Living traditions
Chirosfaya in Menites
Menites, Andros, Andros
Field photographDuring the chirosfaya on the island of Andros
Collector mode
A photograph to live with. Enter a private viewing.Introduction
A late-autumn village gathering in Menites demonstrates the traditional preparation of pork, sausages and preserved foods once essential to the rural household.
The Chirosfaya gathering in Menites presents an old domestic winter practice in a public village setting. Volunteers clean and butcher the animal, prepare sausages flavoured with anise and fennel, smoke them over wood and conclude the multi-day work with food, music and dancing.
A domestic winter practice
Chirosfaya once formed part of the annual rural household cycle. Pork was prepared in autumn or winter and transformed into sausages, fat and preserved foods for the months ahead.
The public gathering in Menites
The village association has presented the process as a communal event, relying on local knowledge and volunteer work.
Sausages, smoking and celebration
The meat is seasoned with ingredients such as anise and fennel, packed into casings and smoked over wood. Music, dancing and a village gathering accompany the work.
Culture, held by place
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