Seventy-year-old Manolis Syllignakis, now a retiree from the Public Power Corporation
Seventy-year-old Manolis Syllignakis, now a retiree from the Public Power Corporation (DEH), moved to Sitia, Crete, in 1985, just before the Christmas season. At first glance, he noticed something was missing: there was no Christmas decoration anywhere—no lights on flowerbeds, no illuminated buildings. “Not a single light… My God, where have I come?” he thought, disappointed by the lack of festive atmosphere. Rather than succumb to discouragement, he decided to bring the holiday spirit himself.
He asked his wife to sew him a red suit while he crafted the signature white beard. That Christmas, he took to the streets dressed as Santa Claus, carrying a sack full of sweets. He walked through the squares and alleys, handing out chocolates and candies to children. The sparkle in their eyes was his reward.
The following year, he arrived as Santa Claus from the sea. Dressed in his red suit and aboard a small boat, he appeared at the port of Sitia, sparking excitement and establishing a new local tradition. Over the years, the “Santa of Sitia” expanded his efforts: he collected food to discreetly distribute to poor families and visited hospitals across Eastern Crete, from Sitia to Heraklion, offering kourabiedes, melomakarona, and a
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