Calamos Supports Greece

New Year's Day

The Pomegranate: Greek Symbol of Good Fortune for the New Year

Smashing a pomegranate on New Year’s Day is an Ancient Greek custom that continues to this day as the fruit is considered a symbol of good fortune.

Vasilopita and the Lucky Coin: A Greek Custom to Welcome the New Year

The story of the Greek Orthodox custom of the Vasilopita, or the New Year's cake with a lucky coin inside, began in Asia Minor, and more specifically in the city of Caesarea in Cappadocia, more than 1600 years ago. This...

Celebrate the New Year in Traditional Greek Style

The city of Athens will welcome the New Year with live music at Syntagma Square on Saturday night and an all-night party with DJs at the Varvakeios Municipal Market. Festivities at Syntagma Square will start at 22:30, where...

Saint Basil — a Towering Figure in Greek History

Saint Basil is remembered by the Greek people as the figure who bore gifts and helped children and the poor at Christmastime.

This Christmas Tell Your Children the Real Santa Claus Story

Behind today’s mythical Santa Claus from the North Pole, is a real saint – St. Nicholas. How he came to be today’s gift-giving jolly figure from the North Pole is a fascinating story all by itself.  By Lisa Bitel Santa Claus...

The Historical Origins of Santa Claus, or St. Nicholas

The world knows Santa Claus as the symbol of Christmas, who brings kids toys, but he is actually a modernized version of Saint Nicholas, the devoted Greek bishop who lived in the fourth century in the Lycian town of...

Covid-19: 932 New Cases in Greece; 50 Dead on New Year’s Eve

A total of 932 Covid-19 cases were detected over the last day, according to an announcement by the Greek government on New Year's Eve.

After Brief Respite, Greece Braces for First Storm of 2020

Winter storm ''Zenobia'' might have begun to recede on Tuesday; however, a new cold snap is expected in the coming days, this time bringing more thunderstorms, freezing temperatures and snowfall to Greece. Most of the country began its New Year's Eve...

Greek Immigrant Launched Vancouver’s Polar Bear Swim One Century Ago

What is now a worldwide tradition, began exactly 100 years ago, in 1920, by Greek immigrant Peter (Pete) Pantages.

Why Greeks Smash a Pomegranate on New Year's Day

Breaking the pomegranate on New Year's Day is an Ancient Greek holiday tradition, with its origins in the Peloponnese or Serres, and later spreading over the entire nation. In Greek folklore, the pomegranate has served as a symbol of strength since...