Events calendar Iles grecques

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 Reggae Vibes music festival took place for the first time in 2007 on the beach of Almyros. Since then, it has been a unique institution and musical event for fans of reggae and dub music, not only in Crete, but also in the rest of Greece. It takes place every year uniting many world famous bands. With a growing success, the festival contributes, in its own way, to the cultural and touristic development of the Lassithi region.

Forty days before the Orthodox Easter begins a period of fasting during which practitioners abstain from eating meat, poultry and fish. The day marking the beginning of Lent is Fat Monday (one day after Carnival). People go to the countryside and fly kites. We eat shellfish, the famous tarama and lagana, a kind of unleavened bread. It is a holiday in Crete (and in Greece), and is an opportunity to celebrate with ouzo and raki in public squares or in front of chapels.

The Cretans open the window on New Year's Eve to let the old year out, which their climate allows! The new year is welcomed with fireworks and bursts of gunfire in the air! The next day, the Cretans, at least those who still follow the tradition to the letter, have the habit of giving money to the first child who will cross their threshold in order to have good luck throughout the new year. This is the custom of kali hera, which literally means "good hand"!

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.