For the fifth year running, The Greek Herald has handed its Christmas front cover to the imaginations of young people aged 5 to 18 — and once again, the creativity of our community has exceeded all expectations.
Entries arrived from Greek schools across Australia in unprecedented numbers, transforming this year’s competition into a vibrant showcase of youthful expression. United by the themes ‘Christmas in Greece’ and ‘A Greek Christmas’, the artworks reflected a deep connection to heritage, family and festive tradition.
Sunlit islands, glowing churches, shared tables and winter skies came together in scenes that were joyful, thoughtful and unmistakably Hellenic.
What stood out most was not only the artistic skill on display, but the emotion behind each piece. Every drawing carried a story – of memory, belonging and the way Christmas is experienced through young eyes.
We warmly thank every child who took part, as well as the parents and grandparents who encouraged them to pick up pencils, paints and brushes. Their support continues to nurture creativity, confidence and cultural pride in the next generation.
We are delighted to present this year’s finalists and to congratulate our 2025 winner, Chrisoula Panagopoulos, whose artwork graces the front cover of The Greek Herald’s special Christmas edition out on Thursday, December 18 at your local newsagent.
Winner: Chrisoula Panagopoulos
The Greek Herald is excited to announce today that 13-year-old Chrisoula Panagopoulos from Prospect, South Australia, is the winner of our Christmas print cover competition for 2025. Congratulations Chrisoula!
Chrisoula shared a special message with The Greek Herald after finding out she had won the competition and was the recipient of a $100 Westfield gift voucher.
“I’m very excited to win the ‘Christmas in Greece’ competition for The Greek Herald. It was very rewarding putting so much time into creating the artwork. It took me nearly a week to get all the colour right with my pencils. I’m very honoured to contribute to the Greek Australian community through my artwork,” Chrisoula said.
“I was inspired by the very popular representation of Greece which is the white-wash buildings with blue church domes. Faith is very important to Greeks which is why I included the Greek churches. I also needed to incorporate Christmas which is why I included Santa. Christmas is celebrated in winter in Greece so I added snow and then central to the picture was the Christmas tree in the plateia which is where everyone comes together to celebrate. It is customary for Greeks to come together during special times of the year such as Christmas.
“Creating this picture was challenging but fun too because it required lots and lots of layering of various pencil colours to get the grading correct and it also involved a wide range of colours and lots of fine detail. It really took a lot of time, but I’m glad that I put the effort in.
“Thank you to The Greek Herald for running this competition every year. It’s a good opportunity to bring young Greeks together through their love of art. I am a proud Greek Australian. It’s important for the new generation to continue with the culture beliefs and customs of Greece so that our parents and previous generations can be honoured. I am excited to be on the cover of this Greek newspaper that my pappou and parents read!”
Finalists:
Below you can find our amazing top 15 finalists:
