A lot of Chios housholds are filled with citrus fruits aromas, as now is the season for oranges. People use them in cooking, pastries and also to make the famous Chios fruit preserves and marmelades. Why don't you try this recipe and fill your home with Chios fragrance?

Ingredients
Serves: 12
Syrup
• 400g caster sugar
• 350ml water
• 1 orange, juiced
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cake
• 450- 500g filo pastry
• 3 oranges
• 5 eggs
• 200g Greek yoghurt 2% fat
• 180ml sunflower oil
• 100g granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

Method
1. Combine all syrup ingredients, including the two orange halves, in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and boil vigorously for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool whilst you make the cake.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Lightly grease a 20x30cm (9x13 in) baking tin with olive oil.
3. Remove the filo from its packaging. Take each sheet and roughly tear into shreds, using your hands. Tear the filo directly into the baking tin, and leave to dry a little while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
4. Cut one orange in half, and slice that half into very thin half-moons to garnish the cake. Zest and juice the remaining oranges.
5. Combine the orange juice, zest, eggs, yoghurt, olive oil, 100g sugar and baking powder in a bowl, blender or food processor. Blend together on high speed for a couple of minutes, till the mixture is frothy.
6. Pour the orange and egg mixture over the filo in the baking tin. Stir together gently, right in the tin, to ensure the egg mixture is evenly distributed. Decorate the top of the cake with the thinly sliced oranges.
7. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and the filling set. Once out of the oven, immediately pour the cooled syrup over the hot cake. Set aside for at least 1 hour, till most of the syrup has soaked in. Slice and serve!

The long maritime tradition of Chios finds an expression in New Year’s Model Ships event. This tradition dates back to the liberation of the island from the Ottoman occupation. As a way of commemorating the arrival of the Greek fleet on the island, the boys would make a model warship. Ever since, during Christmas holiday the children visit the houses of their neighbourhood singing Christmas and New Year’s Carols and carrying a miniature boat that they have made themselves. Miniature boats used to be the traditional Christmas decoration of Chiots’ houses.

As the years passed, boys from the parishes of the town and from Vrontados started to work in groups in order to make model ships - big and accurate copies of the real warships. They often worked over a long time in order to perfect their model. The results of their work were so impressive that created a kind of competition between the groups and parishes. Every group would walk to the town’s central square in New Year’s Eve and present their model ship to the passers by singing carols and "penemata" on the spot created lines and songs.

This custom was fading during the 60s, prompting the Chios Walking Club to adopt it and evolved into a customary competition in the late 70s. Ever since, every year groups of children and youths are working for months in order to construct their model ship trying to make it look as realistic as possible.

In the New Year’s Eve the groups become the crew of their ships, they decide for their captain and they walk them from their neighbourhoods to the central square of Chios where they present them to the public. The Central Square of Chios, festively decorated and packed with people, becomes a port for the ships and every crew goes on stage, they present themselves and sing local carols and “penemata”, traditional carols written by themselves full of wishes for the New Year and satirical comments for the old one. An appointed committee decides the winner and along with their winning ship they walk again in the neighbourhoods of Chios singing and celebrating.

Source: Past and present of Chios "New Year’s model ships", Stella Tsiropina

*This year the traditional New Year’s Eve Model Ships Event will be held in Chios Central square on New Year’s Eve (31/12/2014).

The Christmas season is the period when literally everyone is going through their grandmother's old recipes book, trying out traditional recipes for baklava and melomakarona. We tried "foinikia" a traditional Chios seasonal recipe, with olive oil, honey, semolina and almonds. Once the mix is ready and the foinikia are cut into their characteristic diamond shape, they are baked for about 45 minutes, filling your house with the aromas of cinnamon and clove.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Lovers of Christmas Carols and hymns will not be diasppointed this weekend. The Chios Choir is organising the concert "Looking for Christmas" tonight at 8 in the evening at the Homerion Cultural Centre of Chios, in Polytechneiou Street in the centre of Chios. With the participation of  the Mytilene Choir, members of the Oinousses Choir and other groups, attendants will enjoy the annual Christmas concert of the Chios Choir. General entrance: 8 euros. Children: 5 euros.

On Saturday at 6 in the eveneing, in Lagada, the new Choir "Echochromata" will present carols and christmas traditions at the Community Offices of the village.

The Children's Choir "Taxideftes" present the music show "A Christmas Dream", on Saturday 20 December 2015 at 19.30, in the Hall of the 1st High School of Chios, near the Koraes Libray, in Philippou Argenti street.

Finally, on Sunday morning the Volunteers for the Castle of Chios - "A lost Paradise" organise an event for children from 3 to 12 years old. Children accompanied by their parents will have the opportunity to bake cookies and watch a Christmas film.