Culture

Festivals

Traditional music

The Festivals

The so called “festival” is one of the most important events in Kythnos. Big or small festivals give to Thermiotes the opportunity to exercise their religious duties. Festivals also constitute the reason for big all night fests which start from the previous evening & last throughout the next day. People enjoy & sing along with the “zies” –combination of local musicians (violin & lute) which constitute a …full orchestra.
When you come to the island, ask whether & where a festival takes place & how easy it is for you to visit it. You will experience one of the rarest & authentic events & you will also see the famous “Thermiotiko balo”. For that matter, Manolis Glezos writes about the dancing capacity of Aegean people. All Cycladians spin round & round in the vortex of dance overwhelmed by the breeziness of life. They know how to express their feelings through the dance. That is the reason why all of them are exceptional dancers. However, according to my subjective evaluation first come Kythnos’s residents. The absolute harmony of movements & music…

Among the most important events we should consider the festivals that take place in honor of Holly Mary, 15th August (Panagia of Nikous, Panagia Kanala, Panagia Stratolatissa) & in September 8 (Panagia Flanbouriani) as well as “Kythnia” which are organized every summer by the municipality of Kythnos.

 

NAMEDAY CALENDAR-FESTIVALS

January

17
Anthony the Great
  Aghios Antonis Psathi (Driopida)
  Aghios Antonis Kato Chordaki (Chora)
   
18
Athanasios & Cyril, Patriarchs of Alexandria
  Taxiarchis in Driopida-
  Aghios Athanasios Skorpa (Chora)
   
20
Euthimios the Great
  Aghia Eirini Mouries (Driopida)
   
25
Gregory the Theologian
  Ai Giannis Simousi
   

February

1
Martyr Tryphon 
  Aghios Trifonas in Velidi
   
2
Ipapanti Sotiros
  Panagia Kanala (Flevariatissa)
  Panagia in Loutra (Antonarou)
   
3
Aghios Stamatis
  Aghios Stamatis (Chora)
   
10
Αghios Charalambos
  Panagia Stratolatissa
  Aghios Charalambos (Chora)
   
11
Aghios Vlassis
  Ai-Vlassis (Chora)
   
24
Αghios Theodoros
  Aghios Theodoros (Petsia)
  Aghios Theodoros (near Kanala’s pass)
   

March

25
Annunciation of the Theotokos
  Evaggelistrias (Driopida)
  Evaggelistrias (Chora)
   

April

13
Zoodochos Pigi
  Chrisopis (Kanala)
  Chrisopis (Chora)
   
23
Great martyr George
  Ai-Giorgis (Driopida & Mericha)
  Ai Giorgis (Katakefalo)
   

May

5
Great martyr Eirini & Aghios Efraim
  Aghia Eirini (Mouries)
  Aghia Eirini (Aghia Eirini’s cove)
  Aghios Efraim (Chora)
   
21
Constantine & Helen
  Aghios Konstantinos (Driopida’s Loutra)
  Aghios Konstantinos (Tholaria)
  Aghios Konstantinos in the Tower (reg. Chora)
   
27
Pentecost
  Aghia Triada (Driopida)
  Αγία Τριάδα (Μητρόπολη Χώρας)
   

June

8
Αghia Kalliopi
  Aghia Kalliopi (Kanala)
   
27
Natal of Ioannis Prodromos
  Ai Giannis (Lefkes)
  Ai-Giannis in Mavri Sikia (Black Fig)(Driopida)
   
29
Peter & Paul, the Hole Apostles
  Aghioi Apostoloi-Aghia Anna (Driopida’s Metropolis)
   
30
Sinaxis 12 Apostles
  Festival of the “12” in Panagia Kanala
   

July

1
Unmercenaries Cosmas & Damian
  Aghioi Anargyroi in Driopida (Spilia)
  Aghioi Anargyroi in Chora’s Pigadakia & Loutra
   
15
 Aghiou Kirikos in Driopida’s Loutra
  Aghios Kirikas in Driopida’s Loutra
   
17
Aghias Marinas
  Aghia Marina (Merichas)
  Aghia Marina (Lefkes)
   
20
Prophet Elias
  Aghios Dimitris in Driopida’s Loutra
  Ai-Lias (Chora) & in Schoinari
   
26
Aghias Paraskevis & Aghios Ermolaos
  Aghia Paraskevi in Chomatsakia (Driopida)
  Aghios Ermolaos in Petraina (Driopida)
  Aghia Paraskevi in Asteras (Chora)
   
27
Aghios Panteleimon
  Aghios Panteleimon in Kapmisma (Driopida)
  Aghios Panteleimon in Psathi
  Aghios Panteleimon (Chora)
   

August

6
Holy Transfiguration of Sotiros (Episkopi)
  Sotira in Gaidouromantra & Psathi
  Sotira (Chora)
   
15
Dormition of Theotokos
  Panagia Kanala
  Panagia Stratolatissa
  Panagia Nikous
   
23
Apodosis of the Dormition of Theotokos
  Panagia Flambouriani
  Panagia Eleousa (Castro)
   
24
Cosmas of Aitola
  Aghia Kalliopi (Kanala)
  Aghios Kosmas of Aitola (Chora)
   
27
Martyr Phanourius
  Ai-Phanouris (Kato Chordaki)
   
29
Beheading of the Forerunner Ioaninis Prodromos
  Prodromos (Driopida)
  Ai-Giannis (Skilou)
  Prodromos (Chora)
   
September
2
Martyr Mammas
  Ai-Mamas (Aliki)
   
7
Martyr Sozon
  Άϊ-Αρτήμης στη Δρυοπίδα
   
8
Nativity of Theotokos
  Panagia Kanala & Kalolivadiani
   
14
The Elevation of the Venerable and Life
  Stavros (Loutra)
   
20
Aghios Efstathios
  Aghios Stathis in Theotoko (Chora)
   
26
Translation of John the Theologian
  Theologos (Simousi)
  Theologos (Chora)
   

October

9
MAghios Iakovos
  Aghios Antonis (Driopida)
   
20
Aghios Artemios
  Ai-Artemis (Chora)
   
26
Aghios Dimitrios
  Aghios Dimitrios (Aghios Dimitrios Cove)
  Kato Ai-Dimitris (Kato Ai-Dimitris Cove)
  Kato Ai-Dimitris (Driopida’s Loutra)
  Ai-Dimitris Chora (Koutsounos)
   

November

2
Aghion Akindinon
  Aghion Akindinon (Merichas)
   
8
Sinaxis of Archangels
  Taxiarch in “Tafeio” (Driopida)
  Taxiarch (Velidi)
  Ταξιάρχης (Chora & Selitsi)
   
9
Aghios Nektarios
  Aghios Nektarios in Driopida (Miloi)
  Aghios Nektarios (Chora)
   
11
Aghios Minas
  Aghios Minas in Galatas (Driopida)
   
12
Aghios Ioannis Eleimonas 
  Eleimonos (Naousa)
   
13
Aghios Ioannis Chrisostomou
  Aghios Theodoros (Driopida)
  Chrisostomos (Chora)
   
14
Apostle Fillipos
  Aghios Fillipos (Katakefalo)
   
21
Entry of Theotokos
  Panagia Kanala (all night)
  Panagia (Kakovoulo)
  Pigadakia (Chora)
   
25
Aghias Aikaterinis
  Aghia Aikaterini (Perdikari)
  Aghia Aikaterini (Chora & Loutra)
   

December

4
Aghia Varvara 
  Aghia Varvara (Psathi)
  Aghia Varvara (Chora & Asteras)
   
5
Aghios Savva 
  Aghios Savvas (Chora)
   
6
Aghios Nikolaos
  Aghios Nikolaos (Lefkes)
  Aghios Nikolaos (Aghios Nikolaos Cove)
 

Aghios Nikolaos (Chora & Apokrousi)

   
12
Aghiou Spiridonos
  Ai- Spiridonas (Driopida & Apokrousi)
   
25
Christmas
  Aghia Anna (Driopida’s Metropolis)
  Christos Chora (Anemomilos)
   
26
Sinaxis of Theotokos
  Evaggelistria (Driopida)
   
27
Protomartyr Steven
  Aghios Stefanos (Aghios Stefanos port)
  • Furthermore, 2 Thursdays (Tsiknopempti) before Clean Monday great festivities take place in Driopida.
    1. The 4th Halloween Sunday, a carnival festival “Lazanis” takes place in Chora
  • Every  Easter Sunday the island celebrates the traditional custom “kounies”

 

TRADITIONAL PRODUCTS

In Kythnos apart from meat & fresh fish, you can also find homemade products such as sausages, rusks, white cheese, kopanisti, thyme honey (Kythnos’s honey is consider one of the best in the world), caper, clay objects (given the fact that in the island there is a long tradition in ceramics), almond specialties, pastelli, traditional pies & the famous thermiotiko wine.
Moreover, Kythnos’s cheese & wine were widely known since ancient times for their good quality & rich taste.