Somewhere in Heraklion, a warehouse manager just sneezed, and a box of tinsel fell off a shelf.
That’s the only logical explanation.
While the rest of Crete is arguing over which beach has the coldest water and whether the meltemi will ever stop, the City Council has officially decided it’s time to think about… Christmas.
Not tomorrow.
Not in October.
Now.
Santa’s procurement department has discovered what every Greek already knows: if you wait until November, someone will challenge the tender, somebody else will appeal the challenge, three suppliers will disappear, and Christmas will arrive with one lonely plastic reindeer standing outside City Hall wondering where everybody went.
So this year, the municipality is playing chess instead of backgammon.
For €357,200, Heraklion wants brighter lights, a new Christmas tree, fresh decorations, upgraded electrical networks, and enough festive sparkle to convince even the most cynical Cretan that maybe—just maybe—it really is the most wonderful time of the year.
The mayor insists the decorations won’t stay confined to the city center. Villages and neighborhoods are getting invited to the party too, which is only fair. Christmas shouldn’t require GPS coordinates.
Of course, announcing Christmas in July creates certain problems.
Children may begin writing letters to Santa before they’ve finished their summer homework.
Shopkeepers might accidentally play Jingle Bells while customers are buying sunscreen.
Tourists could leave believing that Crete has only two seasons: Summer and Preparations for Christmas.
And somewhere, one determined grandmother has already started asking whether it’s too early to make melomakarona.
(It’s never too early.)