Chirosfaya in Menites
Menites, Andros, Andros
A late-autumn village gathering in Menites demonstrates the traditional preparation of pork, sausages and preserved foods once essential to the rural household.
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Rituals, gatherings and celebrations. Discover Greece through the traditions that bring its communities together.
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Saint Averky and the Opening of the New Wine
Emporio, Santorini, Santorini
On the feast of Saint Averky, Santorini’s winemakers traditionally open their canavas and taste the first wines of the new vintage.
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October 28 Student Parade in Andros
Chora, Andros, Andros
Students, musicians and local representatives mark Ohi Day with a parade through Chora and a ceremony at the town’s memorial.
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Feast of the Archangel Michael at Tristomo
Tristomo, Karpathos
At the remote ancient settlement of Tristomo, worshippers arrive by sea, sleep among the surviving houses and dance the pano choros in the church courtyard before returning by boat.
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Feast of Saint Minas in North Karpathos
Agios Minas, Karpathos
An overnight November feast above the secluded beach of Saint Minas, where the church hall fills with diners and the celebration moves from chanting and mantinades to the ecstatic pano choros.
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Feast of Saint Andrew in Patras
Cathedral of Saint Andrew, Patras, Achaea
Patras honours its patron saint with an all-night vigil, a vast gathering at the cathedral and a procession of the Apostle’s relics through the city.
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The Fires of Achlada
Achlada, Florina
On 23 December, the village of Achlada gathers around towering bonfires built by neighbourhood groups and lit at midnight.
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The Fires of Florina
Florina, Florina
At midnight on 23 December, enormous neighbourhood bonfires transform Florina into one of Greece’s most intense Christmas gatherings.
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The Fires of Giourouki
Giourouki, Florina
A neighbourhood bonfire near Florina, prepared collectively and lit on the night of 23 December.
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The Fires of Sotira
Sotira, Florina
Sotira lights its Christmas bonfire on 23 December, often early enough for visitors to continue to the larger fires of Florina.
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Kotsamania
Tetralofos, Kozani
A two-day Pontic winter ritual of costumed characters, improvised theatre, music and house-to-house processions in Tetralofos.
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New Year’s Eve in Argos Orestikon
Argos Orestikon, Kastoria
Brass music, dancing and fireworks fill the central square of Argos Orestikon as the town welcomes the new year.
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New Year’s Fires of Psarades
Psarades, Florina
On New Year’s Eve, the lakeside village of Psarades lights immense bonfires beside Prespa, welcoming the year with music and tsipouro.
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New Year Carnival of Klisoura
Klisoura, Kastoria
Masked dancers in local costume parade through Klisoura, performing in the square and entering cafés to draw everyone into the celebration.
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Arapides of Monastiraki
Monastiraki, Drama
On Epiphany, bell-bearing Arapides move through Monastiraki in goat skins, awakening the village with sound and movement.
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Arapides of Profitis
Profitis, Thessaloniki
The Arapides of Profitis parade with animal skins and bells during the Epiphany celebrations.
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Babiden of Petroussa
Petroussa, Drama
From 6 to 8 January, Petroussa fills with goat skins, bells, processions, the camel Zacharias, bonfires and all-night dancing.
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Blessing of the Waters at Lake Koroneia
Lake Koroneia, Thessaloniki
On Epiphany morning, the blessing of the waters is held in the winter landscape of Lake Koroneia.
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Carnival Wedding of Germas
Germas, Kastoria
Germas stages a playful wedding in costume, followed by music, wine and a large communal dance in the village square.
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Charapides of Pagoneri
Pagoneri, Drama
Goat-skin masks, wooden swords and heavy pastoral bells fill Pagoneri with noise on Epiphany.
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Epiphany Night Party of Pyrgi
Pyrgi, Drama
Pyrgi hosts an annual winter night gathering with traditional music, dancing and village hospitality.
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Purpuris of Issaakion
Issaakion, Evros
Masked figures, musicians and a symbolic wedding procession visit the houses of Issaakion, offering wishes for fertility and prosperity.
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Wedding Representation of Galatista
Galatista, Chalkidiki
A comic wedding procession moves through Galatista with musicians, costumed characters and a deliberately theatrical bride and groom.
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Arapides of Volakas
Volakas, Drama
On 7 January, the black-faced Arapides of Volakas emerge with straw humps, goat fleece, crooks and thunderous bells.
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Arkoudes of Volakas
Volakas, Drama
On 8 January, figures dressed as bears in animal skins move through Volakas wearing a single bell called the Trakarntaki.
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Babougera of Monastiraki
Monastiraki, Drama
On 8 January, Monastiraki closes the festive cycle with Babougera, bears, comic characters and a wine-carrying Dionysus.
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Gynaekokratia of Monokklisia
Monokklisia, Serres
On 8 January, the women of Monokklisia take over the village’s public life in a day dedicated to Mpampo, the traditional midwife.
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Wedding Representation of Volakas
Volakas, Drama
On 8 January, a staged wedding unfolds in Volakas as songs, preparations and comic ritual meet the Arkoudes in the main square.
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Winter Festival of Ai-Symios
Messolonghi, Aetolia-Acarnania
An intimate two-day gathering at the monastery of Saint Simeon, shaped by friendship, all-night music, shared meals and the memories of Messolonghi.
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Koudounoforoi of Sohos
Sohos, Thessaloniki
Masked bell bearers in goat skins fill Sohos with the sound of heavy bells, culminating in their principal public presentation on Clean Monday.
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Carnival in Metaxourgio
Metaxourgio, Athens, Athens
A grassroots street carnival fills Metaxourgio with percussion, masquerades, dancing, bonfires and the colourful ribbons of the gaitanaki.
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Methydotia of Naxos
Naxos Town, Naxos
Satyrs, Maenads, music and wine descend from the Castle of Naxos in a participatory reenactment of the world of Dionysus.
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Lampadephoria of Naxos
Naxos Town, Naxos
White-clad torch bearers with monochrome masks cross the old town at night and gather beneath the Portara in a phantasmagoric procession.
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The Ghost of Charmaina
Amfissa, Phocis
A torchlit carnival procession brings an old Amfissa legend to life, ending with a theatrical battle between enormous ghosts.
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Kordelatoi of Naxos
Eggares, Naxos
Ribboned men carrying the Bayraki travel between villages, dance in the squares and renew an old Carnival network of hospitality and exchange.
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Koudounatoi of Apeiranthos
Apeiranthos, Naxos
Bell bearers in heavy capes descend through the stone alleys of Apeiranthos, accompanied by music, masked characters and a mock wedding.
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Zakynthos Carnival
Zakynthos Town, Zakynthos
Italianate theatre, Venetian dances, satirical Omilies, a grand parade and the burning of the Carnival King shape the final Carnival days on Zakynthos.
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Alevromountzouromata of Galaxidi
Galaxidi, Galaxidi
On Clean Monday, Galaxidi erupts into a flour war of masked crowds, improvised floats, smoke, bonfires, music and dancing along the waterfront.
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Battle of Klisova Reenactment
Klisova Islet, Messolonghi, Aetolia-Acarnania
A large historical reenactment unfolds in the lagoon of Messolonghi, with boats, uniforms, smoke and explosions surrounding the islet of Klisova.
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Greek Revolution Reenactment at Agia Lavra
Agia Lavra, Achaea
A historical reenactment at the monastery of Agia Lavra, where actors, traditional dress, church ceremony and the sound of blank gunfire evoke the beginning of the Greek Revolution.
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Byzantine Easter of Olympos
Olympos, Karpathos
From Holy Wednesday to Easter Sunday, Olympos follows a distinctive Byzantine cycle of worship, mourning, procession, communal ovens and the proclamation of the Resurrection inside the women’s section of the church.
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Orthodox Easter in Kastellorizo
Megisti, Kastellorizo, Kastellorizo
From Holy Wednesday to Easter Sunday, Kastellorizo moves through blessing, the Passion, the waterfront Epitaph procession, communal hospitality and the burning of Judas.
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Niptiras of Patmos
Chora, Patmos
On Holy Thursday, the abbot of the Monastery of Saint John reenacts Christ washing the feet of his disciples before a large crowd in the central square of Chora.
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Good Friday Epitaph in Patrika
Patrika, Chios
In the late afternoon of Good Friday, the Epitaph leaves the church of Patrika earlier than in neighbouring villages and moves through the narrow streets of the old Mastichochori.
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Good Friday Epitaph in Pyrgi
Pyrgi, Chios
After nightfall on Good Friday, the Epitaph moves through the crowded streets of Pyrgi, surrounded by the village’s distinctive geometric façades.
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Good Friday Memorial at Pyrgi Cemetery
Pyrgi Cemetery, Chios
On the morning of Good Friday, families from Pyrgi gather at the village cemetery to remember relatives who have died, tending graves and sharing a quiet communal act of remembrance.
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Resurrection and the Talanto of Patmos
Monastery of Saint John, Patmos
At the midnight Resurrection on Patmos, monks rhythmically strike the wooden talanto as pilgrims receive the Holy Light, building from a slow beat to an abrupt and powerful crescendo.
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Rocket War of Vrontados
Vrontados, Chios
At midnight on Holy Saturday, thousands of handmade rockets cross the valley between Panagia Ereithiani and Agios Markos in one of Greece’s most spectacular Easter traditions.
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Easter Tuesday Litany of Katarraktis
Katarraktis, Chios
On Easter Tuesday, a procession leaves Panagia Rouhouni, crosses Katarraktis amid rifle shots from the rooftops and remains in the village overnight before returning the next morning.
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Easter Tuesday Litany of Olympos
Olympos, Karpathos
Four heavy icons leave the main church of Olympos for an eight-to-nine-kilometre procession through chapels, the cemetery, the ossuary and the steep landscape surrounding the village.
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Easter Tuesday Litany of the Icons in Patmos
Chora, Patmos
On Easter Tuesday, sacred icons are carried through Chora and welcomed into homes, where prayers are read and residents offer treats to clergy, bearers and visitors.
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Horses in the Sea at Kala Nera
Kala Nera, Magnesia
On Ascension Day, horses and riders enter the sea at Kala Nera after the water is blessed beside the village harbour.
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Summer Festival of Ai-Symios
Messolonghi, Aetolia-Acarnania
A four-day procession of armed men, horse riders, zournas and drums, linking the city of Messolonghi with the monastery of Saint Simeon.
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Feast of Prophet Elias on Sifnos
Monastery of Prophet Elias, Sifnos, Sifnos
Pilgrims climb to the summit monastery of Prophet Elias for an evening service, communal dinner, traditional music and dancing that continues until dawn.
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Festival of Agia Paraskevi in Amorgos
Agia Paraskevi, Kato Meria, Amorgos
One of the largest traditional festivals in the Cyclades, built around days of communal preparation, bread baking, the cooking of patatato and a great gathering at Agia Paraskevi in southern Amorgos.
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Feast of Saint Panteleimon in Katapola
Agios Panteleimon, Katapola, Amorgos
A maritime celebration in the bay of Katapola, where worshippers and clergy approach the small coastal chapel by boat before the feast of Saint Panteleimon on 27 July.
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Pilgrimage of Panagia Charakiani
Panagia Charakiani, Rethymno
For the first fifteen days of August, pilgrims live beside the icon of the Virgin Mary in improvised huts near Panagia Charakiani, creating a temporary community of faith and memory.
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Transfiguration of the Saviour in Olympos
Olympos, Karpathos
A small morning feast at a privately owned cliffside chapel west of Olympos, with blessed bread, loukoumades, watermelon, ouzo and views across the windmills to the sea.
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Cantades of Spili
Spili, Rethymno
Musicians move through Spili with lyres, lutes and mantinades, carrying an old Cretan singing tradition from the village streets to the cemetery and deep into the night.
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Assumption Pilgrimage in Tinos
Panagia Evangelistria, Tinos, Tinos
Pilgrims cross Tinos Town on their knees to reach the icon of the Panagia, before the great Assumption procession descends from the church to the harbour.
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Panagia Kyra Psili
Panagia Kyra Psili, Kalymnos
A mountain pilgrimage on Kalymnos leads to a cliffside monastery, a late-night vigil and a traditional feast beneath the stars.
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Dormition of the Virgin in Olympos
Olympos, Karpathos
On 15 August, the main church and central square of Olympos fill with returning families, young women in sakofoustano and necklaces of gold coins, communal food and evening dance.
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The Secret Festival of Olympos
Olympos, Karpathos
On the night after the crowded Dormition feast, the people of Olympos hold a quieter and more intimate celebration of table songs, mantinades, memory and dancing until dawn.
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Feast of Saint Fanourios in Mastichari
Agios Fanourios, Mastichari, Kos
On the eve of Saint Fanourios, a small church outside Mastichari fills with fanouropites brought for blessing, before music, food and dancing continue in the courtyard.
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Festival of Saint Fanourios on Psiloritis
Petradolakia, Psiloritis, Rethymno
High on Psiloritis, the family chapel of Saint Fanourios becomes the centre of an all-night gathering with prayer, music, singing and great quantities of lamb prepared for the crowd.
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Feast of Saint John at Vrykous
Vrykous, Karpathos
A two-day pilgrimage to the ancient city of Vrykous, where visitors sleep beside the ruins, worship inside a cave church and sing and dance through the night until the morning liturgy.
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Avlona Days
Avlona, Karpathos
Immediately after the feast at Vrykous, the agricultural settlement of Avlona comes back to life as families reopen their houses, welcome passers-by and gather for food, music and dance.
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Feast of Saint Zacharias on Saria
Argos, Saria, Karpathos
A small overnight festival at Argos on the islet of Saria, reached by boat from Diafani and a walk through the gorge, with liturgy, goat stew, mantinades and music continuing after sunrise.
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