Carols for Christmas, New Year and Epiphany are a very famous custom in Greece. Groups of children or adults sing door to door the carols, which are singing wishes most of the times for the house lords.
The origins of carols
The word “kalanta” in Greek comes from the Latin word “calenda”, which originates from the Greek verb «καλώ» (=call).
Group of children go door to door holding special instruments and singing songs related to Christmas, New Year and the celebration of Saint Basil and Epiphany (January 6th), the day when Jesus Christ was baptized in Jordan river by John the Baptist.
This custom existed in Greece before Rome. The children were holding a stick of olive tree or laurel, decorated with nuts and white hair, they were singing and they were given gifts.
You may listen to some carols here .
