Corfu at Christmas

Corfu at Christmas is wonderful. It is a first class holiday offer with quality, atmosphere and well-established events that traditionally take place every year!

The town is elegantly decorated, the bell towers of the small churches are illuminated, the squares are full and the decorated houses of the Corfiots can be seen from the illuminated windows of the Old Town.

The countryside takes on its own colour with the smell of burning wood, the smoke from the chimneys, the illuminated cafés of the villages and the preparation of houses and churches for the great Christmas celebration.

The centre of the festivities is, of course, the city.

The Tiganites (donuts)  of St. Spyridon

The city has St Spyridon as its patron Saint, and the festivities in Corfu begin on 12 December, when his memory is commemorated. The night before, the taverns, the squares and even the trendy cafes smell of fresh dough, honey and cinnamon. The famous tiganites are sold on every corner to sweeten the whole world and signal the start of the season. The Corfu Events Organisation and other associations offer free tiganites. The streets are flooded with people sitting or walking around enjoying them. And of course, those who can’t be in the heart of the city make their own pancakes at home or have a loved one bring them, wherever they are.

The important thing is that everyone gets to taste at least one “St Spiridon’s tiganites forever” over the holidays. It is a tradition started by the faithful who keep an all-night vigil and eat a tiganita (donut) now and then to get through the fatigue of the night.

The “Prezempio”

On the eve of Christmas, the magical crib of the Catholics of Corfu, the so-called “Prezempio”, located in the “Holy Monastery of the Melitanian Sisters of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus”, has been decorated for many years.

Young and old alike visit the crib to warm their hearts at the re-enactment of the newborn Christ in the cave. The value of this natural scenography is great, especially today, when spectacular shows fascinate most of us!

Carols for the Mayor

It has been a tradition for decades that the wonderful choirs of the city and other cultural associations sing carols for the Mayor. This takes place on Christmas Eve in the old Town Hall of San Giacomo.

This is one of the most historic buildings in Corfu and Greece. Built in 1969, it was later transformed into a lyric theatre and in the 20th century into the Town Hall.

On Christmas Eve, choirs and clubs visit the illuminated square in front of San Giacomo and take turns singing carols to the mayor, who stands with members of the council at the building’s magnificent door.

Greetings and treats follow in an atmosphere of joy, celebration and optimism!

Similarly, some associations and choirs sing carols for the Orthodox and Catholic Bishop.

The band of the “Old Philarmonic” in Eugeniou Voulgareos street

Before the Mayor’s carols, the band of the town’s oldest philharmonic orchestra plays its lively brass and percussion instruments in front of the Marks n’ Spencer department store building. This takes place on the historic pedestrian street of Eugene Voulgareos, where the building, which used to be a cinema and is now a department store, is owned by the Corfu Philharmonic Society (Palia as everyone calls it).

The Christmas Concert of the Philharmonic Society of Mantzaros

On the 26th of December, a day after Christmas, the Corfiots put on their nicest outfits and go to the Municipal Theatre to listen to the Christmas Concert of the Mantzaros Philharmonic Orchestra.

The atmosphere is festive, the pieces by important composers are carefully selected and the performance is always perfect, as the musicians have rehearsed endlessly for this day.

There is usually a theme to the evening and the audience is always proud to applaud their own people who are on stage with their instruments.

In addition to the above, many other events are held every year!

Christmas is a very beautiful time for Corfu. It contains the sweetness of the past, lots of sparkle and liveliness, tradition and of course, what else? Music!

The atmosphere is festive but never overdone or artificial. There is a naturalness and a romance in everything that combines yesterday with today, the old with the young and joy with nostalgia.

See here where you can stay to experience Christmas in Corfu.

See also the activities you can do in Corfu during the winter months.