Living traditions

Feast of the Archangel Michael at Tristomo

Tristomo, Karpathos

Field photographFeast of the Archangel Michael at Tristomo — photograph 5.

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Introduction

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.

The feast of the Archangel Michael begins on the evening of 7 November at Tristomo on the northwest coast of Karpathos and continues on 8 November. The isolated settlement is reached most easily by boat.

Arrival at the remote settlement

Participants and the people preparing the feast usually travel to Tristomo by boat. Some sleep in tents or sleeping bags, while families with houses reopen them for the night.

Black-and-white photograph from Feast of the Archangel Michael at Tristomo, Tristomo, Karpathos. — Feast of the Archangel Michael at Tristomo — photograph 1.

Feast of the Archangel Michael at Tristomo — photograph 1.

Feast of the Archangel Michael at Tristomo — photograph 2.

The Olympiot sequence of celebration

After the evening service and dinner, religious chanting leads into slow table songs, mantinades and dancing accompanied by Karpathian lyra and laouto.

Feast of the Archangel Michael at Tristomo — photograph 3.

Feast of the Archangel Michael at Tristomo — photograph 4.

Morning in the churchyard

The pano choros reaches its climax after hours of dancing. In the morning, the final liturgy is followed by communion bread, loukoumades, honey and ouzo before boats return participants to Diafani.

Feast of the Archangel Michael at Tristomo — photograph 5.

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