Customs and Festivals of Naxos
Music, dancing with traditional costumes, songs, arts, feasts and festivals are part of the Naxian daily life. The island is famous all over Greece for its rich musical tradition and there are important composers/musicians from Naxos, including Konitopouleoi, Fyrogenides, Stamatonanolides, Vrontogiorgides, Koukoularides, Hatzopouloi. “Kotsakia” (folk poems of two or eight verses that were created in times of joy or sadness and could be instantly sung) are well-known thoughout Greece. In many... διαβάστε περισσότερα
The Rethymno Carnival 2018 BEGINS!!
Rethymno’s Carnival 2018 has just begun, calling everyone to "Be your Best Self"!! On Saturday, January 27th, 2018, the Carnival events of 2018 have officially started with a magnificent ceremony, followed by an unforgettable party at the Unknown Soldier Square, with thousands of people from all over Crete and other places around the world. All Carnival participants, as well as the Rethymnians and the city's guests, celebrated the official launch of the Carnival 2018, with famous melodies... διαβάστε περισσότερα
Agia Kyriaki festival
The whole island of Delos – the best preserved ancient city in Greece – has been declared an archaeological site and any visit to it has to conform to certain rules and regulations. No one is permitted to stay on the island in the late afternoon to enjoy the sunset and spending the night there is even more strictly forbidden, except once a year, on the eve of Agia Kyriaki (Saint Kyriaki)’s day, the 7thof July. Agia Kyriaki is a small chapel that was built in the 19th century so that the men working... διαβάστε περισσότερα
Virgin Mary’s feast on Tragonisi
In just a few lines Michalis Kounenis from Mykonos, known as Babelis, the top bagpipe player of the Cyclades, paints a loving picture of the feast of Tragonisi. The church of the Virgin Mary’s feast day falls on that of Saints Barnabas and Bartholomew, the 11th of June. Departing from Kalafatis, in half an hour you arrive at a little inlet, somewhat protected from the north wind. Tall cliffs surround you, inaccessible shores, no sign of a pier. After the craft tie up onto the rocks, one next... διαβάστε περισσότερα
The festivals of Mykonos
My friends are rendered speechless, those who will listen to me at least, when I tell them that the festivals of Mykonos are among the most vibrant in the Aegean. They can’t grasp that behind the ‘lifestyle’ façade of the island lies authenticity and that the people of Mykonos still value their festivals. The religious character of the festivals of Mykonos does not differ much from that of the other Aegean islands. In the days before the feast the churches are whitewashed and decorated... διαβάστε περισσότερα
The Religious Fete in Honor of Konstantinos and Eleni at Komiaki
A landscape of riotously grown plane trees, flowing springs and small vegetable groves and vineyards growing supported by dry-stone walls is the scenery housing the village of Komiaki in Naxos built in amphitheatric fashion at 550 above sea level overlooking the Icarian Sea. The village had 2,000 inhabitants in the past but nowadays, it only counts 500. The precious little religious fete (panigyri) in the honor of the two saints is celebrated in front of two one-aisled vaulted small churches,... διαβάστε περισσότερα
Fistiki Festival
Under the imaginative title “Hold on my beloved pistachio tree” a daily workshop was held in 2008 on the initiative of the residents of Aegina. Serving as a stage for presenting inter alia the valuable experience of Bronte, a pistachio-producing town in Sicily, this event gave rise to the establishment of the famous Fistiki Fest (fistiki stands for pistachio in Greek). Since then, the Fistiki Fest, embraced wholeheartedly by all Aegina residents, takes place every year in September and has become... διαβάστε περισσότερα
Panigyri of Agia Matrona
The church of Agia (Saint) Matrona with its characteristic palm tree lies to the east of the main street in Phoenikia on Santorini and was built in 1859 by Frangisko Plati, a shipowner from Oia. In the old days Phoenikia was the farmers’ quarter of Oia. But here one also found the kanaves (cellars) belonging to Oia residents and the ruling class who stored their wine barrels, farming equipment and quite often even their livestock in these impressive enormous underground spaces. In the beginning... διαβάστε περισσότερα