On the red-hot black plate, they “artfully” place the porridge and bake pancakes. The clarinet resounds in the small square of the Castle, the people, young and old, join in the joy, celebrate and exchange wishes. It is “the sprouts of Christ”, the traditional custom that the Castle Association revives every year.

The women from the 4th KAPI of Kastro prepare the porridge from flour, water and salt. At the same time, they light the fire so that the black plate glows well. The pancakes need about 10 minutes of baking and then they are put in the honey with the grated walnuts.

The custom is passed down from generation to generation. As some old women say, when they were children, especially in the villages, sprouts were the sweet of the family, as “in the old days there were no confectioneries and the housewives were resourceful, they made sweets”.

Accompanied by clarinets, young women dressed in traditional costumes sing carols about the “childhood of Christ”.

The custom, the older generations, observed it on the night of Christmas Eve in every home.

custom

In recent years, it has been revived a little earlier, so that the schools of the city have the opportunity to attend it, so that the students can get to know the traditions of their place.