Greek tips: How to make Christmas holiday season more cozy

The Danes may have created the gentle art of “hygge” – that is, living cozily and well with community during the long Scandinavian winter months – but the Greek ideal of “philoxenia,” which refers to the ancient act of hospitality, means Greeks embrace a cozy lifestyle of togetherness throughout the entire year.

While Greece is world renowned for welcoming tourists to its white sand beaches in the summer, the country is just as beautiful when its mountaintops and milky white ruins are dusted is a covering of pristine snow. The serenity of the landscape and the warm neighborliness of the people set the tone for Greek hygge. A cozy Greek lifestyle is particularly sweet in the quieter winter months and can be emulated in your own home no matter where you live.

First, set the scene for creating an inviting and comfortable home in which you and your family and friends can hunker down when it’s too cold to go outdoors. Long before IKEA made sheepskin rugs ubiquitous to minimalistic Scandinavian chic, rug makers in the mountains of Greece were hand-making flokati rugs. These shag wool rugs are naturally a beautiful off-white that add warmth and character to any home’s design aesthetic. Imported rugs can be purchased from most rug dealers.

With evening lasting longer, candlelight offers a soothing golden glow. The flickering of the fire feels organic and ethereal, conjuring up the light that is shared from one person to the next until all the candles are lit at midnight during the Greek Orthodox Easter service. Instead of the lambada Easter candle, try lighting one of these:Waks is a Greek-based retailer that makes candles in such delectable scents as salt water, sweet fig and pomegranate, and oak fire; Gina Balourdas’ Etsy shop My Greek Home sells candles that “will warm up every room with the scents of tropical fruits, citrus and exotic mountain greens”; Archipelago Botanicals may be American but its Santorini Soy Candle will whisk you to the Greek islands with its “exotic and rich scent, blending lotus flower, bergamot and lemon leaf.”

Next, consider some heartwarming meals and beverages. Avgolemono, a Greek chicken soup that you can easily find recipes for online or in most Greek cookbooks, is a cure all for winter. Baking meanwhile can be therapeutic. Paying attention to detailed recipes creates mindfulness, and kneading the dough may be a stress reliever. The warmth of the oven may warm your home, and the sweetness of the spices may invigorate your spirit. This is a wonderful season to bake your treasured heirloom recipes for kourabiedes and melomakarona. These two varieties of Greek Christmas cookies are always a fun treat to have on hand for when guests arrive unannounced to fill your home with cheer.

A warm drink is always festive! Put a Greek twist on your standard hot chocolate by making a Kourabiedes White Hot Chocolate. Simply prepare your favorite white hot chocolate mix (such as Land O Lakes Arctic White Hot Cocoa Mix or Serendipity 3’s Frrrozen Hot White Chocolate Mix) with a few cloves (to taste) and rim your mug with a coat of powdered sugar. You can leave it virgin or you can add a splash of brandy to it. If hot chocolate doesn’t suit your mood, perhaps you can make a mulled Greek wine, a strong Greek coffee, or aromatic Greek mountain tea.

Now that you’ve entered into a more relaxed state, you may enjoy more reflective activities. Consider hosting a grown-up coloring book party or simply putting on some soft music and letting your mind wander as you color on your own. There are a number of beautifully illustrated Greek coloring books on the market, such as Sara Alexi’s The Greek Village Coloring Book; A Coloring Book of the Odyssey from the Art of Ancient Greece; and Rachel Mintz’s Ancient Greek Classic Pottery Vase D?cor Coloring book.

With Christmas upon us, the season may also have you feeling more connected with your faith. The Church encourages a number of fellowship events, and you may also continue worshipping at home through reading the story of Jesus’ birth in the Bible (Luke 2 is an easy place to start), memorizing Bible verses each day of Advent (John 3:16 is perhaps the most famous), and praying. Starting a prayer journal and gratitude journal may help you carry the Spirit of the season in your heart even on the coldest of days – both physically and metaphorically.

With your heart and mind in the right place, you will feel more centered during the rush of the holiday season. Carving out time for yourself will paradoxically also help you find more time for the people who matter to you most as well as to those who may need your special Greek touch of philoxenia. Whether you invite someone into your home, treat a homeless person to a hot cup of coffee on a cold winter day, or write a letter to an old friend, you can extend warm feelings toward others.