The tunes resonate in every Greek’s mind. We were raised singing these songs — or at least trying to. But as with anything in a second language, how many of us hyphenated Greeks who were born and raised abroad really know all of the words?
Go ahead… admit it. I will. We know the first few lines… we try our best… and then all of the sudden, when the lyrics get into the third and fourth lines and beyond, we start faking it.
Well, it may not be your reality when singing the Greek carols, but it certainly is mine.
The songs are a part of the rich fabric of Greek tradition, passed down from one generation to the next and are usually sung by children who go door to door collecting treats or coins from homes they visit.
Four popular Greek carols to sing along to and read the lyrics
1. Traditional Greek Christmas Kalanda (Κάλαντα Χριστουγέννων Καλήν Εσπέραν Άρχοντες)
2. Greek Carols from Epiphany (Σήμερα τα φώτα και ο φωτισμός)
3. Little Drummer Boy (Ο μικρός τυμπανιστής)
4. Greek New Years Kalanda (Αρχιμηνιά κι Αρχιχρονιά)
Need sheet music? We’ve got it. Just click to open each file below and download to your computer for printing, or viewing on your iPad.
1. Traditional Greek Christmas Kalanda (Κάλαντα Χριστουγέννων Καλήν Εσπέραν Άρχοντες) Sheet Music
2. Greek Carols from Epiphany (Σήμερα τα φώτα και ο φωτισμός) Sheet Music
3. Little Drummer Boy (Ο μικρός τυμπανιστής) Sheet Music
4. Greek New Years Kalanda (Αρχιμηνιά κι Αρχιχρονιά) Sheet Music
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4 comments
English and Greek may become Turkey’s second language, English could also be the second Turkey’s official language.
That was so lovely….. We are not in Cyprus at present and it brought a little bit of Cyprus and the true meaning of Christmas to us in the UK. Thank you..
Joyful ..beautiful
The title: “Four popular Greek carols” is wrong! The third one, “Little Drummer Boy (Ο μικρός τυμπανιστής)” is NOT a traditional Greek carols, but a popular Christmas song written by the American classical music composer and teacher Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941.