Listed 100 (total found 295) sub titles with search on: Festivals and fairs for wider area of: "CRETE Island GREECE" .
CRETE (Island) GREECE
In Crete, you will come across opportunities to enjoy yourself by
taking part in a Cretan "glenti", or merry-making, almost every day.
In the villages, above all, traditional Cretan weddings will give you a chance
to hear authentic folk music, follow Cretan dances, drink Cretan wine, and eat
tidbits of Cretan meat. The feast-days of churches and monasteries are occasions
for merry-making, spring, summer and autumn. A brief calendar of feast days and
educational and recreational events, though it is a list that grows longer every
year, will give you some idea of the possibilities:
February: The feast of Haghios Charalambos is celbrated
with dances, food and drink at Crousona.
March: Carnival time, with festivities all over the
island, particularly in the big towns.
Shrove Monday: the first day of Lent, celebrated
in the countryside with dances, music and Lenten food (particularly seafood and
a special unleavened bread, "lagana", eaten only on this day) and plenty
of wine.
March 25: A national holiday, in honour of the Day
of Independence and the Feast of the Annunciation. In Apocorona,
Chania, a festival is held on Lady Day.
Easter: Religious celebrations take place all over
Crete, throughout Holy Week. On Easter Sunday and Monday, everyone feasts on roast
lamb and drinks lots of wine. Characas,
Monofatsi, is particularly noted for its Easter celebrations. In the second
and third day after Easter, an orange festival is held in Skines,
Kidonia, Chania, with dances and songs.
April: The Feast-day of St. George, April 23, is
a sheep shearing festival. Milk, wine and food are served in the village Haghios
Georgios on the plateau of Lassithi. Milk and cheese feast in Assi
Gonia, Chania.
When Easter Sunday falls early, the orange festival of Skines
is held on the fifth and sixth of May.
May: On May Day, Cretans flock to the countryside
to gather wild flowers for May-Day wreaths and to feast.
May 21: A festival, with dancing and singing, is
held in Arcalochori, Heracleion.
Throughout the week of May 21, celebrations are organized in the honour of the
glorious Battle of Crete, particularly in Rethymno,
Heracleion and Chania.
The festivities include athletic games, dancing in public squares, exhibitions
of historical documents from the war, speeches, plays, concerts and religious
ceremonies.
June: The village of Piskokephalo,
near Crousta, Lassithi, holds
a festival.
July 9: A wine festival is organized in Rethymnon,
with much merry-making and plenty of free wine.
July 17: The feast-day of St. Marina, celebrated
in the village of Voni with dances and feasting. Towards the end of the month,
the village of Daphnes, Heracleion,
holds a wine festival.
July 26: The feast-day of St. Paraskevi is celbrated
in Scoteinos Cave, near Gouves.
August: This is the month of most festivals in Crete.
During the first two weeks, Sitia
holds a sultana-grape festival, accompanied by many festivities while Anogeia
organizes a festival, which includes exhibitions of popular crafts, folk dancing
and folk music competitions, a traditional Cretan wedding, concerts and athletic
events. Visitors are invited to join in. Religious celebrations are held in Arcalochori,
Archanes, Alagni and Haghios
Myron, Heracleion. In the village of Critsa,
Lassithi, foreigners can be guests at a traditional wedding, in which all
the folk customs are observed.
August 15: The Feast of the Assumption is a major
feast day all over Crete, in monasteries, convents and churches dedicated to the
Virgin Mary. The most important festivities are held in Neapolis,
Lassithi, in Mochos, Paliani,
Cardhiotissa and Hodhigitria.
During summer three months (July, August and September) of educational
and recreational events are organized by the city
of Heracleion. Concerts of classical and folk music, plays, ballets, operas
and exhibitions of paintings and photographs are among the attractions that draw
artists and intellectuals from all over Greece.
September: The vintage month of wine and raki. In
many villages, festivals are held to celebrate the coming of autumn. In Pombia,
Heracleion, a festival is organized in honour of the great Cretan hero, Michalis
Corakas.
October: A chestnut festival is held at Elos,
Kissamos, on October 21.
November: Celebrations in Rethymnon
and at the Monastery of Arcadi
in memory of the epic events that culminate in the holocaust of 1866.
December: The holy Days are observed according to
age-old traditions, especially in the villages. In Cretan towns, carols are sung
on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and the feasting starts at midnight. Churches
hold services in honour of birth of Christ and the beginning of the New Year.
January: The festivals of Epiphany and of St. John
the Baptist on the sixth and seventh of January round off the Christmas festivities.
Epiphany is celebrated with religious processions, the blessing of waters and
diving by the faithful.
Countless other festivals are organized throughout the year in the
villages by hundreds of educational and recreational groups. The festivals, especially
those that include feasting and dancing, are publicly announced, so that foreigners
can easily find out about them and join the fun.
(text: MANOLIS DOULGERAKIS & UTE SCHACHTELE)
This text (extract) is cited February 2004 from the Heraklio
Hoteliers Association tourist pamphlet.
LAPPEI (Municipality) RETHYMNO
The shepherds celebrate the "Koura" in the end of the spring.
In St. George feast day they take their sheep to the church to be blessed and
they milk them, giving the milk to all those who are present. After the harvest
time there is "kazanemata", which is a process to make the raki.
All religious festivities are full of vigor and life with the day
of Virgin Mary (8th September) in Miriokefala
to stand as one of the most important, which is followed by a big pilgrimage.
All these celebrations offer to the visitors perfect chances for feasts and fun.
This text (extract) is cited February 2004 from the Municipality
of Lappes tourist pamphlet.
AGIA VARVARA (Village) MONOFATSIO
,
, 18/2/2001
GAVALOCHORI (Village) VAMOS
KROUSSONAS (Small town) MALEVIZIO
Organization of an excursion in the outdoors, revival of the old customs like construction and flying of kites, offers of traditional dishes and others.
NEROKOUROS (Village) ELEFTHERIOS VENIZELOS
Pages of the Prefectural Tourism Committee
KARES (Village) KOLYMBARI
,
, 6/8/2002
Tel: +30 28240 91771
The Cultural Club of Karra organizes athletic events, in which the local schools participate. The children compete in track and cycling. After the end of the events, trophies are awarded for the performance of the students.
The night of the same day, along with the religious holiday of the metamorphosis of Chist, a fair follows. The participation of the people is big because of the hospitality of the village people. The menu includes delicious dishes and plenty of good wine. The feast is completed with Cretan music from local bands.
MONASTERY AGIOS IOANNIS GIONIS (Monastery) KOLYMBARI
A very interesting celebration (panigiri) is held on its name day,
29 August, when hundreds of people go to the monastery and group baptisms take
place.
FOURFOURAS (Village) KOURITES
NEROKOUROS (Village) ELEFTHERIOS VENIZELOS
,
, 23/6 - 24/6
RETHYMNON (Town) CRETE
The most popular organisation in respect of participation is the Treasure Hunt of Rethymno. It is the favourite game of the locals of all ages and takes place two weeks before Carnival. During this marathon game, which lasts for one day, your brain, your body and your nerves are tested. The grade of difficulty has reached an unbelievable level, which makes it almost impossible for somebody who is not initiated to take part. However, it is a great experience to watch a group in action.
The Treasure Hunt helped the young people of Rethymno to achieve a profound knowledge of the town's history, to come close to its monuments and to trace every single detail of historical periods.
It is worth mentioning that the way the players accomplish a task in this game has become an invariable component.
A similarly important event is the "Children's Treasure Hunt", which takes place a week earlier.
Finally, the Association of Hotel owners in co-operation with the Municipality of Rethymno organises a treasure hunt each summer in the framework of the "International Day of Tourism". Visitors to the town are invited to participate and the winners are awarded 'all included' holidays in Rethymno.
This text is cited Jan 2004 from the Tourism Promotion Committee of Rethymno Prefecture URL below, which contains images.
GLOSSA (Village) KOLYMBARI
The day after Easter, the Mothiana-Skiafotou Cultural Club "the renewal", organises a meeting of the residents of the area and several visitors at the Table of Love.
Tables are spread with Easter dishes and red eggs. The locals offer lambs which they roast at the center of the square. After the attendees "clink" their eggs and begin eating, a feast follows with Cretan music. The attendance is big because the event is original for the area.
ACHLADA (Village) GAZI
,
, 19/8/2002
Ahlada's Cultural Association organizes great festivities every year at Saint Ioannis Prodromos' day, on the 19th of August.
AGIA IRINI (Settlement) KROUSSONAS
AGIA MARINA (Village) CHANIA
,
, 17/7/2002
,
, 8/6/2002
Tel: +30 28210 31363
Fair on Saint Theodoros the victorious army commander's day. With small ships the people are transferred from the harbour of Agia Marina to the island Thodorou and back. After the congregation there is an outdoor fair with food from the Province and the people. Very picturesque island where the protected cretan goat lives (agrimia-kri kri)
AGIA PELAGIA (Port) HERAKLIO
,
, 8/10
AGIA TRIADA (Village) LEFKI
AGIA VARVARA (Village) MONOFATSIO
,
, 4/12/2001
,
, 8/10/2002
AGIOS IOANNIS (Village) IERAPETRA
,
, 15/8 - 15/8
AGIOS MYRON (Village) MALEVIZIO
,
, 24/6
,
, 8/8
AGIOS NIKOLAOS (Town) LASSITHI
,
, 6/12
Particularly important is the celebration of the name day of the city's patron, Saint Nikolas
AGIOS STEFANOS (Village) MAKRYS GIALOS
,
, 6/8
AGRILES (Settlement) ANATOLIKO SELINO
,
, 29/6
Fair in which the pilgrims are offered traditional Cretan dishes like: Boiled meat, Rice pilaf, Olives, Broad beans, Sardines, Rusks, Wine etc.
,
, 20/7
,
, 29/6
ALIKAMBOS (Village) KRYONERIDA
,
, 21/5
Treat with traditional Cretan dishes.
,
, 14/8 - 15/8
ALMIROS (Beach) AGIOS NIKOLAOS
Lively feast-with an open air market and authentic traditional Cretan festivities-takes place at Analipsi of Almyros on the 50th day after Easter.
,
, 20/8
,
, 29/8
The night of the 22nd of August traditional boiled meat is cooked with rice piilaf and distributed for free by the stock-farmers of the Krapis plateau area.There is a fair with a traditional Cretan band in a nearby store. Morning congregation.
ANATOLIKO SELINO (Municipality) CHANIA
,
, 8/6
Music and dance program.
,
, 14/7 - 15/7
Fair in which the pilgrims are offered traditional Cretan dishes like: Boiled meat, Rice pilaf, Olives, Broad beans, Sardines, Rusks, Wine etc.
ANO MOULIA (Village) AGIA VARVARA
,
, 29/6
ANO VALSAMONERO (Village) NIKIFOROS FOKAS
,
, 14/8 - 15/8
ARKALOCHORI (Small town) HERAKLIO
,
, 21/5
,
, 6/8
ASSI GONIA (Village) CHANIA
AVDOU (Village) CHERSONISSOS
AXOS (Village) KOULOUKONA
,
, 15/8/2002
CHARAKAS (Village) ASTEROUSSIOI
,
, 27/7
,
, 7/10
CHOUDETSI (Village) NIKOS KAZANTZAKIS
,
, 15/8
ELEFTHERNA (Village) ARKADI
,
, 15/8/2002
EMBROSNEROS (Village) KRYONERIDA
,
, 21/9
Treat
,
, 25/8
,
, 26/7/2002
Treat with traditional dishes.
EPANO ARCHANES (Small town) HERAKLIO
,
, 15/8
,
, 11/11
EPANOCHORI (Village) ANATOLIKO SELINO
,
, 23/8 - 24/8
Traditional Selino Feast on the occasion of Saint Eutihios day, protector of the Club of the people of Selino in Attica "I ELIROS".
,
, 21/5
Fair in which the pilgrims are offered traditional Cretan dishes like: boiled meat, rice pilaf, olives, broad beans, sardines, rusks, wine etc.
EVANGELISMOS (Village) KASTELI
,
, 6/8
EXO MOULIANA (Village) SITIA
,
, 17/7
,
, 6/8
EXOPOLI (Village) GEORGIOUPOLI
,
, 14/8 - 15/8
Cretan music and dances accompanied with traditional Cretan Cuisine. Organizer: Municipality Of Georgioupolis
FRANGOKASTELLO (Castle) SFAKIA
,
, 15/9
Congregation, celebratory announcement, organization of athletic events and shooting contest.
FRANTZESKIANA METOCHIA (Village) NIKIFOROS FOKAS
,
, 14/9 - 15/9
GEORGIOUPOLI (Village) CHANIA
,
, 29/8
,
, 8/11
,
, 15/7
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