What we call ‘kalanda’ (carols) are the songs of praise and goodwill which are sung on the eve of the great Christian feasts and which belong, in anthropological terms, to what we call good luck rituals. The carols for the Twelve Days of Christmas are still remembered, though those for the other feasts of the year are almost forgotten. One good custom in the past was for the carol-singers to go out at night. Some would take lanterns with a paper surround and they’d also have little sticks with which to knock at people’s doors. The musical instruments which accompanied the carollers varied, depending on the tradition of the region. In Kastoria, there are many carols for the master and mistress ...
