Despite all the difficulties, this year we all want and need to get into the Christmas spirit and participate in the festivities. After last year’s Christmas, when restrictions were much stricter and the events calendar was much leaner, this year the Municipalities, Museums and other entities have organized many activities for both children and the adults.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre, true to its tradition, has prepared a rich programme of events in the dreamy Dome, the Great Lawn, the Pine Grove and the Green Roofs. “Christmas at SNFCC” has music, ice skating, activities for children, festive flavours and, of course, the New Year’s Eve events.

ΚΠΙΣΝ / SNFCC

For the Municipality of Athens, the rich programme of festivities has been organized by the Culture, Sports and Youth Organization and Technopolis, focusing on the Christmas Tree on Syntagma Square and the events downtown and in the city neighbourhoods, the ice ring on Kotzia Square, the music, the theatre, the Christmas villages and the open-air film screenings.

The Acropolis Museum also welcomes visitors in a festive mood. Interactive festive programmes for children, night tours in the exhibitions, Christmas carols, unique gifts from the museum shop and festive flavours in the restaurant will provide amazing experiences for all visitors to the Museum.

The Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation has prepared original and creative educational programmes for children and the whole family. The young visitors will learn about the work of notable artists, the artistic movements and the techniques used by the greatest artists and sculptors.

Ίδρυμα Ελίζασ και Βασίλη Γουλανδρή

In the spirit of Christmas, on 18 December, the National Historical Museum will hold an educational crafts workshop where children will make Christmas decorations.

On 23 December, the National Museum of Contemporary Art will welcome visitors with a festive Dj set featuring electronic music and an interactive installation in synchronized dialogue with the music. The event will take place in the framework of this year’s Culture Night by the Athens Culture Net of the Municipality of Athens.

The exhibition “Papadopoulos 100. The story of the Company 1922-2022” opened a few days ago at the Benaki Museum in Pireos Street, and although not confined to the festive season, it takes us back to our childhood memories through the packaging, the aroma and the advertisements of their biscuits.

Μουσείο Μπενάκη / Benaki Museum

Under the impressive Christmas tree on the decorated Aristotelous Square, the house of Santa Claus and the Elves, the Christmas Sweets shop and the musical stage of the Municipality of Thessaloniki will welcome visitors for one month. On 29 December, at the Megaron Concert Hall of the city, for the event titled “Black Tie”,  Panos Mouzourakis and the Symphony Orchestra of the Municipality of Thessaloniki will play songs by Robbie Williams, Bob Dylan, Elvis  Presley, Dionysis Savvopoulos, Lavrentis Machairitsas, Foivos Delivorias, Frank Sinatra and Red Hot Chili Peppers in a unique show.

The city of Patras will also begin the festivities from Tuesday 14 December. Christmas concerts, opera, music and choir, the band of the Municipality playing in the streets, carols sung by various associations, concerts by groups of the Municipal Odeon in its concert hall, artistic installations, theatre performances and shadow play shows feature in this year’s programme. On 19 and 23 December, on Georgiou Square, the Christmas arts workshop will take place under the guidance of painters and ceramicists.

Πάτρα / Patras

In the square of Agia, Larissa at December 17 will take place the lighting og the Christmas tree with music, wine and many surprises for the children.

The Historical Museum of Crete welcomes children and refugees with creative activities during the festive season. The Christmas workshop titled “Balls, circles and dots” will show children how to make their own toy cards. In parallel, the programme “New Year’s customs around the world. Meeting and Creation in two acts” will bring together teenager and adult refugees from faraway place to create a multicultural exhibition unit with the festive customs from around the world.

Surely, this year’s Christmas is not exactly what we would all want it to be. All the events will take place according to the health protocols and with all the necessary precautionary measures. Yet, the meaning of the festive season remains the same, and at least this year we will have the chance to meet again with friends and family and spend time together. Why not do it in an event organized by the Municipality or a Museum?