During the Festive Season all around Greece you will find Christmas boats (karavakia) decorated with lights and ornaments, which are very traditional and symbolic, greekcitytimes.com reports.
The Karavaki symbolises sailing towards the new life that follows the birth of Jesus Christ and with Greece being so connected to the sea, decorating a boat during Christmas season also serves as a token of gratitude to the marines and sailors who have devoted their lives to the sea for their country.
Sailors worked very hard, away at sea for long periods of time while the women of the Greek islands awaited for the return of their fathers, brothers, husbands and sons. The return of loved ones was a reason for celebration and families would decorate wooden boats. It was a special way of saying welcome home.
Decorating boats spread through much of the country and became a custom during the holidays. Wooden boats were decorated with lights and ornaments. These Christmas boats were placed near a door or fireplace with the Christmas boat’s bow pointing inwards. This represented the successful journey towards the mainland. Occasionally, coins or gold objects were placed inside the boat, symbolising a household’s wealth.
Children also went door to door with such wooden boats happily singing Greek Christmas carols. Neighbours would drop in little treats inside each boat, like sweets or candy, as they sang.
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Ανώνυμος Βικιπαιδιστής
