TRADITIONS

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A year-round destination, Crete is more than just a sunbed by the sea, coconut-scented cocktails, and beachside adventures. Plus its gems shine brighter in the offseason, without the summer tourist masses. Discover one of its brightest, Chania, in the winter.

If you are one of these summer-loving types, who’d do anything to avoid the cold –including migrating to the opposite hemisphere– the good news is that you can still spend winter in Europe but not freeze. Unlike other smaller Greek islands which seem to shut down during the colder months, Crete, the largest of them all, remains very much alive and kicking. With a robust agricultural production and an economy that’s not relying solely on tourism, Crete has a population of more than 600,000 inhabitants: Permanent residents and University students, alike –living, breathing, working and playing here, throughout the year.

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New and old seamlessly blend in an enchanting amalgam of Christmas traditions in Crete. Read on and rejoice!

From the snow-capped roofs of Rovaniemi to the sun-dappled beaches of Brazil, Christmas is a magical time of the year throughout the world. The same goes for the island of Crete: Though it’s not your typical winter wonderland kind of destination, Christmas in Greece’s largest island comes with a wealth of wonderful traditions- some new and imported; others with roots that are lost in the depths of history.

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The Cretan Valentine does not go to fancy restaurants, luxurious confectioners and shopping malls. Instead, he opts for nature and the open air, music, song and dance.

February the 14th typically brings along red roses, heart-shaped candy, spicy lingerie and the mandatory fancy restaurant dinner. This year the latter was for obvious reasons skipped, but as tradition demands, the florists got their share of traffic. But how did this all come about?

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Celebrate life and the beauty of the world with a vacation in Crete in 2021.

The new year customarily marks new beginnings. And in light of all the gloom and doom, the world has experienced throughout 2020, who doesn’t crave for a fresh start in 2021? Alas, just pressing the reset button doesn’t really work in real life. But there is hope on the horizon. The much-anticipated antidote to the pandemic has finally arrived, and, protestations aside, many countries around the globe have already started vaccinating their population. No doubt this is going to be a lengthy, strenuous process. Acquiring the desired immunity won’t happen overnight. But then again neither was Rome built in a day.

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A magical time of the year since the olden days, Christmas in Crete comes with a wealth of enchanting customs and traditions, some of them surviving up until today

Another year is drawing to a close. Normally at this time, we’d be preparing to celebrate Christmas in Crete with typical Cretan, high spirited ardor. Alas on “the year that never was”, festivities will look and feel quite different. There’ll be no big friends and family gatherings, no carol rounds, no all-night parties. Even the cherished, annual Chania Santa Run, won’t be taking place in 2020.

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Exotic beaches, snow-capped mountains, dramatic gorges and Edenlike plains. World-famous ancient monuments and Unesco heritage sites. Emblematic food, renowned for its health benefits and taste, along with euphoric, potent drink. Proud yet affable locals and an age-old culture of hospitality embedded in everyday life. There are myriads of reasons to love Crete, and the unique Cretan customs and folkways are among the most thrilling. Take the traditional Cretan wedding for instance: An intense, typically multi-day affair to remember, it is marked by enthusiasm and abundance: Food, drink, music, dance, merrymaking, even celebratory gunfire, come in copious amounts. The same motif applies to the guest list. In the case of the traditional Cretan wedding, the more is the merrier indeed.

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