Since ancient times people in Greece used to say goodbye

to winter and welcome spring through the custom of

THE SWALLOW SONG .

On March 1st children holding an image of a swallow

go around the neighbourhood ,sing the swallow song andask people for treats.

Ήρθε, ήρθε χελιδόνα,Ήρθε κι άλλη μεληδόνα,

Κάθιςε και λάληςε,Και γλυκά κελάηδηςε:

«Μάρτη , Μάρτη μου καλέ,και Φλεβάρη φοβερέ,

κι αν φλεβίςεισ κι αν τςακίςεισ,καλοκαίρι θα μυρίςεισ.

Κι αν χιονίςεισ, κι αν κακίςεισ,πάλιν άνοιξη θ’ ανθίςεισ»

The song more or less goes like that:

(both in modern and ancient Greek)

Here comes the swallow

Sit and speak

And sweetly sing.

My dear March

And February bad

Whatever you do

Spring will bloom

Ηλθ΄ήλθε η χελιδώνκαλάσ ώρασ άγουςακαλούσ ενιαυτούσεπί γαςτέρι λευκάεπί νώτα μέλαινα…...

Our students made their own swallows

They gathered in the schoolyard and went out in the neighbourhood

As they were passing outside shops and houses they sang the swallow song and people gave them sweets.

They stopped at Saint Andrew’s Church and at Kalliga Square