The Greek village beating demographic decline

At the same time, there is a worrying decrease in the student population in school units, which has resulted in some suspending their operation or others operating with few students, even with one or two students.

The Municipal Unit of Chrysomilia, however, in the municipality of Meteora, is not part of this negative development, but an exception, as things are completely different in terms of births.

The largest percentage of families in the region belong to the large-child category, a trend that has been observed with reverence and consistency for many years, as young couples prefer to stay in their village and start a family, rather than migrate to large urban centers or abroad.

“70% of the couples in our village have many or three children,” Nikos Stephopoulos, president of the Chrysomilia Village Council, told the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, referring to a trend followed by young couples who prefer to stay and live in Chrysomilia.

The village
Chrysomilia, which is one of the most lively villages in the wider Pindos region, is located 50 km from Trikala and at an altitude of 900m, in the northern foothills of Neraida. The name, as the residents say, comes from a variety of local apples that were cultivated in the area, the scioupia, or “golden apples.” Nowadays, the forest surrounding Chrysomilia is mainly made up of cedars, firs and chestnut trees.

The residents who live in the area are engaged in agriculture, livestock farming, beekeeping, and seasonal work related to the forests. During the summer months, the number of residents increases, while the permanent population in the village, according to Mr. Stepopoulos, amounts to 500 residents.

According to him, there are very few couples who have two children. It is a habit in the form of custom and tradition for the families of Chrysomilia to have many children, as what their grandparents did, the young people continue in the same way today. The village has a primary school and a nursery school, and as Mr. Stepopoulos points out, the young children do not want to leave the village and settle in large urban centers.

Chrysomilia is bustling with life, as there are several taverns and cafes, which are filled every night with young people who all work in various jobs and cannot imagine their lives for a long time away from their village.

Although Chrysomilia was burned by the Germans in 1943, many of the stone houses and churches have been preserved, as well as the monastery of Taxiarches and the bridges at Koukourava and Rountzi. Also, on the days of August 15th, a festival is held in the area with feasting, dancing and plenty of local, traditional products.