimes money.

So will you see a real swallow or a wooden one on March 1? Hopefully it means that spring is here but remember the words of Aristotle: “One swallow does not make a spring, nor does one fine day.”

Swallows in our classroom!

2.Ms Fast ("Kyra Sarakosti")

In most Greek areas, “Ms Fast” (“Kyra Sarakosti” in Greek) was a drawing on a piece of paper. In other places, she is made of dough which contains flower, salt and water. It depicts a woman with her arms crossed (because she is praying), without a mouth (since it is the Fast period), who has got seven legs (one for every week of the Great Fast period. Every Saturday, people cut one leg so as to know how many Fast weeks there are until Easter. On Holy Saturday, they cut the last leg which they fold well and place in a dry fig. This fig is placed among others and whoever finds it is supposed to be the lucky one (the leg acts as a kind of charm). In some areas, they place the last leg in the Easter bread.