Cyprus Village

Celebrations and Festivals

Greeks have numerous festivals and feast days and I never cease to be amazed at the lavishness with which Cypriot village people organise their celebrations. The effort (all from volunteers) that goes into them is a truly wonderful expression of human love and warmth.

In the Greek ethic we see a balance of ascetic periods (periods of fasting and moderation) and periods of joy and celebration. In today’s busy world I would estimate that only 20% of the people fast fully before Christmas and Easter, but they do all enjoy a good village celebration.

Easter Monday in Lageia was a case in point. It offered a typical mix of celebration entertainment to be found on such occasions. First the buffet lunch with an abundance of salads and cooked foods that included well prepared chicken and pork Souvla.

Then a display of Cretan and other Greek dances. These were followed by various games similar to those to be seen on an English school fete, a tug of war (that’s a great favourite in village celebrations), weight lifting for the strong men of the village and dancing for the people present.

Everything was an expression of joy and merriment – of Greek “Kefi”. Sometimes I write lengthy articles, but it can be that “a picture says more than a thousand words”. On this occasion, I leave my photos to convey the atmosphere.

If you are visiting Cyprus for a short time, I would advise you to check out the program of such events. If one ties in with your time here it should be well worth attending.