| Santorini Culture & Tradition
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| Santorini
Churches & Religion |
| santorini churches, greek orthodox easter, religious
calendars and festivals, greek namedays, recipes ... |
| Museums in
Santorini |
| archaeological museum, prehistoric museum, megaro
gyzi museum, naval museum, george emmanuel argyros mansion,
lignos folklore museum ... |
| Exhibitions
in Santorini |
| petros m. nomikos conference center, thera wall
paintings, art space argyros canava exhibition, 'vanishing santorini'
exhibition ... |
| Santorini
Archaeological Sites |
| akrotiri excavations, ancient thira ... |
| PANAGIA EPISKOPI FEAST DAY |
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| Greek Easter Sunday : from
2004 until 2023 |
| Greek Easter does not always fall on the same date
as what most countries knows as "Easter" because the
Eastern Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar when calculating
Easter ... |
| Greek Orthodox Church &
National Holidays in Greece |
| New Year's Day 'Protochronia' |
| Following a morning church
ceremony presents are exchanged, and there is singing,
dancing, and feasting. A special cake, called a vassilopita,
is baked with a coin inside. The person who eats the piece
with the coin will have a year of good luck. The traditional
New Year greeting is "Kali Chronia." |
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| Epiphany 'Agia Theofania' |
| Epiphany
is the celebration of the baptism of Jesus by John the
Baptist (St. John). The day is marked by blessing the
waters. Around the country rivers, lakes and oceans are
blessed and crosses immersed in them. The largest celebration
is in Piraeus where a cross is thrown into the sea and
young men dive to retrieve it. |
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| Independence Day and the Feast of the
Annunciation (Evaggelismos) |
| On March 25 in 1821 the Bishop
of Patra, Germanos, began the uprising that started the
War for Independence. Today it is celebrated with military
parades in most major cities. Independence Day also coincides
with the religious Feast of the Annunciation, so it is
also a religious festival. |
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| Labour Day : May Day 'Protomayia' |
| On this national holiday it
is traditional for people to go to the countryside, have
picnics, gather flowers, and make them into wreaths for
their homes. Many flower festivals take place all over
the country. |
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| Ash/Shrove/Clean Monday (Koulouma)
' Kathari Deftera' |
| The first day of Lent, which
is 40 days before Easter. On Ash Monday, it is traditional
to go the countryside for a picnic, fly kites, and begin
fasting for Easter by eating Lenten food. |
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| Holy Good Friday 'Megali Paraskevi'
'Epitaphios' Lamentations |
| The festivities begin on Good
Friday with perifora epitaphios, a candlelit procession
of a shrouded funeral bier that is carried through the
city streets to the local church. Every major city and
tiny town in Greece has their own procession, although
the most impressive one takes place in Athens where the
procession climbs Lykabettus to the Chapel of Agios Georgios.
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Holy Good Saturday The Resurrection
' Megalo Savvato' |
On Holy Saturday there is a
Resurrection
Mass at 11 p.m. followed at midnight by darkness symbolizing
Jesus passing through the underworld, and finally by fireworks
and a candle light procession through the streets symbolizing
Jesus's resurrection.
The Lent fast is broken by eating red-dyed eggs and mageiritsa
soup. |
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| Holy Easter Sunday ' Kyriaki tou Pascha' |
|
Easter Sunday is spent with
the family, singing, dancing, and feasting on roast
lamb and red eggs. The greeting for the day is Christos
Anesti "Christ is risen!" and the reply is
Alithos Anesti "Yes He is truly risen!". |
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| Whit Monday 'Agiou Pnevma' |
| Fifty days after Easter. This
religious holiday marks the descent of the Holy Spirit
to the disciples. It is celebrated with church services
decorated with pennants. Greeks use this holiday to go
away for a long weekend, usually to the Greek islands. |
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| Assumption of the Virgin 'Apokimisis
tis Panagias' |
| Assumption Day falls within
the traditional Greek vacation month when Greeks are
normally on the move. So typically crowded ferries and
buses become even more packed near the holiday as people
travel to be near their families.
This is the largest celebration of the Holy Virgin Mary
in Greece. The island of Tinos is a major pilgrimage
destination for thousands go to be blessed, healed or
baptized. |
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| Oxi Day 'Ohi Day' |
| During World War II, Mussolini
issued an ultimatum to Prime Minister Metaxas demanding
free Italian passage through Greece. Metaxas' response
was "Ohi" which led to the subsequent battle
and eventual defeat of the invading Italian army in 1940.
Today, Ohi Day is celebrated with remembrance services,
military parades, folk dancing, and feasting. |
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| Christmas 'Christougenna' |
| Although less important
that Easter in the Greek Orthodox religion, Christmas
is celebrated with religious services & feasting.
Today there is considerable western influence with Christmas
trees, decorations, and presents. Throughout the Christmas
season children go door to door singing Christmas carols.
A small gratuity is customary. |
| Gathering of the Virgin's Entourage
'Synaxis tis Panagias' |
| Similar to Boxing Day in
England and Canada, the day following Christmas is a
national holiday. |
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