Occasion

Greek Name Day and Celebration Recipes

Greeks celebrate name days more than birthdays, and a name day means an open house, a table of meze and far more food than anyone planned.

The Greek year has a shape, and food follows it closely. The Orthodox calendar sets out long fasting periods and then breaks them with enormous feasts, and much of the repertoire exists because of that rhythm rather than in spite of it.

This page collects Spanakopita, Baklavas, Loukoumades, Galaktoboureko, Melomakarona and Tiropita and others suited to the occasion.

Every recipe on Kalliopi's Kitchen carries the dish's Greek name and a pronunciation, its region where that is meaningful, ingredient quantities in both metric and imperial, and an honest note on what commonly goes wrong. Nutrition figures are calculated estimates and are labelled as such.

Greek Name Day and Celebration Recipes

53 recipes on the site so far.

A tray of spanakopita cut into squares showing green spinach filling under crisp golden phyllo Greek Breads and PiesGreek Spanakopita Σπανακόπιτα · 1h 30m · serves 8 Diamond-cut baklava pieces glossy with honey syrup, studded with walnuts and a clove Greek DessertsGreek Baklava Μπακλαβάς · 1h 45m · serves 24 A bowl of golden loukoumades glossy with honey, dusted with cinnamon and chopped walnuts Greek DessertsLoukoumades Λουκουμάδες · 45m · serves 6 A square of galaktoboureko showing thick yellow custard between crisp golden phyllo Greek DessertsGalaktoboureko Γαλακτομπούρεκο · 1h 30m · serves 12 Oval honey-soaked Greek Christmas cookies topped with chopped walnuts Greek DessertsMelomakarona Μελομακάρονα · 1h 5m · serves 30 A square of Greek cheese pie with crisp layered phyllo and a pale creamy filling Greek Breads and PiesTiropita Τυρόπιτα · 1h 15m · serves 8 Rolled stuffed vine leaves arranged in a dish with lemon wedges and olive oil Greek Meze and AppetisersDolmades Ντολμάδες · 1h 50m · serves 8 Greek kourabiedes cookies buried under thick icing sugar on a plate Greek DessertsKourabiedes Κουραμπιέδες · 52m · serves 30 Cypriot koupepia stuffed vine leaves arranged on a plate with lemon Greek Main CoursesKoupepia Κουπέπια · 1h 50m · serves 6 Cypriot flaounes cheese pastries with a golden sesame-topped crust Greek Breads and PiesFlaounes Φλαούνες · 2h 5m · serves 16 Greek Main CoursesTavas Ταβάς · 2h 55m · serves 6 Golden fried Cypriot koupes bulgur shells on a plate with lemon Greek Meze and AppetisersKoupes Κούπες · 1h 40m · serves 8 Cypriot mahalepi milk pudding topped with rose syrup and crushed pistachios Greek DessertsMahalepi Μαχαλεπί · 30m · serves 6 Cubes of Cyprus delight loukoumia dusted in icing sugar on a plate Greek DessertsLoukoumia Λουκούμια · 1h 30m · serves 30 Golden Cretan kalitsounia cheese hand pies drizzled with honey Greek DessertsKalitsounia Καλιτσούνια · 1h 10m · serves 8 Greek Main CoursesGamopilafo Γαμοπίλαφο · 2h 20m · serves 8 Cretan antikristo lamb propped facing an open fire on skewers Greek Main CoursesAntikristo Αντικριστό · 4h 30m · serves 8 Greek Meze and AppetisersNoumboulo Νουμπούλο · 30m · serves 10 Thessaloniki trigona Panoramatos custard-filled pastry triangles Greek DessertsTrigona Panoramatos Τρίγωνα Πανοράματος · 1h 20m · serves 10 Mani syglino cured and smoked pork with orange peel and fennel Greek Main CoursesSyglino Maniatiko Σύγκλινο Μανιάτικο · 2h · serves 8 Greek DessertsLalangia Λαλάγγια · 1h 50m · serves 8 A sliced Greek fanouropita spice cake, dusted with cinnamon Greek DessertsFanouropita Φανουρόπιτα · 1h 5m · serves 12 Diamond-cut pieces of Rhodes melekouni sesame honey sweet Greek DessertsMelekouni Μελεκούνι · 40m · serves 16 Greek Main CoursesMastelo Sifnou Μαστέλο Σίφνου · 2h 50m · serves 6 Greek Meze and AppetisersLouza Tinou Λούζα Τήνου · 30m · serves 10 Greek DessertsKatimeria Kalymnou Κατιμέρια Καλύμνου · 1h 15m · serves 8 A slice of Epirus tyropita cheese pie showing a thick custardy filling Greek Breads and PiesTyropita Epirus Τυρόπιτα Ηπείρου · 1h 45m · serves 8 Pontic Greek manti dumplings served under garlic yogurt sauce Greek Main CoursesManti Pontika Μαντί ποντιακό · 1h 50m · serves 6 Greek Main CoursesFournaristo Kalymnou Φουρνιστό Καλύμνου · 3h · serves 8 A tray of golden Greek tiropitakia trigona cheese triangle pastries Greek Meze and AppetisersTiropitakia Trigona Τυροπιτάκια τρίγωνα · 1h 10m · serves 8 Greek Main CoursesLamb Souvla Σούβλα αρνί · 4h 30m · serves 10 Greek DessertsKoulouria Rodou Κουλουράκια Ρόδου · 1h 5m · serves 10 Greek DessertsKumquat Spoon Sweet Γλυκό κουμκουάτ · 1h 30m · serves 12 Greek DessertsKarydaki Glyko Καρυδάκι γλυκό · 3h · serves 16 A slice of Greek ravani semolina syrup cake dusted with coconut Greek DessertsRavani Ραβανί · 1h 5m · serves 12 Greek DessertsMelopita Sifnou Μελόπιτα Σίφνου · 55m · serves 8 Greek Meze and AppetisersPougia Karpathou Πουγιά Καρπάθου · 1h 10m · serves 8 Greek Main CoursesExohiko Εξοχικό · 1h 40m · serves 4 Greek Meze and AppetisersBourekakia me Kima Μπουρεκάκια με κιμά · 1h 20m · serves 8 A jar of Greek kydoni glyko quince spoon sweet, deep amber red Greek DessertsKydoni Glyko Κυδώνι γλυκό · 2h 10m · serves 16 A jar of Greek vissino glyko sour cherry spoon sweet Greek DessertsVissino Glyko Βύσσινο γλυκό · 1h 45m · serves 16 A jar of Greek nerantzi glyko candied bitter orange peel Greek DessertsNerantzi Glyko Νεραντζάκι γλυκό · 2h 30m · serves 16 Greek DessertsTriantafyllo Glyko Τριαντάφυλλο γλυκό · 1h 20m · serves 16 A jar of Greek melitzanaki glyko candied baby aubergine spoon sweet Greek DessertsMelitzanaki Glyko Μελιτζανάκι γλυκό · 2h 15m · serves 16 A glass of Greek Metaxa brandy served neat Greek DrinksMetaxa Serving Guide Μεταξά · 5m · serves 4 A small chilled glass of Chios mastiha liqueur Greek DrinksMastiha Liqueur Serving Guide Μαστίχα · 5m · serves 4 Greek amygdalota almond macaroons dusted in icing sugar Greek DessertsAmygdalota Αμυγδαλωτά · 50m · serves 12 Greek DessertsKollyva Κόλλυβα · 2h 15m · serves 20 Greek DessertsPastelli Παστέλι · 25m · serves 12 Greek Main CoursesKeskek Κεσκέκ · 4h 30m · serves 8 Greek DessertsVerikoko Glyko Βερίκοκο γλυκό · 1h 15m · serves 16 A tray of Greek kataifi shredded pastry and walnut rolls in syrup Greek DessertsKataifi Κανταΐφι · 1h 15m · serves 12 Greek DrinksKitro Liker Serving Guide Κίτρο · 5m · serves 4