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History & Culture
The famous “Kingfisher” or “Halcyon” days (in Greek, “Αλκυονίδες μέρες”) are days when the sun shines strongly in the winter. There are no clouds or winds, and the temperature is unusually high for the season. Halcyon days usually come close to the Christmas holidays.
The Ancient Greek Myth of Alcyone
According to the Greek myth, the Kingfisher days are a result of Zeus. Alcyone was the daughter of the king of the winds, Aeolus. Alcyone’s husband was Kyekas, who one day went fishing and never returned. Alcyone searched for the body for days, and when she could not find it, the gods had pity on her and turned her into the “kingfisher” bird (in Greek, Αλκυόνι). In another myth, Alcyone saw her lover’s ship being sunk by the winds, and in her sadness she fell off a cliff and died. The gods were impressed by her display of love and turned the couple into kingfisher birds. Alcyone laid her eggs by the sea, but the babies were carried away into the sea. Zeus had pity on her and granted her a few days in the winter with warm weather, so that she could hatch her eggs. Zeus ordered Aeolus, the king of the winds, to stop the winds on these days.
The Science of Halcyon Days
Apart from the myth, Greece’s Meteorological Service has another explanation for the phenomenon. Director of Forecasts for the National Meteorological Service, Antonis Lalos, said that officially, Halcyon days are “three or four days together characterized by sunshine, and a high temperature difference between the day and the night, sometimes between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius in many cases.” Data shows that Halcyon days usually happen between about December 15 and early February.
What Parts of Greece Have the Most Sun in the Winter?
In Crete, Rhodes, and the islands of the southern Aegean, the winters are mild, and the weather doesn’t usually drop to freezing. In Gavdos, an island just south of Crete, for example, the coldest month of the year has an average high of 16 degrees Celsius. In January in Heraklion, Crete, the average temperature is 12.5 degrees Celsius. We will cover winter in Crete in another article, where the weather is considerably warmer than in Greece’s mountains on the mainland.
What to Do on Halcyon Days in Greece?
Halcyon Days in Greece are an excellent time to visit some of the country’s UNESCO Heritage Sites. For example, the Greek countryside is full of historic monuments, UNESCO Heritage Sites, Byzantine churches and Monasteries, and temples to the ancient Greek gods. In the Peloponnese alone, you can visit Olympia, Epidaurus, Mycenae and Tiryns. Halcyon days are also a good time to take a journey outside of the city to the sea or to the mountains. We’ve even compiled a list of areas in Greece where you can see both in the same day.
