‘Tsoumakes’
On Christmas Eve morning, many children groups came into the dark alleyways of the villages holding thick and long woods that are called "tsoumakes".
These woods were not just a symbol of the feast, symbolizing the shepherd's sticks of the Bible but they were also their protective means through the dogs’ attacks. With these, children would also hit the doors of the houses in order to open them.
"Christokloura"
Christokloura is another Christmas custom, a variant of ‘Christokoulouro’ that we can find in many other parts of Greece. Sarakatsani women (a Greek population subgroup in Thrace) are used to knead and make “Christokloura”, which is embroidered.
The embroideries in “Christokloura” represent sheep, horses, sheep farm and pen as well as other traits of their everyday life. The “Christokloura” is eaten with honey by all the members of the family waiting for the Birth of Jesus. On the Thracian table, on Christmas Eve, there are nine different dishes where each one represents moments of their daily life.
"Rougkatsia"
Rougkatsia are said to be the group of masqueraders, mostly children, in many parts of Evros who sang the ‘kollianta’ or carols, a day before the Christmas Eve. Lavara is another Christmas custom where consist of two groups who met each other at the old church of Agios Athanasios during the Christmas Eve night, and they song the Jesus Christ song alternately. This how the "Opening in the Rougkatsia" was made.
"Choirosfagia"
On Christmas Eve or Pre – Christmas Eve, there is another Christmas custom that is called ‘choirosfagia’ i.e. the slaughter of the pigs whose fatty meat was the appropriate food for the harsh Thracian winter. The large intestine of the pigs is then cleaned and stuffed with chopped meat, leek, rice and herbs in order to make up the main dish in the most parts of Evros.
