greek
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To put it bluntly: I am a mutt. I know for certain that my family tree holds ancestors of Greek, French, German, Irish, and Italian origin. I say "for certain," because my grandmother on my mother's side was orphaned as a child, leaving her ethnic background up to many familial debates. However, it is my Greek heritage that is closest to me (my father was born there), and the one that has impacted my life most. I am completely enveloped in the culture, and practice many of its traditions, which I am all to eager to provide. I hope that you will find these particular traditions interesting, as well as somewhat entertaining.
The first true tradition I can remember being passed down to me is a Christmas tradition. I was very young and my grandmother recounted for me why our fireplaces continually burn during the season, and simultaneously, one of the most humorous Greek folk legends: the legend of the "kalikantzaroi." The kalikantzaroi are tiny little creatures that look like elves. They live in the depths of the earth where their mission is to chop at a huge tree trunk that is the earth's foundation...