At least 95 percent of all Greeks claim membership in the Greek Orthodox Church, part of the Eastern Orthodox Church, as the official state of Greece dictates. Until 1054, the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches were one body. Theological, political, and cultural differences split the church in two, and those differences were never completely …
Easter is the most important religious holiday of the Orthodox Church marking the resurrection of Christ and the chance of rebirth for mankind. Falling always on a different date, Easter signals the end of the cold days of winter and the beginning of the sunny and warm days of summer. Easter celebrations hold also a …
The “burning of Judas” is a unique tradition which revives in areas of Greece every Easter, attracting crowds of people who want to admire the “punishment” of the avarice traitor. Nowadays, this tradition can express a strong need for shaking off any kind of betrayal. The “Judas Iscariot” who betrayed Jesus for “thirty pieces of …
A unique, unpolluted environment, the absence of factories and a strong farming tradition have provided ideal conditions for the growth of organic farming and livestock breeding in Monemvasia. Local organic producers of high quality products, cultivated with respect for environmental protection, include extra virgin olive oil, table olives, wine, citrus fruits, vegetables, honey, dairy products …
When it comes to food in Monemvasia, there are two main attractions – first of all the traditional regional recipes and secondly the excellent products from Laconia’s farms and the surrounding seas. Throughout the municipality are restaurants and taverns offering typical Peloponnesian dishes of a high standard and at reasonable prices. Don’t miss the saitia …
There are three museums in the Municipality of Monemvasia, the most important being the Monemvasia Archaeological Collection in the Monemvasia fortress, showing the town’s historical development from the early Christian era until the Turkish occupation. A quite different aspect is presented in the two folklore museums at Riechia and Velies, where the exhibits relate the …
Every year in Rethymno, for almost a whole month, the city plays host to a succession of fun-filled celebrations, bringing together locals and visitors who participate in this carnival because they love to enjoy every moment of their lives. You will see groups of people sitting together in traditional cafés (kafeneia) drinking “tsikoudiá” (raki), tasting …
Walking through fields of white earth and old small houses, one reaches the traditional village, where the “Epitafios walk” is covered in true spiritual ambiance. The road is decorated with tined lamps forming a river of fire that trembles accompanied by chanting and the smell of spring flowers. At the monastery of Prophet Elias, at the …
On of the most amazing spectacles one can see during Easter in the region of Arcasia, is that which takes place on the night of the Resurrection! The locals contruct hundrends of hot-air balloons out of straw and paper which are set free into the sky the moment of the Resurrection, at the same time …
Greece plays host to religious festivals with deeply rooted customs and centuries-old traditions all year round. One of the greatest celebrations of Christianity is Easter. The faithful Christians all over Greece follow the Holy Week ritual devoutly, giving themselves body and soul into the culmination of the Passion of Christ and finally rejoicing in His …