Summer in Samos

Visiting Greece during August ensures you will be exposed to festivals and church services that celebrate various saints and of course the Virgin Mary, during the “dekapenda augusto” (15th of August) holidays, when most Greeks leave the capital Athens and return to their family villages and islands to swim, visit with family and celebrate at “panayiria”. Most panayiria take place in village squares around churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary or Panayitsa. On Samos, Greeks celebrate almost nightly at small village festivals where the traditional wheat based stew called “yiourti” is often prepared over night to be served at the church service in the morning.

There are several monasteries on Samos – Timios Stavros, Megali Panagia, Zoodocho Pigi that are still cared for by small contingents of monks. In addition every village has at least one church if not several honouring different saints. In Mavratzai, there is a Saint George – the main church, a Saint Dimitrios, a Saint Pantelemon. There are also little chapels and churches dotted across the countryside and atop the high mountains of Karvouni and Kerkis – usually Profitis Ilias – honouring the sun, and other saints. These small chapels are cared for by families on whose land they were built. Saint Fanourios is another saint who will be celebrated in August with the sharing of the yiourti and the famous “fanouropita”, which is a cinnamon spiced cake dutifully prepared and prayed on before sharing with others when searching for an answer, a solution, something lost or for a wish to come true.

It is very clear that Greece still remains a primarily christian country, preserving thousands of years of faith and tradition that add to its interesting and joyful culture for all to enjoy.