| BELIEFS OF MODERN GREECE: A TRANSLATION OF LEO ALLATIUS’ DE GRAECORUM HODIE QUORUNDAM OPINATIONIBUS |
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Not to move too far from the discussion of these days: on January 1, which for the Greeks is the beginning of the civil calendar year, they observe the memory of Basil the Great. At the first light of day, before anyone leaves the house, the father (or, when there is no father, the mother) of the family goes out and comes back with a basket, specially made for this purpose, filled with all kinds of fruit, desserts, and the whitest breads, prepared with great care. He then walks around the place three times, whispering words of good will for the house and the people in it, and scattering the goods liberally and profusely. According to what they say, these whispers and the distribution of foods bring good luck for the whole year. When I saw it, I said, joking, that the future could be better for them if they would put in their belly what they throw away. |
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