Athens’ Syntagma Square may not have a huge Christmas tree this
year but Yuletide events, featuring more than 700 artists in 10
festivals, will be celebrated over 30 days as of December 9.
The City of Athens is staging I Athina YiortaZEI (Athens
celebrates), its annual Christmas programme of cultural events, at three
central squares, 17 neighbourhoods and 11 cultural centres.
Musicians, bands, singers, dancers, visual artists, actors and
jugglers are among those who will seek to instil a note of optimism in
crisis-weary locals. Most of the festivals will each run for three days: the Music of the
World festival at Klafthmonos Square from December 16 to 18; the
Children’s Magic Square at Syntagma Square from December 17 to 31; the
Days of Pantomime - Nights of Magic at Syntagma and Kotzia squares from
December 19 to 21; the Shortest Days at the City of Athens Technopolis,
Zappeio and the French Institute in Athens on December 20 and 21; Jazzy
Christmas at Klafthmonos Square from December 22 to 24; the Choir
Festival on December 23; a juggling festival at the Neighbourhood of
Games at Syntagma Square and the Rouf indoor sports centre from December
27 to 29; the New Music Scene Festival at Klafthmonos Square from
December 27 to 29; the Classical Orchestra Festival at Kotzia Square
from December 28 to 31; and the Expression Festival, featuring new
artists, at the Anna and Maria Kalouta multi-purpose centre in Neos
Kosmos from January 3 to 5.
Athens mayor Yiorgos Kaminis has called on school children in the
capital to decorate the city's main Syntagma Square on Friday, December 9 to save
money on Christmas expenses. Schools have been invited to decorate trees on the square between
11am and 1pm before Kaminis inaugurates the city's holiday celebrations
at 6 pm. The mayor said the city had been waiting for marches commemorating
the police killing of teenager Alexandros Grigoropoulos to end before
the celebrations began. Athens' main Christmas tree was torched during
major riots in 2008 over the police shooting of Grigoropoulos.
Technopolis will host events for senior citizens and music
ensembles will perform at the municipality’s meal provision centre,
which caters to homeless individuals.
This year’s outdoor New Year’s Eve celebration, to feature live music performances, will be held at Kotzia Square.
The city estimates the cost of this year's celebrations at 200,000
euros, compared with 2 million euros three years ago.
A Christmas events
calendar is available online.
I Athina YiortaZei is on facebook
