 CHURCH FESTIVALS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN AND AROUND DIAFANI
from the Diafani A to Z list of the website WELCOME TO DIAFANI (www.diafani.com) CALENDAR AND BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE MAJOR FESTIVALS
As with the church services, visitors are welcome to attend these festivals :
This is the most important period in the Greek Orthodox Church. Holy Week begins on the Sunday before Greek Orthodox Easter. A solemn mass is held every evening. On the morning of Good Friday the local women will decorate with fresh flowers the symbolic tomb of Christ. There is a solemn ceremony of the taking of the body of Christ down from the cross and placing Him in the flower covered tomb. In the evening there is another mass which is followed by a procession around the village with the icons and the decorated tomb. The priest will stop and bless many local family homes as he leads the whole congregation around the village.
After a week of fasting and solemn mass this is the moment everyone has been waiting for. A late evening mass will begin around 10 p.m. and the church will rapidly fill up. At a certain moment the priest will withdraw behind the doors of the altar. The lamps in the church will be dimmed and everyone will be silently waiting. Around midnight the priest will open the altar doors bringing The Light. The Light will then be passed from candle to candle to everyone in the church. The priest will then lead the candle bearing congregation out of the church into the courtyard to announce the joyful message XRISTOS ANESTI - Christ has risen. This is a moment of true joy throughout the whole congregation and the children of the village will run around outside lighting fireworks. Everyone will then carry their lighted candles back to bless their homes. A late supper of special soup and hard boiled eggs is eaten with the family to celebrate the end of the Lent fasting.
A mass will be held in the morning, or around mid-day of Easter Sunday where all the congregation can greet each other with the message that Christ is truly risen. On this day you will see the extra splendid local costumes worn proudly to church. After this cheerful mass everyone will go home to enjoy the traditional feast of roasted lamb.
This is a really charming festival held on the Tuesday after Easter. The festival usually begins with a short service in the morning when the priest and congregation go up to the second church of Diafani, Agios Nikolaos on the hillside near the windmills and cemetery. The icons are placed outside the church while the priest leads the local women up for a private memorial ceremony in the cemetery. When they all come down again the women will distribute small cakes and biscuits in memory of their departed family. The congregation, preceded by the priest and the local men and boys carrying the various icons, will then make a procession down to the village, stopping at certain places for a short prayer. The procession proceeds up the hill for the blessing of the local school then wends its way through the pine forest to the bay of Vananda. After blessing the natural source at Vananda the procession continues to the two small chapels above the bay before returning to the beach where each family will lay down their own colourful cloth and bring out their picnic. After some food and drink the local musicians will tune up their traditional instruments until all the picnics are over and the procession is ready to return with the icons to the main church of Diafani. An unusual ceremony then takes place in the courtyard of the church. The various icons are held up and "auctioned". The person who offers the highest price is then allowed to carry the icon back into the church and is believed to be especially blessed for the year.
This is a festival for the church and parish of Diafani and the whole village will attend. You will hear the church bells around 8 a.m. The Bishop of Karpathos will come up to Diafani with his aides to celebrate the annual mass with Papas Minas of Diafani and Papas Yannis of Olymbos. The Local women will arrive around 9 a.m. bearing special flower bedecked baskets containing the huge "Arto" - a special feast day loaf of bread with herbs, cloves and sesame seeds. These huge loaves are piled up in front of the altar as the mass continues with the Bishop and priests in their splendid robes, the local women and girls in their extraordinary traditional costume and the church full of the smell of the incense and flowers. The mass finishes around 11.30 and the men, then the women, file out of the church taking a piece of the blessed bread from the Bishop and kissing his hand. On leaving the church Papas Yannis will anoint each member of the congregation with the tip of a candle dipped in blessed oil. The local people will then kiss the icon, drop some money into the basket and file past the table set up in the courtyard with baskets full of large chunks of "Arto", plates of the local treat, "Loukoumades" which are puffs of batter to be dipped in honey, and small glasses of sweet liqueur to be knocked back as you file past. By this time the courtyard will be full of people kissing and greeting each other. The local men will be in their best suits and most of the local women and girls will be wearing the traditional costume; either a more elaborate version of the daily black coat and white dress or, for the girls, the traditional brilliant silk costume and gold coins or jewellery worn for the festivals and dance. This is not to be missed ! The local people will then go down the back steps to the Parish hall which is just below the church. You may be invited to eat there too. The Bishop and his entourage will be seated with the local priests and various elders at the main table to the right of the door. The local men will sit at tables on the right of the hall, the local women and children will sit at tables on the left. A Parish feast will then be served. A local elder will make a speech of welcome to which the Bishop will reply. The people will applaud the Bishop's jokes and when he has finished his annual message to the Parish the traditional "Christ is Risen" will be sung by all. Traditional music will then be played and various local men will sing a "verse poem". Appreciation of the verse is shown not by applause but by loud fork banging on the side of the plate. After the meal the Bishop will leave. Around 6 or 7 in the evening the dancing will slowly begin and gradually increase in enthusiasm, it may go on until 3 or 4 in the morning. Watch this space for the information coming soon from Papas Minas about the celebrations and festivals of : 1st May + 21st May + Ascension + Whitsuntide/Pentecost + 20th July
This is an overnight festival on the almost uninhabited island of Saria. The afternoon before the Saint's Day a boat will take the priest, the musicians and all the local people and visitors who wish to attend up to the landing stage on the west side of the nearby island of Saria. Everyone then will make their way on foot up to the small stone chapel of Saint Panteleimenos for a simple church service, a supper and then a general settling down for the night under the stars (bring your own sleeping bag or blankets). The following morning there will be another short service, with maybe a Baptism, followed by feasting, traditional music and maybe dancing before the boat returns to bring everyone back to Diafani.
Watch this space for information coming soon from Papas Minas about the festival of 6th August
This is the most colourful and popular festival for all visitors and local Greeks living away from Diafani the rest of the year. The church service begins around 8 a.m. and ends around 11 a.m. both in Diafani and in the hilltop church of Olymbos. The service in Diafani is quiet but in Olymbos there is always a huge crowd milling around inside and outside the church. After the church service a feast is served to all comers in the church hall of Olymbos. The local musicians may begin to play during the meal or later, around 4.30 in the afternoon on the square in front of the church. The dancing will begin slowly around 5 or 6 o'clock in the afternoon gradually building momentum and will go on to the early hours of the next morning. Most of the girls and women attending this festival will be wearing the unique beautiful and colourful traditional costume and gold jewellery. Not to be missed !
This is one of the most spectacular festivals of the year as it takes place on the breathtaking ancient site of Vroukounda set high above the wild coast of the island of Karpathos. Like the festival on Saria this is an overnight festival. The day before the festival a boat will leave Diafani in the afternoon to take people to the landing stage of Vroukounda below the church of Agios Ioannis, although many local people will make their way there downhill on foot from the small village of Avlona. There will be a church service in the extraordinary subterranean church, followed by supper and then settling down under the stars (bring your own sleeping bag or blankets). The next day there will be another short service in the church followed by feasting, music and dancing. The unique colourful local costume will look even more beautiful in this wild and natural setting. When the sun begins to go down some people will return to Diafani by boat but many will make their way back uphill to the tiny agricultural village of Avlona where the feasting and dancing may go on for the next two days. Not to be missed !
Like the festivals of 27th July this is an overnight festival on the almost uninhabited nearby island of Saria. The afternoon before the Saint's Day a boat will take the priest, the musicians and all the local people and visitors who wish to attend up to the landing stage of Palatia on the east coast of Saria. Everyone then will make their way on foot up to the small stone chapel of Agios Zakarios for a simple church service, a supper and then a general settling down for the night under the stars (bring your own sleeping bag or blankets). The following morning there will be another short service, with maybe a Baptism, followed by feasting, traditional music and maybe dancing before the boat returns to bring everyone back to Diafani.
This is a small, charming, friendly, family festival held in the courtyard of this snow white chapel which stands alone on a small mound between the villages of Diafani and Olymbos. There is a short church service in the morning followed by the distribution of the blessed bread and "Loukoumades" (light and crisp puff balls of batter dripping in honey). The local musicians will then warm up their traditional instruments while the leading citizens and distinguished elders are placed at a long wooden table loaded with all kinds of special food. Meanwhile the women who have come from Diafani and Olymbos will set up their family picnics under the nearby olive trees. After everybody has eaten and rested the dancing will begin, forming the traditional circle in the small courtyard of the chapel. The unique local costumes and traditional gold jewellery is sensational in this setting, overlooked by the impressive hilltop village of Olymbos.
This is another small, charming, friendly, family festival held in the chapel in the valley below Olymbos. There is a short church service in the morning followed by the distribution of the blessed bread and "Loukoumades" (light and crisp puff balls of batter dripping in honey). The local musicians will then warm up their traditional instruments while the leading citizens and distinguished elders are placed at a long wooden table loaded with all kinds of special food. After everybody has eaten and rested the dancing will begin, forming the traditional circle: another occasion to see the unique local costumes and traditional gold jewellery.
This is an important Saint’s Day, especially in this community where many of the women were baptised with the name of this saint. You will hear the church bells around 7.30 / 8 a.m. The Local women will arrive around 8.30 / 9 a.m. bearing special flower bedecked baskets containing the huge “Arto” - a special feast day loaf of bread with herbs, cloves and sesame seeds. These huge loaves are piled up in front of the altar as the mass continues with the the local women and girls in their extraordinary traditional costume and the church full of the smell of the incense and flowers. The mass finishes around 11.30 and the men, then the women, file out of the church taking a piece of the blessed bread and file past the table set up with baskets full of large chunks of “Arto”. For the rest of the day you will hear people greeting every Sophia in the village with the traditional “Xronia Polla”, a kind of Happy Birthday greeting, and others with the phrase “Kai Tou Xronou”, which roughly means we hope to be with you again on this day next year.
The Day of "OXI" (NO) is held in commemoration of the day when the Greek Prime Minister said "OXI", refusing to comply with Mussolini's request to enter and occupy Greece. Thus Greece kept their honour and consequently entered the 2nd World War against the AXIS. There is a short ceremony in the church in the morning with the children in uniforms of the national colours of blue and white. On leaving the church the children stand with the Greek flag beside the War Memorial. The names of those local people who died in the war are read aloud and then the children recite poems and sing songs about the famous day of courage while the proud parents look on. The children then march, more or less in formation, along the seafront where sweets are distributed to all. A really charming little ceremony.
This pre-winter festival is celebrated by the inhabitants of Olymbos, Avlona and Diafani and is also a special day for all the local men who were baptised with the name Mixaili. The inhabitants of Olymbos and Avlona now drive to the celebrations in the big new church on the road to Pigadia. The people of Diafani mostly continue the traditional celebrations in an overnight festival in the almost uninhabited village of Tristomo, which is a sensational setting for this festival. The afternoon before the Saint's Day a boat will take the priest, the musicians and all the local people and visitors who wish to attend, up the coast and around to the safe harbour of the bay of Tristomo. There will be a simple service in the small stone church, a supper and then a general settling down for the night under the stars (bring your own sleeping bag or blankets). The following morning there will be another short service, with maybe a baptism, followed by feasting, traditional music and maybe dancing before the boat returns to bring everyone back to Diafani.
Like the festival of the archangels in Tristomo a few days before this may be an overnight festival. It will also be a special day for all the local men who were baptised with the name Minas. In the early morning of the Saint’s day – or the afternoon before - a boat will take the priest, the musicians and all the local people and visitors who wish to attend, down the coast to the bay of Agios Minas. Everyone then will make their way on foot up to the small stone church of Agios Minas for the church service, with maybe a baptism, followed by feasting, traditional music and maybe dancing before the boat returns to bring everyone back to Diafani.
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