Religious holidays & folk customs

Faith and tradition in Crete

Faith and tradition are part of daily life on Crete. The big church holidays are celebrated in every town and village, and many old customs, from bonfires to blessing the flocks, have lasted for centuries.

Easter and the big holidays

Easter (Pascha) is the most important holiday of the year. In Holy Week the churches are full, on Good Friday the decorated Epitaphios is carried through the streets, and at midnight on Saturday the Resurrection is announced with candles, bells and fireworks. On Sunday families roast lamb outside. Orthodox Easter often falls on a different date than Western Easter.

Other big days are Epiphany on 6 January, when the waters are blessed and swimmers dive for the cross, and the feast of the Virgin Mary on 15 August.

Folk customs

Some customs follow the farming year: the raki season in autumn, when families distil the new raki together and friends come by to eat and drink, or the feast of the shepherds on Saint George's day. Others are much older, like the Klidonas bonfires in June that people jump over.

Remembering history

Crete also remembers its history: the sacrifice at Arkadi Monastery in November 1866 and the Battle of Crete in May 1941 are marked every year with services, wreaths and gatherings.