Merry Christmas!

The sky is picture postcard blue, the dew on the new grass is shining in the sunshine and the last minute grocery shopping is being done. As Christmas is a two day holiday the shops, banks and businesses will be closed tomorrow and Wednesday. Thursday and Friday are normal business days.

Christmas on Symi is becoming increasingly Western, with more decorations and lights and an increasing selection Christmas-specific items in the shops. Local tastes are becoming more exotic too, with trays of mangoes and pineapples now standard Christmas stock in even the most old-fashioned grocers in Chorio. Sotiris has cornered the market for frozen Brussels sprouts, with a freezer full of 5.5 kilogram bags of them. It is not just the Anglo-Saxon ex-pat market that is catered for though, judging by all the colourful boxes of Italian panetone and rows of German chocolate St Nicholases.

Children in party clothes are doing the rounds of Chorio, armed with triangles and purses, knocking on doors and singing the kalanda, the traditional Greek Christmas carol. According to local tradition they have to wait until 1 January for St Basil to bring them their presents, so parents have a few more shopping days in hand. The townhall has been announcing various events over the tannoy at regular intervals.

Rain is expected later in the week and New Year may well be wet but for now the sun is shining on Symi and everyone is happy.

Merry Christmas to all of you.

Regards,
Adriana