Newsletter December 2022

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Year after year we’ve seen it happen. The strings of shiny light bulbs multiply, the legions of yuletide ornaments grow grander, and festive events now stretch from the city centre to the ends of every Athenian neighbourhood. Could it really be true? Athens is a... Christmas destination?!

As our Christmas tale begins to unravel, this is the perfect chance for you to be a part of it. Our warm city awaits, dressed in her sparkliest reds, greens and golds, offering a rich cultural and entertainment agenda throughout December and up to the first days of 2023. Tick things off your Christmas shopping list like a local, dine in our finest restaurants and stay up partying with us until the early morning hours —then do it all over again. Athens is lit.

We’re making a list and checking it twice, so that you don’t have to. From trees and decorations, local wine and delicacies, to gifts for your loved ones (and yourself, of course), follow our recommendations on where to shop in Athens during the Christmas season.
falalalala!

Be it à la carte or degustation, these fine dining restaurants excel in their simple, original and sustainable approach to local gastronomy and are an ideal choice for a memorable dining experience in Athens.
Make it special

There's a pun we've been dying to use. Checking into the bouzoukia for the holidays is as Greek as nighttime entertainment can get. Just prepare yourselves for the loud extravagance and the infectious good moods.
Skip the plate smashing

• Stock up on local desserts and baked goods from some of the city's best pastry shops and traditional bakeries and pick a side: melomakarona or kourabiedes?;
• Blend in with the locals at the city's secret underground tavernas, or koutoukia, and treat yourselves to deliciously humble Greek cuisine with a side of history (and live music, if you're lucky);
• Discover what's on the mind of the city's avant-garde crowd with our guide to Athens' alternative art spaces.

The Night of Wishes | 24 December
Light up the Athenian sky with your festive wishes on Christmas Eve, and make sure to stay for the after party.
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Christmas Concerts at Syntagma Square | 1-31 December
The stage has been set up in the most central square in Athens, and it's not moving an inch. Throughout December a great array of live music concerts has been announced (up to three a day!), leading up to the last one—and biggest one—of the year on New Year's Eve.
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Omonia Christmas Market | 17 December - 5 January
Athens’ landmark roundabout gets transformed into the jolliest Christmas Market of the season.
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Les Contes d’Hoffmann | 18 December - 8 January
A dramatic opéra fantastique brought to stage by reinventor of opera direction as a form, director Krzysztof Warlikowski.
Read More

Alekos Fassianos: Design Works | 24 November - 14 January
The first ever retrospective on a lesser known aspect of Alekos Fassianos’ legacy: his creations of functional design objects.
Read More

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