Kala Christougenna! Greek Christmas celebrations at Brooklyn’s Greek School of Plato

December 24, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Students march in 2023 in the Greek Independence Day Parade in Bay Ridge. Eagle Urban Media/photos by Ted General

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BROOKLYN — GREEK-AMERICAN KIDS got in in the holiday spirit at the Greek School of Plato in Bay Ridge-Fort Hamilton on Dec. 21. Children from kindergarten to ninth grade participated in traditional Greek Christmas customs, sang carols and inspired pride in their older relatives.

“With the very beautiful program that the school students presented today, with so little time at their disposal to prepare, we traveled to Greece and to the memories of our childhood Christmases. With the children we have, the future of Hellenism here in America will continue to be bright.” said Kostas Karkas, chairman of the board of directors at Greek School of Plato, as reported by the National Herald.

While historically not the most important religious celebration in Greece, the Hellenic Republic – that would be Orthodox Easter – Christmas has gained prominence in recent years. Syntagma Square in Athens, the seat of the world’s first democracy, was lit up in a brilliant Christmas display in late November. Greek Christmas begins on Dec. 25 and ends on Epiphany Day, Jan. 6. The Greek word for Christmas, “Christougenna (χριστούγεννα),” transliterates to “Christ-birth.”