Annual custom with large bonfires in lake of Great Prespa. A lake between three countries among surreal scenery. A way to celebrate the year to come.
Bonfires are lit on New Year's Eve to welcome the New Year. An ancient Pagan (Dionysian) custom on the shore of a beautiful, serene and at the same time surreal small village.
The fires of Christmas is an ancient custom that is very widespread in the villages around Florina in Greece. Large bonfires are being set in central squares and each village tries to make a bigger and better fire than their neighbors.
Every year, after the celebration of Saint Dimitrios, children in Siatista village go to the fields and vineyards in order to gather dry grasses and set up all-night fires
While waiting for the fire of Achlada to start at midnight, a custom that takes place in many villages around Florina on December 23, the guys we met there told us to go together at the next village, Giourouki, to see the fire there as well. They would start that earlier than Achlada, since that was a smaller village and most of the local people there would visit the big fire of Achlada later.
Children gathered wood and straw balls, they would like to make the fire as big as possible. The biggest of course is always the one in the town of Florina, but them, they want at least to have a bigger fire than the one of the neighboring village of Yiourouki.
Purpuris will be visiting the houses of the village and dance around their yards. He will wish prosperity and fertility for the year to come and the house owner will treat him with food and drinks, usually Tsipouro.
Purpuris will be visiting the houses of the village and dance around their yards. He will wish prosperity and fertility for the year to come and the house owner will treat him with food and drinks, usually Tsipouro.
Kotsamania is an ancient tradition of the Black Sea. The performance refers to the priests of Momos, the god of laughter and satire.
An ancient Dionysian custom that was brought from Asia Minor by the Pontic-Greek people who came to stay in Greece following the Lausanne treaty in 1923.
Every year, during the twelve days of Christmas, the Momoyer come out to dance and wish for a prosperous, fertile New Year. An ancient pagan custom brought in Greece by the people of Black Sea.
Theoklitos is a small narrow traditional cafe at the centre of Piraeus, where every Sunday, a singer comes along to cheer up the customers.