Festivities in Greece

Panigiri Greece has many festivals (Panigiri) throughout the year and most of the Greek Festivals have a religious basis. The Festivals are usually celebrated in accordance with the Greek Orthodox calendar and they are devoted to a Saint.

Saint’s icon around the church

The saint’s icon around the church

accompanied by people and

the priest’s psalms.

Traditional dances

Traditional dances are

organized in

front of the church.

It is a popular panigiri it can go on… till late at night…

National Holidays March 25th: Greek Independence Day

With traditional dances and military and school parades all over the country, the Greeks celebrate the day they started the Revolutionary War against the Turks, on March 25th 1821.

October 28th-The ‘’OHI Day’ war against fascism

This day is characterized by military parades ,too. It is also called the "Ohi Day", meaning Day of No, in honor to the negative answer of the Greeks to fascism during World War II, on October 28th, 1940. The Greeks fought for their country and managed to win many battles.

Parade moments

Easter Easter is the most important festival of the Greek Orthodox Church. It starts 7 weeks before Easter Sunday by Lent, and comes to its peak the Holly Week, when people go to church every morning and evening.

Good Friday

On Good Friday, a special celebration takes place

when all the flowered tombs of the Christ (named

Epitaphios) are gathered at the squares and make the

tour of the towns.

Holly light The peak of the Easter is on Good Saturday at midnight, when people go to church and get the Holly Light. At midnight exactly, the priest appears holding a lighted candle and shares the Holly Light with all the people inside and outside the church. It is a beautiful spectacle.

Celebration with lamb, Easter bunnies and red eggs as symbols of New Life

Easter is the most celebrated of all the festivals in Greece.

Easter Day The lamb is grilled from Sunday morning as the main meal of the day, accompanied by wines and dances till late.

On Easter Day are

all happy and enjoy themselves a lot…

Carnival

Each year, most of the traditions of Carnival rebirth in Greece. Already, the Carnival in the Greek city of Patras is the top of all celebrations known all over the countries, right after much better-known events in Rio de Janeiro, Tenerife and Venice. In Corfu and Rethimno, Crete, the Greek apokria celebrations have absorbed a slightly Venetian flavor from the periods that the islands were under the control of Venice.

Parades

Celebrations everywhere

“Name Day” Name day celebration •

Most of the Greeks’ names are due to a saint.

• On a “name day” friends and family make visits and offer presents. The family who organizes the feast, usually offers her quests cakes, sweets ,pies and things like that.

• In Greece, name days are more important than birthdays.

Wedding An important event for someone’s new life, with many opportunities for others to meet many people and celebrate together. There are many wedding customs in Greece.

Wedding bed

Two or three days before the

ceremony, usually the bride’s

girlfriends make the couple's

wedding bed. It's a very good

opportunity for a wonderful party,

shortly before your marriage becomes

a reality.

‘’Throw’’ money on the bed

During the making of the bridal bed usually relatives and friends leave money to help the new couple.

“Throw” a baby boy on the bed

...After that someone leaves a child on the bed, especially a boy to be a fruitful marriage.(with many children…)

…More help for

the couple…

Which girl will be married first now?

When the bride gets dressed, the unmarried girls write in pencil their names on one bride’s shoe . Tradition says that the name which will be wiped out of any girl, will be married soon. Of course, after several hours standing, taking photos and reception the quests, all names are extinguished!

Uff….. a’’ narrow ‘’shoe…!!! …little cute games…!!!

Τhe tradition wants the best man to get the bride from her house, trying he to put her shoes on. She will not be possible from the beginning to wear them….. The only way for the shoe to match the wedding dress has to do with the money that he will leave inside, to help her wear them.

• …after some euros …It’s o.k…

‘’Dream” your husband under your pillow!!!

When the groom’s friends begin to help him get dressed, they put some money in his pocket and some sugar-coated almonds. After the ceremony, the sugared almonds are divided among unmarried girls, which will put them under their pillow to dream at night the man they will marry.

At the end “the groom is shaved”!!!

The groom should be shaved by a relative or a friend just before the marriage.

The bride’s... ‘’delayed’’…. .…won’t she come?????

Our custom is the bride to be delayed to the church, for the groom to be worried……!!!after some minutes she appears…!!! by the sounds of horns, she is driven around the church three times and her father teases the groom that he will not leave her to him…….

…will she come at last? All try to see…

Later on, the celebration starts with friends and relatives dancing…

‘’Throw’’ the bouquet

A tradition used in recent years is the bride’s flowers throwing…….. After the ceremony or before the feast the bride turns her back to the unmarried girls and throws her bouquet. The lucky girl who will catch it, will be married first….

Thank you …

I got it !!!!!!!