In Cyprus the towns of Larnaca and Paphos are favourites of both British tourists and ex-pats who have gone there to live and enjoy the milder climate. As you might expect the Christmas cultures of the towns are both a mix of Greek Cypriot traditions and those more modern derivatives that the mix of nationalities brings to the area.

During December, in addition to the expected festive celebrations, there are also plenty of other musical and theatrical events to enjoy.

In December 2009 with performances in both Larnaca and Paphos was the play Metamorphoses, an adapted version of the original narrative poem written in 8AD by Orid. The cast of seven play out the world of Metamorphoses as it continually changes in all kinds of directions. The play could be seen at Markideio Theatre in Paphos on 18th December and in Larnaca the following evening. Another play that ran in Larnaca at the Skala Theatre until 19th December was "Biedermann and the Arsonists" by Swiss playwright Maz Frisch. This play was also performed in Greek.

Classic ballet could be experienced in Larnanca on 18th December when the Russion State Ballet of 40 dancers perform Sleeping Beauty to the music of Tchaikovsky in Larnaca's Municipal Theatre. The performance started at 8:30 pm and tickets were priced at 15 and 25 Euros.

Finally on 14th December you were able to listen to, not three, but seven tenors as The Moscow Seven Tenors performed at the Larnaca Municipal Theatre. The singers are all members of Moscow's top opera companies and performed all the expected classics made famous by Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras in the past. Again the performance started at 8:30pm and the tickets costed 15 and 25 Euros.