Events calendar Greece

National holiday in Crete, in honour of the tragedy that took place at the Arkadi Monastery in 1866. It is a public holiday in Rethymnon. On this occasion, a solemn mass is held in commemoration of the 1,000 Cretans, men, women and children who killed themselves by setting fire to the monastery's powder magazine where they had locked themselves up to escape the reprisals of the Ottoman occupiers. A large parade takes place in the main streets of Rethymnon with the participation of students and the Greek armed forces.

The biggest Greek religious festival, whose date varies every year, is the occasion of several days of celebration and meditation. On the program: a week in slow motion, punctuated by religious celebrations with in particular the procession of theepitafios on Friday and the mass on Saturday evening, followed by a great meal and the lamayiritsa (a soup of offal). It is particularly interesting to visit Patmos where the most solemn celebrations are held, with the reproduction of the Last Supper and the washing of the feet on Holy Thursday.

In Kefalonia, the first weekend after August 15, the festival of Robola, the local wine that is the pride of the island, is held. In the villages of Fragata and Valsamata, panygiria, traditional festivals, are organized. The wine flows freely, a goat stew is served, and the dancers follow each other in the middle of the banquet.