As Christmas approaches, Corfu puts on its festive gear and prepares to welcome the Christmas season of festivities as only it knows how. Internationally known for its frenzied Easter revelry, beloved Corfu is just as warm, festive, and atmospheric during Christmas.
However, about other regions of Greece, the holiday season in Corfu has a little peculiarity, and this is because it starts a few days earlier, on the feast of Agios Spyridon, the island's patron saint.
A breath before Christmas and in the middle of the Christmas atmosphere that has already arrived for good, the people of Corfu celebrate with all their enthusiasm the feast of their patron saint, who has identified his name as the bride of the Ionian Sea. And yet, the celebration may last a little and end quickly, but the excitement remains, paving the way for the unique Corfu Christmas.
The cantons are filled with bright lights, the shop windows are decorated, and the warm Christmas aura is omnipresent, creating a romantic contrast between traditional architecture and Christmas's warm, joyful aroma. Liston is reminiscent of a real fairy tale that seems to have sprung from another era, inviting you to experience it with every sense.
And all you have to do? Just go out and get lost in the half-empty cantonments, experiencing the magic of Christmas.
However, since every celebration is with a table, the Corfu cuisine has also taken care of that. The equally tasty, warm Christmas table, full of traditional dishes, from numbolo and sycomaids to geleti, gallo and boutino, is the tastiest complement to the Christmas immersion on the island of Fiakon.
And, of course, is there a better-known Corfu meze than the one and only numbulo? A remnant of Venetian rule, numbulo - perhaps one of the most famous Corfu delicacies and popularly known as Corfu prosciutto - is served chopped on Christmas Eve alongside botsoni, cheeses and Christmas green salads.
Essentially, numbulo is nothing more than a piece of pork seasoned with coarse salt, marinated in local red wine, and sprinkled with oregano, plenty of spices and herbs, but also some sage, fennel, chives, and bay leaves when air-ripened.
Of course, the famous sykomaida, also known as sykopita, must be included in the table. Prepared from dried figs, must or ouzo, pepper and lemon zest, the original Corfu sweet is one of the most special traditional sweets of Corfu and begins to be prepared at least a week before it reaches the table.
And that's because the dried figs have to bind to the tasty mixture of walnuts, cinnamon, cloves and liqueur. After binding all these ingredients together, they are shaped and baked before arriving deliciously on the festive table.
However, since Christmas is only complete with carols, you should know that Corfu, which is famous for its philharmonics, is even more famous for its traditional carols, which you should definitely listen to.
That's why, every year, the island's philharmonics and ordinary musicians tour the cantons, spreading sounds, melodies and traditional Heptanisian carols, enlivening every corner of the old town.
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