Model boats are decorated with brightly glimmering lights. Women sprinkle water scented with basil around their houses, believing this will keep bad spirits away. Families dine on spit-roasted pork and fried pastry. This is Christmas as it is celebrated in Greece.
People around the world welcome this special day in a variety of ways, some familiar and others less so. These include festivities that are focused on Santa Claus and those that stress the religious nature of the holiday.
