Feast of Epanosifi Monastery
The large monastery south of Heraklion celebrates the transfer of the relics of Saint George.
Add to calendarReligious holidays & folk customs
Church holidays, old customs and anniversaries that the whole island still keeps.
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.
Must do's
6 Jan Epiphany: blessing of the waters
A priest throws a cross into the sea and young swimmers dive into the cold water to bring it back.
23 Jun Klidonas: midsummer bonfires
Neighbourhoods burn the May flower wreaths in bonfires and people jump over the flames for luck.
3 May Saint George: the shepherds' feast
Shepherds bring thousands of sheep to the church to be blessed and milked; the milk is boiled and shared with everyone.
25 Oct (Usual dates, check locally) Kazanemata: the raki distilling season
Village stills fire up to make tsikoudia, with food, music and raki straight from the copper pot.
8 Nov Arkadi anniversary & feast of the Archangels
Crete remembers the 1866 sacrifice at Arkadi monastery on the feast of the Archangels.
20 May Anniversary of the Battle of Crete
Memorial services, parades and re-enactments marking the German airborne invasion of May 1941.
Rethymno Arkadi Monastery
Symbol of Cretan resistance and the 1866 revolt against Ottoman rule.
List Churches & monasteries
Faith and resistance
Rethymno Arkadi Monastery
Symbol of Cretan resistance and the 1866 revolt against Ottoman rule.
List Churches & monasteries
Faith and resistance
Coming up
See the full agendaNovember 2026
Feast of Agia Ekaterini
A mountain feast in Koustogerako that remembers the rescue of wartime resistance fighters.
Add to calendarDecember 2026
Feast of Agia Varvara
The village named after the saint celebrates in early December.
Add to calendarFeast of Agia Anna, Piskokefalo
A December feast in the raisin village just outside Sitia.
Add to calendarFeast of the Ten Saints, Agioi Deka
The village of the ten martyrs of Crete celebrates two days before Christmas.
Add to calendarJanuary 2027
Feast of the Three Hierarchs, Psychro
A winter feast on the Lasithi plateau, below the cave of Zeus.
Add to calendarFebruary 2027
May 2027
Feast of Agia Irini, Kroussonas
The convent of Agia Irini above Kroussonas celebrates its saint.
Add to calendarFeast of Agios Dikaios, Elos
A small mountain feast with a wide view, in the chestnut village of Elos.
Add to calendarAgios Ioannis Theologos in Sfakia
An authentic mountain feast in Sfakia with rizitika, the old unaccompanied songs of western Crete.
Add to calendarSaints Konstantinos & Eleni in Axos
A highland panigiri in Axos with some of the best lyra players of the Psiloritis villages.
Add to calendarPanagia Thymiani, Sfakia
A historic church in Sfakia, linked to the 1821 uprising, celebrated on the last Sunday of May.
Add to calendarJune 2027
Panigiri of Agia Triada (Pentecost)
The first big panigiri of the Sitia summer, on the evening of Pentecost.
Add to calendarSaints Peter & Paul at Gramvousa
A feast for the coastal communities of the north-west, below the Venetian castle of Gramvousa.
Add to calendarJuly 2027
Feast of Agios Antonios, Charei (Sougia)
A beach chapel reached on foot or by boat, with an overnight feast by the Libyan Sea.
Add to calendarFeast of Agios Kirikos, Lissos
A pilgrimage to ancient Lissos, on foot or by small boat from Sougia.
Add to calendarPilgrimage of Agia Marina, Voni
Crete's best-known Agia Marina pilgrimage, with queues of pilgrims and a fair on the road.
Add to calendarFeast of Agia Marina
One of the biggest summer panigiria; in Voni the fields turn into an open-air market and taverna for thousands.
Voni · Agia Marina, Chania · Mochos · Exo Mouliana and 1 more
Add to calendarFeast of Profitis Ilias
Feasts at hilltop chapels of the Prophet Elijah, with views over the island at night.
Archaia Eleftherna · Mesa Mouliana
Add to calendarPanigiri of Profitis Ilias, Mesa Mouliana
The wine village on the old Sitia road celebrates with lyra music and local wine.
Add to calendarPanigiri of Agia Paraskevi, Vamos
The Apokoronas market village celebrates at the springs below the village.
Add to calendarFeast of Agia Paraskevi
Village feasts famous for huge pots of gamopilafo, the Cretan wedding rice.
Ziros · Adele · Gonies · Vamos and 1 more
Add to calendarPanigiri of Agia Paraskevi, Ziros
The largest village of the Sitia hinterland feasts in its park with a full dinner and live music.
Add to calendarPanigiri of Agios Panteleimon, Kounavoi
A locals' feast in the Peza wine country, a short taxi ride from Heraklion.
Add to calendarFeast of Agios Panteleimon
Mountain panigiria with live lyra and antikristo, lamb roasted around the fire.
Fodele · Fourfouras (Amari) · Adele · Chromonastiri and 3 more
Add to calendarAugust 2027
Panigiri of the Transfiguration, Myrthios
The balcony village above Plakias celebrates the Saviour with music and food in the square.
Add to calendarPanigiri of the Transfiguration, Xirosterni
A small Apokoronas village with a faithful two-night feast for the Saviour.
Add to calendarTransfiguration of the Saviour
Summer feasts in Zakros, Tymbaki and the pottery village of Margarites.
Zakros · Tymbaki · Margarites · Xirosterni and 4 more
Add to calendarPanigiri of Afentis Christos, Zakros
Upper Zakros, at the top of the Gorge of the Dead, celebrates the Saviour in the village square.
Add to calendarFeast of Agios Myron, Agios Myronas
One of the largest feasts in Crete, in the village where the saint lived.
Add to calendarPanigiri of Panagia Faneromeni, Archanes
Archanes celebrates the Dormition with Byzantine chants, a liturgy and a glenti with local wine.
Add to calendarDormition pilgrimage, Chrysoskalitissa
The white monastery on the rock near Elafonisi holds the big Dormition feast of western Chania.
Add to calendarPanigiri of the Dormition, Fres and Litsarda
The Apokoronas plateau is full of 15 August feasts, a few minutes apart.
Add to calendarDormition of the Virgin Mary (Panagia)
The "summer Easter" of Greece: almost every village celebrates the Virgin Mary with a feast.
Chrissoskalitissa monastery · Theriso · Meskla · Fres and Kefalas (Apokoronas) and 20 more
Add to calendarPanigiri of the Dormition, Atsipopoulo
The big village just above Rethymno throws the town's best-known glenti on the night of 15 August.
Add to calendarPanigiri of the Dormition, Lampini
A frescoed Byzantine church and a valley-wide glenti south of Rethymno.
Add to calendarPanigiri of the Dormition, Armeni (Sitia)
A few kilometres inland from Sitia, Armeni holds the area's best-attended 15 August glenti.
Add to calendarAugust panigiri of Eleftherna
The day after the Dormition, Eleftherna holds its own glenti next to the archaeological museum.
Add to calendarEniamera of the Panagia
Nine days after the Dormition, a second wave of feasts for the Virgin Mary.
Add to calendarFeast of Agios Fanourios
People bring fanouropita, a spiced cake, to the feast at Valsamonero monastery.
Add to calendarAgios Ioannis Rigologos (Gionis)
A pilgrimage to the remote chapel of Agios Ioannis Gionis on the Rodopou peninsula.
Agios Ioannis Gionis, Rodopou · Douliana · Kournas · Ziros and 1 more
Add to calendarSeptember 2027
Panigiri of Panagia Kardiotissa, Agios Thomas
For the birth of the Virgin, Agios Thomas walks out to an old chapel by the river.
Add to calendarBirth of the Virgin Mary
A big pilgrimage to the monastery of Antifonitria in Myriokefala.
Myriokefala (Antifonitria monastery) · Lefkogia · Gavalochori · Tzitzifes and 2 more
Add to calendarFeast of the Holy Cross
The feast that traditionally closes the summer and opens the autumn farming season.
Axos · Topolia · Nipos · Rodovani and 1 more
Add to calendarFeast of Agios Nikitas, Frangokastello
A seaside chapel near the castle, famous for its horse-riding games.
Add to calendarFeast of Agia Ariadni, Tzermiado
A feast found nowhere else in Crete, on the Lasithi plateau.
Add to calendarFeast of Toplou Monastery
The fortified monastery near Vai celebrates Agios Ioannis Theologos.
Add to calendarOctober 2027
Feast of the Holy Fathers, Azogires
The village of the Holy Fathers cave celebrates its 99 hermits.
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Good to know
- Shops, offices and many museums close on the big holidays; plan ahead.
- Visitors are welcome at services and processions; dress modestly and stay quiet during the liturgy.
- At Easter, book your table early: many tavernas are full with local families.