Subject: New Years greetings with carols, music and dance
Wishing all my friends, colleagues, family, fellow Greek dancers of the world and beyond a Happy New Year and a 2021 that is a time of renewal, health, safety, peace, and prosperity of the soul and mind.
I have compiled a (rather long) list of you tube links to celebrate with examples of traditional New Years carols as sung in different parts of the Greek world, including one if Albanian and one in Aroman (Vlach). New Years is associated with the gift-giver St Basil, Ayios Vasilios, which has led (unfortunately in my eyes) of his being identified as Santa Claus, with all the typical western accoutrements, by modern day Greeks. As such, and as an antidote, I have included examples of the older ritual customs and masquerading that are also associated with New Years or with the 12 Days (Dodekaimera), especially prominent in northern Greece.
But before that, just for fun, here is Halkina Ichohromata welcoming in the Holiday Season with a brass band version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town along with a recognizable Balkan and Roma hit song, broadcast from the Town Hall of Alexandroupolishttps://www.facebook.com/municipality.alexandroupolis/videos/429232751768626Enjoy and Chronia Polla
A – NEW YEARS CAROLS
LEROShttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-b2WqpsQ40CRETEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvaTFwRNVNAFOURNOI, IKARIAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdxIYjXOc0UMONASTIRI, NORTH THRACEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqZntfX9RBkCHIOShttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj6Y4vBz_ccKERKYRAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4o5E4QCDQMELIMBOS, KARPATHOShttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nzx1F8Fkf4ARCHANGELOS, RHODEShttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIOZFugISJUKOMIAKI, NAXOShttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThfQgNawKZsPONTOShttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3uhb_IOPCIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KbTeqy4ZPEPONTIANS OF RUSSIAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiYeFN4c8lESINOPI, ASIA MINORhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQfdcKn6xO8ZAKINTHOShttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBBIpYnQhmEKEFALLONIAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uMCI98yiicPATAGI, THRACEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JHVromAKtEMARKOPOULO, ATTICA (SUNG IN ARVANITIKA)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbIxO22M0zYAMBELAKIA, THRACE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JQTEwzfw6wPHARASA, CAPPADOCIAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odxLNC5jkfUVLACH (AROMAN)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtjLSTav7LYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70RP2K6ziSc
CHRISTMAS CAROLS FROM KRYONERO, EAST THRACE, REGION OF SARANDA EKKLISIES (where my grandfather was from) carols of praise for different family membershttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys6RvkH6qSA
B – NEW YEARS CUSTOMS with music, ritual and dance:
BURBARI IN EPTAHORI, WEST MACEDONIAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9uSaKQ3f5ohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ymwwfnSRG0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz-MBiehPRU
ARGOUTSIARIA IN KLEISOURA, KASTORIA, WEST MACEDONIAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMNJC3r7n9A
DIVITZIDES IN NEO MONASTIRI (from ‘Old” Monastiri in SE Bulgaria, “Eastern Rumelia”)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ort0Q-s6MA&t=264shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbNSX_lHCewMEGALO MONASTIRIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5bdv7i7giIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez5vKR0mAT0
ROUGATSIA IN PRODROMOS, RUMLUKI, MACEDONIA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWiPZlsrq_gIN MAKROHORI, RUMLUKIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HZIPQ05v_0&t=96s
SARANDOPORO, THESSALYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMSQ-aJk3pU
ROUGATSARIA IN KARDITSA, THESSALY (KARAGOUNIDES)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDqYZCt-5Bg
ARAPIDES IN KSIROPOTAMOS, DRAMA (Epiphany day)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4O9-z6C_zEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNQYMIaNLjIIN VOLAKAS, DRAMAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wfiR2fZjxQ
BABOUSIAROS IN RIGIO, THRACE (2nd day of Xmas) (Arvanites from region of Uzun Kopru, East Thrace)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxlmGE-lHGYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3iwUI3Dn4Ihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1IFdDfPD1w
CAMEL “DEVE” CUSTOM, IN OINOI, THRACE (Gagauz from Saraplar, East Thrace) (during Xmas 12 days)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYZkVCmasQchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc22dDmSyJUIN THOURIOhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGay-43fG8o
CAMEL IN GALATISTA, HALKIDIKI (Epiphany day)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-YUYqPpjnA
MOMOYERI OF THE PONTIANS
PROTOHORI, KOZANIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yXxrv77eF4KALLIFITON, DRAMAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FWSoftVe7oKALAMARIA, THESSALONIKI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9ORdvuYkJk
