Local customs and festivals in Lesvos

Lesvos, an island with a rich history and culture, celebrates a plethora of festivals and honors numerous customs throughout the year, which reflect the cultural heritage of the island. A trip to Lesvos is capable of making you a “friend” of it forever.

The people of Lesvos are open-hearted and hospitable people and lovingly preserve the customs and traditions of their place to this day, wanting to make them an experience for everyone their guest.

The holidays and festivals of Lesvos are related to the “cycle of time”. The tradition of the festivals is mainly linked to the rural area, centered on both the churches of the settlements and the outdoor chapels.

The biggest festival of the island from ancient times until today is that of Panagia in Agiaso. The preparation for the celebration starts from the beginning of August and culminates on the eve and day of the celebration, with the participation of pilgrims who come from all the villages of Lesvos, as well as from mainland and island Greece. In fact, until 1922 crowds of pilgrims flocked from the opposite coast of Asia Minor, mainly Smyrna and Ayvali.

Great festivals are also of Taxiarchis on the Sunday of the Myroforos in Mandamado, of Agios Charalambos or of the Bull in Agia Paraskevi but also in Mandamados and Napi, of Agios Ignatios in the Leimonos Monastery in Kalloni, etc.

Sardine Festival in Kalloni

Kalloni sardines are a unique appetizer for ouzo and are famous around the world. Every year, on the first or second weekend of August, the Sardine Festival is organized at Skala Kalloni, which lasts for three days. At the Sardine Festival, grilled sardines are offered to tourists for free along with plenty of ouzo and accompanied by live Greek music and dancing.

Chestnut Festival in Agiasos

In Agiasos every November for the last 13 years you will have the opportunity if you find yourself on the island to take part in the Chestnut Festival, a celebration whose goal is to stimulate the agricultural production of the area.

Huge piles of chestnuts are gathered and visitors have the opportunity to taste free roasted and boiled chestnuts or to procure this wonderful fruit from its producers. Of course, various cultural events are held at the same time.

Ouzo Fest

Lesvos and Ouzo are connected in the mind of every Greek and this is because the history of what is known as “our national drink” has its roots in the island of Lesbos and the coasts of Asia Minor. In recent years, since 2013, the Association of Distillers – Distillers of Lesbos has been organizing the Ouzo Fest, a unique festival to get to know ouzo, its culture and its secrets.

The visitor has the opportunity to try more than 40 ouzo labels, chat with the brewers, learn about the secrets of ouzo, taste the gastronomy of Lesvos and enjoy his ouzo in the picturesque cafes of Mytilini and Plomari.

The bull, the horses and the kishkek

In the big festivals of the island, certain customs are still preserved today and make them particularly unique… One of them is the symbolic procession and ritual slaughter of a flower-adorned bull accompanied by music, as well as the accompanying preparation of kishkek (ground chickpeas, wheat and meat), consumed by the festival-goers.

Another feature of the island’s festivities is the horse… Riders decorate their horses with particular elegance and then compete in showmanship and figures. In fact, horse races are also held at many festivals.

The Halloween in Agia Paraskevi

Junia are the disguised people in Lesvos, who are even called bell ringers. In Agia Paraskevi they wore white uniforms, while they painted their faces with smudge and went around the neighborhoods of the village singing various teasing Halloween songs.

On Clean Monday, in order to have absolute cleanliness in the utensils in view of the fast, the women put achlia (ashes) with water to wash the dishes. In the afternoon of the same day, all the groups went out with tubelekia, davuli and tins in the neighborhoods and were entertained by the housewives.

The Carnival of Agiasos

The carnival in Agiaso is celebrated in a special way, combining satirical discourse in an improvisational way. During the Carnival the masquerades go around the streets and cafes and take part in impromptu satirical acts, sing playful songs, dance and have fun in an atmosphere of absolute freedom and freedom.

Today, the carnival celebration culminates on Shrove Sunday, where the carnival floats gather in the village’s lower square, Karya, and the amateur carnival performers deliver satires in the Agiasot language idiom, criticizing social and political life.

The descent of Christ

In several churches of the island, such as in Ag. Therapondas in the center of Mytilene, the representation of the Descent of Christ into Hades takes place. At midnight on Holy Saturday, when the entire procession with the priests and the rest of the world have celebrated the Resurrection in the courtyard of the temple, the central gate of the temple is closed and the entire procession with the leading cleric stays in the courtyard, while inside a chanter usually stands in the temple. The head cleric represents Christ, while the other represents Hades and a dialogue takes place, so that the gate of the temple is opened. As soon as the gate opens, the head priest and the whole procession rush into the temple, all singing together loudly “Christ is Risen”.

The 12 Crosses of Agiasos

In Agiaso on Maundy Thursday, after every Gospel, the residents made a cross with the candle. After church, they stuck the 12 little crosses in the house, in various places, to scare away the bed bugs and fleas.

The laurel branches

On Easter Sunday, after church, the children decorated a bundle of laurel branches with red or green cloths, and hung a bell. Then they went from house to house chanting and saying incantations for fleas and mice, while also giving a laurel branch to the housewife. At the end, they also asked for their gift: “Happy birthday, in the name of the Lord, give me the egg so I can leave.”

The cocoons of the Resurrection

It is a custom that is continuously revived to this day… In many areas of the island, from Halloween onwards, the young people of each village begin to collect large tree trunks and dry branches, which on Easter Saturday they pile in the village square.

At the top of the kukura, as the pile of wood is called, they set Judas up and set fire to it. The burning of Judas symbolizes his punishment for treason and the flames of the fire that burn until the morning, symbolize the purification of believers from evil deeds.